I've been admiring this crabapple tree for sometime. Usually, trees seem to bloom then get their leaves (maybe it's just the ornamental fruit trees?), but this tree is the opposite. The buds are fuchsia and open to a bright white. Then mini crabapples form which are yellow the same time the leaves are in the autumn and last throughout the cold months for winter color. Year-round loveliness.
Jeff screeched the car to a halt for me to retrieve this giant pinecone from the side of the road on our way to Southern California. It's wider and shorter than a sugar pinecone, but I'm not sure what type of pine it came from; they were tallish with rather anemic long needles. The tree just didn't match the heft of these murderous cones.
So, I'm enjoying posting from my phone. However, the photos seem to be heavier than the text as they sink right to the bottom of the post...I prefer them to float. Humph.
Now that you have the song stuck in your head...
I found this leaf amonst its friends on the ground right outside my front door.
Sometimes, when I bring in some firewood, I find bits of lichen or moss that I simply cannot part with.
Hello there! A bit of a blog break there...it has been cold and rather uninspiring. So, I suppose if one doesn't have much to say, why bother?
However, things are going fine and we plan to visit family later this month which always takes planning and the anticipation is almost as wonderful as being there (well, sort of).
This sweet little cactus here is one that my boys (Jeff and Boo) picked up for me while on an errand to the hardware store. They know how I love orange so. I'll have to find out how to take care of it, as not all succulents are the same. It's a happy little plant.
I hope to have more posts very soon! The sun is out and it's Saturday (really, the only day I can logistically photograph in the winter). So! pictures of the cursive typewriter...really!
Until we meet again.
It's certainly strawberry season. We've started picking some berries from the garden and supplementing with organic berries from the supermarket (when on sale) and berries from the farmers' market. Boo eats them simply rinsed sans stems. I've used them for snacks (see the third picture below) and for this incredible dessert (Jeff and I can't get enough, but I would say to eat it warm or at room temp...I've tried it out of the fridge and it's just not the same.), in which the leftovers are consumed the next morning by yours truly.
I just watered the strawberry plants the first time today. They really needed it. We've been getting intermittent rain and I just didn't want to admit that I had to start hand-watering. But, it's worth it...there's nothing like strawberries fresh-picked from the plant - red through to the center, warm from the sun, juicy, and sweet.
The above image shows the strawberries that I picked today...that one, there, at 2 o'clock...that one is the perfect berry. So pretty. I want to find a (natural) lipstick that color.
Above is a great snack or dessert: plain yogurt, strawberries (these were the supermarket organic ones, notice the white centers), granola, and drizzled honey. You could also use vanilla yogurt and skip the honey.
Tomorrow is farmers' market day. Time for a tamale lunch and I found this incredible wee espresso stand that makes a really wonderful mocha (the type you want to attempt licking the inside of the cup if you weren't in public).
Have you been taking advantage of strawberry season? Or, are you in the Southern Hemisphere...and what's in season where you are?
It's been a cold, gray, and wet spring...but the flowers still bloomed.
These, what I believe to be, wild irises come in white/purple and yellow/purple. You may notice the ever-present blackberry seedlings that constantly have to be mowed.
This white and purple furry little fellow is intriguing and I'm not sure what it is.
I'm sure there are more types of flowers in bloom right now, this is just what I saw in one stroll outside. I know there are some wild strawberries that bloom as well; I have yet to find a strawberry on one of the plants...methinks they are eaten rather quickly by the wild creatures around these parts.
Today is truly sunny, one of the few days that has been so this spring. On Sunday, we had a really intense thunderstorm (for Oregon) with an incredible, yet brief, downpour.
I actually enjoy thunderstorms, but was a bit concerned about my succulents again, as they got more rain. I plan to investigate how they are doing with all the rain they've been receiving...to see if any have simply gotten too much and have perished. Oh, I do hope not! I have been pretty busy and haven't checked on them every day. I'm sure the ones who have weathered the weather are enjoying the sun.
Oh! and I failed to mention that the darling Kristal of rikrak included me in an Etsy blog article on collecting (pincushions). You can read the article here. Thank you, Kristal!
I must admit that I'm abandoning my garden. Until I can devote the time to dealing with a compost bin and getting the soil more prepared (it's all clay/rocks now), I'm going to garden in containers inside. The other day, I was inspecting what was left in the fenced in space that was the garden, and noticed that a lemon balm plant was overtaking a chive plant. So, I decided to dig up the chive (and since it was so large, divide it) and pot it in a terracotta pot I had kicking around...then brought it inside.
(Yeah, the reason I haven't posted about house improvements in forever is because it's been slow-going...busy, busy. Case-in-point...the unfinished drywall.)
I often buy green onions at the store for quesadillas, nachos, and the like. I'm thinking that these chives might make a good substitution. Bringing this plant inside will allow me to actually use it. Mmmm...yogurt chive dip!
So, it seems that I have enough chives for all kinds of recipes...do you have a favorite?
My wee family and I decided that we needed to get out of town this weekend and took a day trip to the Oregon coast (the weather was finally sunny for it). In order to get there, we first needed to drive through the redwoods (I know, terrible isn't it?). We took a new route this time which was mostly a dirt road, but it was worth it for the beauty.
The trillium were blooming. White ones and purple ones like this one above growing out of a redwood stump.
These bog plants (if you will) were also blooming...here's a close-up of the yellow flower:
The above plant looks to be some sort of berry, if you look closely at the leaves. I wouldn't have guessed from the pink-purple flower.
The above fern is so incredibly delicate and has a beautiful form..and the black stems!
And this little flower, which looks like a yellow version of a violet.
I suppose I was looking at the small things on this trip through the big trees. The flowers are only a fleeting moment in the spring, and I thought I would pay attention to the details.
Next time we meet, I'll have some pictures of the sand and sea....Until then, enjoy your week!
I've been very busy with well, the rest of my life lately...apologies for the absence. I've also been thinking about plants (in addition to stacking rings). I suppose it's spring and one can't help but think of such things.
Our local farmers' market opened back up again last month and I decided to get a few herb plants (and plan to get more). It's really difficult to garden where I'm at, the deer devour everything (including the blackberry plants...ouch) and the soil is clay and full of rocks. I've decided to try to keep things simple after what I've deemed to be a couple of unsuccessful years at a garden. Container plants inside, and specifically herbs seem to suit just fine.
Other benefits these herbs offer are that they offer up some green and life in the house, they smell wonderful, they will save money for cooking, they charm Boo, and they have potential for natural dyeing.
This beautiful specimen above is a chocolate mint. I have always wanted a collection of mint plants and here's a start. Containing mint is often a good idea as they will take over one's yard. They also like water and I like that I can just keep that particular plant a bit more moist.
This fellow is a greek oregano (with zinnia seedlings in the background) and has doubled, nay tripled in size since I purchased him a few weeks ago. I decided to use sand and rock when I transplanted these plants. The sand doesn't allow the plants to be watered from above (I just pour water in the saucer and let the water wick up) because it mixes with the potting mix and isn't as aesthetically pleasing...it also may may make the plants again susceptible to fungus gnats, though I'm not sure.
And, I have another plant to update you with....
My Lithops is in it's swollen, almost translucent state. Unlike what I understood previously, the skin does not shrivel around two new split specimens each time...sometimes, it's just one like the previous one. I suppose I'll have to wait a bit to find out what is beneath these parents.
Sigh...well, off that's all for now. I hope to be back soon! Thank you for reading, dear readers.