why this is boring

CAN'T DECIDE whether this chronicles 2 gardens: a wenatchee farmlet, a small urban garden in bothell, or both. I'll have better posts when I make up my mind. I'll have interesting urban gardening experiences to post, with more juicy, useful info. Quite different gardening zones, both with pros + cons. I want pollinators next year + more extensive vegetable beds. Bees, chickens and others to make green food would have more room in wenatchee. My tiny perennial garden is near seattle. I need a pro/con list. I'm making a trip over to Wenatchee this weekend to see more of the October changes. Meanwhile: why I love rusting hydrangeas in autumn...

cotinus in container

COTINUS "GOLDEN SPIRIT" (smokebush) moved into a container, cuzz it was getting too much water in the ground. I've seen this plant for 90 bucks online! Hope I can keep it alive. Maybe it's too new, too untested. We'll see.

ophee in the garden

I'LL GET THIS outta my system. More photos of Ophee-nutz patrolling her garden. I have so many of her, so here are a couple more. We're inseparable. Now on to garden stuff.

colors only god can see

THE HANGING BASKET has geraniums in a color so vivid, the camera polarized it. The combo can only be described as magenta/orange/red violet (click for large view ya know). The pinks at left are calibrachoa and not as bright, so true. Little red mini-rose did the the same with its vivid red blooms.

objets d'art

I REVERE OBJECTS around the garden--statues, birdhouses, buckets. Whatever has the patina of life. There's a little flag with a skelly in a lounger, now faded from sun, a perfect gift from my friend Yasuyo. They all give me a moment to pause and think.

summer light

HAD TO SHARE these colors from the late summer light. That's my Pat Austin rose again. I don't even like roses THAT much, but this one always knocks me out...it's a really juicy tangerine color and fruity fragrance.

kirengeshoma palmata...

...AKA YELLOW WAXBELLS. Not a xeric plant, but I had to try one. Here are the first bells growing on a small specimen I got for 9 bucks. Also attached a catalog photo. I'll get a better pic of mine next year.

joolz to eat

MY VEGGIE GARDEN is getting outta control, but look at the beautiful colors...and we can eat it. It's a thing of wonder and beauty! And here's lovely Apis Mellifera (nearly hidden in sedum Autumn Joy), who, without her pollinating, no beautiful greens would be possible.

september light

MISTY COOL LIGHT made the garden look sortof dark this morning. My little japanese flag from
Yasuyo-san fluttering from the arbor says, "Just resting my bones," and features skelly in a lawn chair. I hope it's not a sign that summer lazing is over.

bee-stung boston

OPHEE TRIES TO eat bees. And pays the price. Here she looks like a cow, with puffy lips. Poor little kook. Benadryl saved the day. Good to have around for our pet pals.

a cluster of bitties

MY SISTER CALLS these tiny birds 'drumettes' — they're only as big as an appetizer. I'm trying to get a shot of them visiting the feeder, but they're too shy for me to get close. Not giving up! Their behaviour, like a school of fishes, means you rarely see one solo. The females have light eyes, as opposed to the males' dark eyes. Now that Autumn is near, they're showing up in clusters of 20 or more at a time.

apricot poses as rose

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. – Wm Shakespeare

IN THIS CASE, the name should be not rose, but apricot. The juicy sweet fragrance of this English rose, Pat Austin, is a dead ringer for one.

back to the flowers

THE PERENNIALS coming on since July have provided me gorgeous color, but more importantly, good stuff for the bees. From top to bottom, sedum Autumn Joy, campsis vine, hydrangea.

bigger veggies

ANOTHER PICTURE of vegetables growing. I'm a garden nerd. I find the miracle of watching them grow a thrill. Exciting, isn't it?

tiny veggie starts

FIRST VERY MESSY pix of the tiny starter garden ... screw you Monsanto.
These will be my first delicious vegetables that I'm growing. I put a little iron gate beyond the main perennial garden, to suggest where the veggies are. I'm such a greenie. More and better photos coming.

heirloom veggies 101

I'M ANTICIPATING the fall harvest from my first veggie garden. This is a test garden I'm doing in micro, so when I start a garden at my dad's next spring I can replicate the plan on a third acre . The property is what some might call a tear-down. My sister and I disagree. We are going to recycle and paint and use our creativity to make a charming little farmette.
PHOTOS TK...

my father's house

THIS ONE IS going to take me a couple days.
I'm going over to Wenatchee again, in Central WA, for a weekend with Terrie, to start working on my dad's place, now that he's gone. My sis and I enjoy the time together, and it also gives us a chance to grieve together and talk. We discussed starting a garden there, both because it's a fine and green idea, and because we could do it as a tribute to him as well. It could be gorgeous. And efficient. Maybe even bees.
Ok, so beginning stage photos and more on this forthcoming.
Thanks as always for your patience. I am so obviously an anarchist, with no respect for rules, such as attending to my blog in a timely manner.

august yard

PIX OF SUMMER progress in the bothell garden — the sweat and toil are starting to pay off.

back from wenatchee

I HAD A reunion marathon this weekend. Met old friends from a former job, and then went to my dad's place is, to start dressing it up. While there, I attended a reunion, from my old days in a big church. I was apprehensive, since my beliefs probably are best defined as Jesus + Jon Stewart. :B
But it was lovely, and all I have room to say here is it's stunning how life changes people, and how love saves them.