Cherries
Today I followed a scented trail through the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. My eyes lifted up to branches filled with soft petals of pink and white. The trees seemed to be emerging from a dark and wet winter. Moist mossy branches stretched sunward, up to the sky. They seemed to say ‘we have endured an endless winter, but have now broken through a dark … Continue reading Cherries
Arrowleaf Balsamroot
The leaves of Arrowleaf balsamroot in the Spring are just delicious. They look so fresh and alive as compared to the leaves in the summer when they are dusty and desiccated. The color is such a contrast to the surrounding plants, softly glaucescent and covered in fine hairs. This pubescence gives the plant a slight advantage and protection from heat and drought. I like the … Continue reading Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Fairybells
I was delighted to see this delicate Spring flower in abundance at the onset of the Palisades creek trail. The small nodding white flowers with extended yellow stamens looked like tiny bells for a woodland fairy. This perennial often hides its flowers with the terminal leaves, but they were highly visible on these plants. They were a most welcome sight after a very long, white … Continue reading Fairybells
Idaho Container Design
Upon arriving in the gem state I was thrilled to design and plant several containers for a local business. What could grow here? What were good container plants? The landscaping in this area is ‘natural’, shall we say. Professional garden design is not as obvious here, as in Western Washington (the land flowing with milk and honey). I see an occasional geranium or petunia in … Continue reading Idaho Container Design
Orchids in Idaho
As an avid orchid collector it was never an option to leave my orchids behind in Washington. They were coming with me, even though many of them left an ideal greenhouse home to live outside exposed to hot summer sun and constant desiccating winds. It’s turning out to be a challenge to grow these orchids while camping in a trailer in the middle of a … Continue reading Orchids in Idaho
Rainyleaf 