When I was a child there were only a few plants that caught my attention. I didn’t see the trees for the squirrels. I wouldn’t look at the flowers for the butterflies. I regarded the grasses only as a place to play and hide. It wasn’t until I learned their names that many plants became interesting to me. Cattails were at the top of the … Continue reading Cattail
On a recent early morning outing to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens I enjoyed seeing the winter garden. The plants that really stood out for me were the grasses. Most were drying and golden brown, but the texture and shape was outstanding. While many plants drop their leaves and disappear below the frosty substrate, the grasses are standing tall. They are moving and sparkling in the … Continue reading Winter Interest Plants
I planted this container for a client and it finally came into it’s own when the purple fountain grass grew. For months this Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’ just sat there and waited out the cool months, barely inching its way upward. Finally, towards the end of July it started to shoot out and now in August it’s the focal point. Combined with the geraniums, verbena and calibrachoa, … Continue reading Pennisetum Pot
As we head into late summer in the garden we begin to see a slow transition. Gone are the dewy daffodils, the misty meadows, the bright spring show of giddy annuals. Arriving is the dry earth, the baking sun and the crowded garden where annuals get pushed out and perennials take center stage. If your petunias are petering out or your geraniums have been dead-headed … Continue reading Fantastic Flowers for the August Garden
Any garden with a large wooden squid swimming through a field of grass is my kind of place. I’ve always had a fascination for these slippery cephalopods. It began with those stories of the giant squid that lurked in the depths of the oceans. As a kid I imagined huge monsters, as big as my bedroom with large glowing eyes and night black ink. I … Continue reading Swimming With the Squid at VanDusen Gardens
Rainyleaf 