Trying to squeeze a few more fresh salads out of the season? A simple cold frame can help. Often made from recycled materials, they can protect tender plants from heavy rains and frosty nights. I took this picture at the Seattle Flower and Garden show this year (no, that’s not my yard!). Continue reading Cold Frame
Conifers generally are evergreen trees that produce their seeds in cones. Familiar friends in this family include the fir, spruce, juniper, pine and yew. There exists, however, a small secretive subgroup of conifers that dares to be different. Perhaps trying to copy their cousins the maple and the oak, these ‘evergreens’ are decidous! This select group of conifers shed their needles … Continue reading Deciduous Conifers
After a long day at work, isn’t it welcome to come home to a crock pot filled with warm, simmering stew? After the kneading and rising of yeast, nothing is better than a golden brown loaf of freshly baked bread. Food recipes require a short time of preparation and then give us comfort and sustenance. Flower bulb recipes take longer to ‘bake’, but the flowers … Continue reading Bulb Mixes for Continual Spring Bloom
Arbutus unedo ‘compacta’ has no strawberries and is more shrub than tree, nevertheless, the strawberry tree is a versatile evergreen shrub. With glossy green leaves, similar to a laurel, flowers, fruit and a textured cinnamon-colored bark , this plant looks good year round. Usually. If it’s not too cold. It used to be okay, but lately…. It is rated to live in zones 7-10, but … Continue reading Strawberry Tree
Rainyleaf 