Now that the wind and rain have arrived, the leaves are falling fast. Those vivid reds, golden yellows and pumpkin oranges are lighting up the landscape. Thank goodness for deciduous plants, they are the stars of the autumn show. Each day they show off a slightly different color, almost chameleon-like, but instead of blending in they do the opposite. They stand out. They turn up … Continue reading Stop and Look! We’re Almost Gone….
This tree has a name that slides off the tongue. Shishigashira, shhhhhhishigashira, shishhhhhhhhigashira, shishigasssssshhira, any way you say it, it’s fun. Especially fast, shishigashira. I wonder how to type a word that represents very quick speech. Slow speech is easy, lotttttssssss of lettttttttersssssssss. Fast speech? Shishigashira? No, bold doesn’t work, it’s too blocky and solid, not fast. Shishigashira, in italics is starting to get faster. I … Continue reading Shhhhhhhishigashira
This week I attended the Miller Memorial Lecture by the esteemed botanist and conservationist Dr. Peter Raven, President emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden. I was captivated from the beginning to the end. Held on the University of Washington campus, the lecture lasted just over an hour. The title was ‘Conserving Plants in a Changing World’, but this dialogue was less about plants and more … Continue reading Dr. Peter Raven Lecture—Conservation and Biodiversity
This beautiful tree showed up at the nursery and didn’t stay long. Forest Pansy Redbud has colorful purple leaves that emerge in spring, fading to green as summer goes on. The heart-shaped leaves would be enough to sell this plant, but the bright pink flowers that grow directly from the stems and trunk make this plant quite amazing. Cercis canadensis is the Redbud tree native to … Continue reading The Redbud Tree
I love this tree. It’s unlike any other tree that I know. Rarity lends it interest. The name gives it importance. Sciadopitys verticillata, doesn’t it just roll off the tongue? Skiados is Greek for umbel and pitys means fir tree. Verticillata means whorled. A perfect description for the Japanese Umbrella Tree. I want to be in that upper tower of the horticultural library where plants are … Continue reading Umbrella Pine Tree
Rainyleaf 