This is what people think about Washington—It rains all the time, the skies are always gray, everything is gray, we all wear gray polar fleece and disappear into the fog, hibernating most of the winter. Don’t let out our little secret, but this is what it’s really like in Washington in January. There are flowers, bright and beautiful, teasing us out of winter. I just … Continue reading Washington’s Best Kept Secret
Now that I’m working at the Horticultural Program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology I have access to a greenhouse. The students grow all types of crops, from vegetables to fuchsia baskets to perennials. The season is in full swing and I’ve been learning a lot about greenhouse growing. Everything is different inside. Watering and controlling pests and diseases takes on a new perspective from … Continue reading Baby Monkey
Click the link below to read the fascinating story of the bicycle in the woods! This is a good bit of sleuthing by author Eric Johnson from Komo News in Seattle. Has anyone ever seen a tree grow around an object like this? http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Vashon-mystery-How-did-the-bike-become-embedded-in-the-tree-231947041.html Continue reading Bike in Tree
Here is a reminder of summer, when the sun was bright and the bees were buzzing. This is a Magnolia grandiflora, which blooms in summer and has a sweet scent, drawing in both bees and people. Continue reading Magnolia and Bees
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
Rainyleaf 