http://turnerphotographics.com/blog Gardens, Northwest native plants, and photography. Sat, 10 May 2008 04:07:28 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Back in 2003 and 2004 I spent the entire growing season searching for wildflowers to include in Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest. By the time the season ended, there were about 40 plants that Phyllis and I thought ought to be included in the book that I was never in ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/05/09/searching-for-elusive-plants/ This diminutive very early-blooming plant eluded me when I was chasing flowers to include in Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest. I spent many hours searching for it, in locations where reliable sources said I would find it, all to no avail. In the end, we left it out of the ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/02/18/siskiyou-false-rue-anemone/ I thought about going for a bike ride today, but with rain in the forecast I decided to walk instead. As I started from home it wasn't raining and was a bit warmer than yesterday.  I headed east on North Street and picked up the Railroad Trail to Whatcom Falls ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/02/10/long-walk-in-the-rain/ This isn't a political blog, and isn't slated to become one.  However, I think my experience at this afternoon's Democratic Party caucus is worth a few comments.  I admit that I was a reluctant participant.  Casting a primary ballot is a much simpler process that requires considerably less time.  In ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/02/09/participatory-politics/ We're in a period of what passes for miserably uncomfortable weather on the northwest coast.  It's about 38 degrees, windy, and periods of rain. It feels a lot colder than it really is, colder even than standing around in the snow in the mid-twenties. Days like this seem made for ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/02/06/cold-windblown-drizzle/ Without deadlines would I get anything done? Probably, but deadlines sure provide a little extra motivation to move a task to the top of the priority heap. I committed several months ago to give a slide show based on my Bellingham Impressions book, which was published last August. The show dates ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/02/01/importance-of-deadlines/ This time of year, especially following several days of heavy snowfall, the color palette is essentially monochromatic. Bare branches exhibit varying shades of gray and muted brown. Snow is bluish-white under cloudy skies and in the shade, or hues of gold under low-angle sunshine. Even the foliage that peeks through ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/01/29/monochrome-palette/ The storm cell that brought deep snow to the area sat over Spokane for nearly 30 hours and dumped a couple of feet of snow. That's more than people here can remember in many, many years. Schools, many government offices, and some businesses were closed today. Fresh snow doesn't look ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/01/28/deep-snow/ I've been waiting all winter for the conditions to be right to visit several eastern Washington gardens when there's lots of fresh snow. Today (January 27) I hit the jackpot as Spokane received near-record snowfall of up to 12 inches while I was out photographing. It would have been better ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/01/28/crazy-for-snow/ Some of us on the mild side of the Northwest joke that spring begins on New Year's Day.  That's really only a slight stretch, as we have several winter-blooming plants.  Our Viburnum bodnantense is in full fragrant bloom and I've seen a few blossoms on winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, in ... http://turnerphotographics.com/blog/2008/01/02/garden-cleanup/