Voodoo in the Garden
Psst… What’s that thing sticking up among our Delphiniums?
In a couple of days it’s going to unfurl into the bizarre blossom of a Voodoo Lily (Dracunculus vulgaris). Continue reading
Passions — a blog
A Hike Back to Spring
Saturday Brian and I hiked back in time. No, we haven’t invented some marvelous time machine. We just picked a trail that started higher than where we live and hiked uphill. While it was early summer down in Bellingham, we found early spring on the Hannegan Pass trail some 40 miles up the road and 3000 feet higher in elevation. There were no other cars in the parking lot and we didn’t see anyone else along the trail, though there were a few footprints in the mud that told us others had passed this way in recent days.
Green corn lilies (Veratrum viride), just getting started, complemented masses of slide alder (Alnus viridis) in this recently-melted avalanche track. We marveled at acres and acres of this lush foliage on both sides of the trail. Later in the season these plants will be over four feet tall. Continue reading
Henderson’s Checker-mallow
Henderson’s checker-mallow, Sidalcea hendersonii, is a somewhat uncommon Pacific Northwest native plant. In its natural home you’ll find it just above the high tide line in coastal environments where it tolerates being periodically inundated with salt water. However, it’s quite happy in a garden setting. Continue reading
Down by the Road at Dusk
A couple of evenings ago Brian and I went out for our usual after-dinner stroll around our garden. We enjoyed a dramatic sunset from the back yard and then ambled down by the road to see how the front yard was doing. Brian plucked one of the first rose blossoms from a bush by the back door and inhaled deeply of its fragrance as we walked. Since we don’t get much traffic, I asked him to stand in the middle of the road for this photo. Continue reading
Finding Solace Among the Salmonberries
We’re living in turbulent times. We face uncertainty about our health with a global pandemic circulating among us. People are getting killed and protests are raging in many of our cities. Our so-called leaders at the national level are failing to lead, choosing to incite anger rather than seeking to instill calm and rationality. Frankly, I’m stressed about the state of the nation right now.
I find solace in our woods. You’ve probably heard of shinrin-yoku, or the art and science of how trees can promote health and happiness. In English, we call it forest bathing. There are several books on the subject, including the one on my bedside table, Shinrin Yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing by Yoshifumi Miyazaki. Continue reading
Golden Glow
Once again, Brian and I didn’t get far in our after-dinner stroll around the garden. These daylilies, planted in a narrow bed between the house and the driveway, just opened in the last day or two. We love their rich yellow blossoms held on strong stems above the narrow leaves. Continue reading
Dusk in the Garden
I’ve been a big fan of nearly dark photography for a long time. A couple of days ago Brian and I headed out to enjoy our garden after our usual late dinner. We didn’t get far, as the view from our driveway compelled me to run to the studio and grab my camera.
These ‘Russell Hybrids’ lupines, paired with ‘Fireglow’ euphorbia, are right in front of the house. The red-orange euphorbia came with the house when we moved in, but Natalie started the lupines from seed and planted them out a few years ago. They self-seed as well as being perennials, so we continue to enjoy the combo each spring. Continue reading
Seeing Light
We photographers are constantly looking at the way light falls on our subjects. Sometimes we’re looking for drama, other times for something soft and subtle. Continue reading
Transitions
Do you pay attention to the transitions in your garden, or in the natural landscape around you? I mean, really looking closely? It’s one of the things I’ve paid more attention to this spring while we’ve been staying at home. Continue reading
Dancing Dainties in the Weedpatch
English plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is a common weed throughout North America. Also known as buck plantain, narrowleaf plantain, or ribwort plantain, it’s one of the plants I learned to recognize and name when I was just a kid.
Easy to recognize, and not a horrid weed as these things go, English plantain is just coming into bloom along our neighborhood roadsides. Continue reading