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
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
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
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
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
May lily is an apt name for this little woodland groundcover, as the flowers reliably open in early May here in the lowlands of western Washington. It’s also called false lily-of-the-valley because of its resemblance to that common garden plant. In technical terms, it’s known as Maianthemum dilatatum.
Whatever you call them, May lilies are one of those plants I look forward to seeing in bloom each spring. Continue reading
Our garden in currently blessed with six different iris in bloom. These purple bearded iris are out front, paired with ‘Limemound’ spiraea. The color contrast is dramatic. We planted these about four years ago and they’ve spread significantly, creating a large splash of color. Continue reading
Yesterday evening Brian and I meandered slowly through our woods along what we variously call the new trail, the short trail, or the creek trail. Maybe we’ll nail down a name for it one of these days. But the trail name doesn’t matter so much. It’s the woodland path closest to the house, but we don’t walk it as frequently as some of our other trails. We walked less than 100 yards as we found much to observe and enjoy in the hour we spent.
These spreading wood ferns (Dryopteris expansa) are right beside the trail at the base of an old and decaying stump. True to their name, this fern seems happiest growing on rotting wood. People often confuse it with lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), another common fern that grows in our woods. Continue reading
With long days this time of year we don’t often get in from working in the garden until 7:30 or so and then we’ll have dinner as we watch the late afternoon night move and shift on the woodland border at the back of the garden. Last night was no exception, and as soon as dinner was finished I headed back out to capture a bit of the magic.
This cluster of paper birches (Betula papyrifera) is at the edge of our woods. It’s a favorite place, and a favorite photo subject nearly year-around. Now that the thimbleberries have leafed out it’s at peak. Continue reading
I was out early this morning. Well, not so early that the sun wasn’t up, but early enough that it was still low in the sky and the dew lay undisturbed upon the garden and our woods. I embraced the cool, still air and ambled down the path from our lawn and into the woods with my camera on my shoulder. It’s a nice way to start the day, but something that has yet to become a habit. Continue reading
