Wednesday Vignette: Taking Flight

This morning at the Heritage Farm, I filled six pack trays full of planting mix and my friend, Barbara, planted Showy Milkweed, Asclepias speciosa, seeds into each square. (We'll be selling them at the Mothers Day plant sale!) The warm greenhouse and the smell of soil felt heavenly. When I stepped out of the greenhouse back into a January afternoon, I realized that my gardening season has taken flight. 

A female Anna's hummingbird taking flight off of a torch holder.

The Dictator, the bossy hummingbird that had claimed dominion over my garden and den has also taken flight. The garden feels empty without him. The demure female Anna's hummingbirds continue to sip at the feeders and birds feast at the seed feeders. But, Dick isn't around to kick the bushtits off of the suet feeders and to threaten other hummingbirds that dare come into our space. I wonder what happened to him. Did he find greener pastures? Perhaps a garden with a mister and a swing for him. Or did he get hurt in the ice storm? Wherever he is, I hope that someone took him in and is enjoying the ruckus.

Please stop by Anna at Flutter and Hum to see her latest Wednesday Vignette and all the other blogger participants.  

Xera Plants Winter Grow Site Tour

My January is filled with master gardener project meetings, creating garden lessons for my community education classes at Clark College, and building design plans for our front and side gardens. Even with all the garden planning, I've been struggling to find some inspiration and gardening mojo.     

So when my friend, Anna over at Flutter & Hum, asked me to join her on a last minute trip to the Xera Plants grow site, I jumped at the opportunity.  We both love Xera Plants and needed some fun girl time. The last time I toured their grow site, I forgot to bring my camera, but this time I was prepared.

We met up with Greg Shepherd and Paul Bonine, my favorite plantsmen and co-owners of Xera Plants, in their propagation greenhouse. Greg gave us a tour of their propagation house while Paul continued to work, stabbing cuttings into root hormone and then prepared trays of potting mix like a Zen master.

Greg showed us the box that they start seeds in. Any guesses why they need a screened top for the seeds and seedlings? Mice. They devour fresh seedlings and damage young plants. 

Paul looks over Greg's shoulder as he shows us new seedlings.

The second step of the process is to move each seedling into their own cell in large cell packs. 

So many plants!

Greg thoughtfully checks the root structure on this young succulent. 

Then, we moved through a curtain into the cooler portion of the greenhouse where they harden off the young plants. Greg showed us a healthy batch of Metapanax delavayii. They grow to become an eight foot shrub with fine evergreen foliage that thrive in full sun to part shade. I plan on adding several of these to my front garden this spring.

Greg holding a Metapanax delavayi.

Can you imagine tending so many different young plants with varying needs?

Anna made friends with Miles despite his original suspicions of our motives and plant lust.

Anna and Miles making friends.

At the end of the greenhouse, by an old swamp cooler, Greg showed us the misting bench. It has taken years of experimentation to determine which plants thrive in this space. 

Greg points out the misting bench.

Look at all of these plants! I can't wait for my first shopping spree at Xera Plants this spring. The shop reopens in February. 

We returned back to the front and warmer part of the propagation greenhouse and found Paul still hard at work in a meditative state. Go, Zen master, go!

When we stepped outside, I admired their yellow horned poppy, Glaucium flovum, growing as a weed. Even Xera Plants' weeds are cool.

I stepped out the propagation greenhouse with my pupils dilated with a bad case of plant lust and a deeper respect for their process. Thank you, Greg and Paul, for giving us a tour and letting us interrupt your work. 

Then, Anna and I went and explored the other greenhouses filled with plants that are hardy down to at least nineteen degrees. I photographed a nice shopping list for myself that I hope to share here later. With each greenhouse we walked through, I felt more and more inspired to play in my garden. By the time we left, I had a bad case of spring fever in January.

Then we hopped back into my car with Barnaby and he sniffed us over wondering about that Miles character. Thanks, Anna, for a fun adventure and for helping me find my winter gardening mojo. 

Wednesday Vignette: Winter Reflections

A year ago, I took a walk through the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. I explored the garden and enjoyed a snack in the tea house. I captured this reflection of the lotus and a building in Lake Zither. This year, the garden is closed for repairs and updates until February. I'm looking forward to the reopening. The Chinese garden is the perfect place for winter reflections. 

Please go visit Anna at Flutter and Hum to see all the other Wednesday Vignettes. 

Wednesday Vignette: Melting Ice Sculpture

I woke up Sunday morning to My Pirate opening the bedroom curtains and happily pointing at the big fluffy snowflakes coming down. I jumped out of bed, threw on my clothes and grabbed my camera as I stepped out the door. And I took a series of out of focus shots. Note to self: drink my coffee before operating a camera!

In the afternoon, rain started to fall and freeze over the top of the snow. Freezing rain smells crystalline clean and the trees start to creak with the ice. I remember the scent and noise from my childhood. My Mom would stand at the open front door and whisper, "freezing rain." A quiet hush fell over the neighborhood except for the lunatics on their go-carts and four wheelers that roared by our house narrowly missing the neighbors truck. 

The next morning, we slid on our cleats and took a walk through the corn field near our house. When we returned home, I photographed the details of the melting ice. A chickadee landed on my tripod and kept me company for a few moments before returning to the feeder. I took these two shots looking up at the ice on a branch of the Coral Bark Japanese Maple. They are unusual looking and I haven't decided if I like them yet. What do you think?

Please go visit Anna at Flutter and Hum who hosts the Wednesday Vignette meme! Thanks for hosting, Anna. What do you find interesting in your garden right now?

My Ten Favorite Photos from 2015

Before I step into a new year, I'd like to take a moment to look back at my favorite photos of 2015. This is my third year participating in A Tidewater Gardener's year end photo wrap up called My Ten Favorite Photos.  I kicked off 2015 by purchasing a new macro lens and my garden has never felt so huge and fascinating. I took all of these shots in my home garden except for one in my community garden. It has been a fun year behind the camera.

Indian Plum Blooms

February 18, 2015

The Indian Plum blooms attract me and the Anna's hummingbirds. I was being scolded by a hummingbird while I took this shot on a grey February afternoon. Am I the only one that gets bullied by their hummingbirds?

Magnolia Spring 

March 14, 2015

The Star Magnolia beside my driveway captivates me each spring. 

Dandelion Arrow

April 3, 2015

I'd never realized that dandelion seeds look like arrows until I took this shot. This shot placed second in Saxon Holt's Spring Picture This Photo Contest. I took Saxon's advise and cropped the image closer and increased the contrast. Thanks for the help, Saxon! 

Garden Hat Thief

April 22, 2015

Barnaby loves to steal my favorite garden hat when I'm busy working in the garden. This time I grabbed the camera to capture the brat in action. 

Summer Lovin'

June 1, 2015

I took this picture in the Pacific Park Community Garden. A neighboring plot had a huge aphid outbreak on their fava beans and the ladybugs joined the party. Did you spot the aphid quivering on the underside of the leaf trying not to get eaten?

Meadow Rue Seeds

June 13, 2015

Meadow rue seeds make a lovely addition to the front garden. As the evening light poured through the neighboring fir trees, my macro lens captured the shadowy light as purple. I like the effect.

A Hose Runs Through It

June 23, 2015

This shot of our newly remodeled back garden captures a peaceful moment right after sunrise when the sunlight pours into the space. These are the moments that make me feel rich as a gardener, even when I have more mulch to spread. 

Golden Spiderweb

August 10, 2015

Cardoon Dreams

August 10, 2015

Can you imagine sleeping in flowers? Sometimes, I envy our bees and native pollinators. This bee wanted to sleep in.

Autumn Fire

November 14, 2015

This Coral Bark Japanese Maple's leaves turned orange this year instead of gold like the other two trees.  

Autumn Gold

November 22, 2015

The last couple of leaves clung to the vine maple during our first frosty foggy morning of the fall season. 

So, there you have it. My 10 favorite photos of my garden plus one from the community garden this year. The last three years, I've focused on photographing my garden. This next year I'm participating in an art gallery show featuring Heritage Farm, that houses the Clark County Master Gardener program. So, I'm going to be out exploring and photographing all 79 acres and all the creatures and plants that call it home! 

Les/A Tidewater Gardener, thank you so much for all of your inspiring photographs and for starting this awesome meme! Make sure to go see his shots and the other participating bloggers.

Have a wonderful New Year!!