Another Big Landscaping Project

The little lake we live on was probably formed by a retreating glacier centuries ago.  As it swept down the hillside, it left a trail of massive boulders in its wake.  We had a couple of danger trees that were threatening the buildings - The biggest fir tree had been draped over our power lines for years and its roots had heaved up our water lines three times.  Finally, we had to deal with it.  When it came down, we removed the stump, which exposed several huge rocks.  Ron placed them along the bank for me so I could landscape using the rocks to hold the hillside and make little plateaus for plants.

As you can see, my work was cut out for me.  I bought nearly $100 worth of plants at Home Depot and you could barely see the results.  Then I moved a bunch of iris from existing flower beds, but there was still a lot of bare ground.

Then I discovered that most of the 25 to 30 year old Rhododendron plants had rooted new plants where branches draped down and touched the ground.  Using my big loppers and a shovel, I was able to find a couple of dozen good plants.  Along with ferns from the woods the bank is now looking a lot better.  I have some wildflower seeds to scatter and if they grow, the bank should look great by mid July.  It's been wonderful having warm temperatures and full sun for working on this project.

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Snow in the Pacific Northwest in February isn't totally rare, but usually by February, signs of Spring start popping up, and we get some sunny warm days where I can plant peas.

This year, we had a two week cold front that came through the last two weeks of February, where the temperature dropped, the ice began to advance on the lake, and we were dumped on with snow two separate times.

After the second snow storm, we had accumulated about 8" of snow.

Ron took the tractor out and cleared the driveway so that we could all get out, as the snow seemed to be concentrated at the 500' level where we are located.  Once we got out on the main roads, there was little or no snow.

The gravel is going to need some rearranging when this is all over, but we weren't stuck at home.

Since it was time to plant my garden, I dug out the plastic containers I've been hoarding and started some seeds on my dining room table.

The apple containers are perfect for the larger seeds.  I can label them with a magic marker.

The peas are already popping up - I planted them on February 25, so it took just 4 days for them to get started.  When they get too tall for the container to be closed, I'll cut the top off and discard it and let the peas continue to grow until the ground is ready for them to be planted outside. Before planting them in the ground, I will move them outside to harden them off on sunny days. The roots become more and more visible through the plastic, and they come out of the container easily when it's time to plant. I'm always looking for ways to extend my growing season, and these containers are the best. (And they're free!)

March 1 - the only snow remaining is what we shoveled off the patio and the snow that slid off the roof.  It feels and smells like Spring outside and we're ready!

Getting Ready for Spring

I used to be annoyed by all the plastic containers - apples, eggs, tomatoes, nectarines, mangoes - everything seemed to be packaged in wasteful plastic.

Then I noticed they looked like mini-greenhouses.

Not only were they available in multiple sizes, they were easy to stack until the first seeds sprouted, and I could water them easily without them dripping all over my window sill.

I can use a sharpie to identify individual cells so I can plant multiple varieties of tomatoes in one flat.  I could also note the date that each container was planted.

As the seeds sprout and grow too tall for their ceilings, it will be easy to cut off the top of the carton, and keep them under a grow light until I'm ready to plant them in the garden.

In the meantime, my windowsill is full in an effort to keep me from going crazy when we have snow on the ground.

Lake Ice Update

After ten days of below freezing weather, the lake froze completely to a depth of about 3".  It was strong enough for me to walk on it without danger, but I didn't venture too far from the dock.  The lake is fed by springs, so there are definitely warmer spots where the ice could be thinner.

The thick ice lasted for one day before we had a warming trend, and the ice started to weaken.  When the ice first started to recede, it looked like a giant had created a jigsaw puzzle on top.

This is the last of the rocks we threw on the ice earlier.  All the others have already broken through.

Now the heather is in bloom.  The ice was a nice novelty, but we're ready for spring.

More Winter

January 8 - As the temperature warmed up to 38 degrees, we had hope, but also a new level of misery as the solid sheet of ice on the front walkway became treacherous.

By January 10, the tiny bit of snow by the truck is all that's left of the snow and ice.

Except for the lake - someone threw a big boulder onto the ice, and it is still strong enough to hold the rock up.

There are air pockets under the ice, and when I threw a pretty big rock out today, it bounced without breaking through.  I think the ice is still about 2" thick on most of the lake.

But we can see green again, and the sun is shining, making it feel positively balmy and springlike outside today.

Riding the Bike on a Sunny Day

Having "riding days" in April is always special.  So with the garden planted, the mowing done, and other obligations satisfied, we dug out the bike for another ride on a beautiful summer-like day.

We took the back roads through the Machias area where many people were already out on the Centennial Trail, running, biking, and walking dogs.

We continued through Snohomish where antique shoppers were already out wandering through the many shops.

River Road between Snohomish and Monroe offers views of the Cascades Mountains and all the farmland in the rich river bottom of the Snohomish River.

Nurseries abound on Tualco Loop Road between Monroe and Duvall, and Mt Rainier adds a dramatic backdrop.

Interesting clouds as we traveled High Bridge Road toward Carnation

When friends visited from Florida, we asked what they found most surprising on their first visit to the Pacific Northwest.  "All the agriculture!" was their answer.  We also find that to be most surprising in most areas we visit - there is a lot of it in our country, but the cities get most of the national press coverage.

Found a new place to eat in Fall City - Good food, slow service - crowds!

Came home and dove in the lake - and nearly had a heart attack it was so cold.  Too cold yet for a long distance swim!  Maybe after several days of 80+ degree days today will be my first swim day of the year.

Is it Spring Yet?

We managed to choose the wettest winter on record to stay home in Washington State.  We haven't spent a winter in Washington in about 20 years, so it has been a bit of a challenge.  

The Hellebore blooming since November has helped us to feel like it isn't really winter.

Daffodils blooming through the rain have given us hope of spring to come.

Now the wild flowers, salmon berry, and huckleberry bushes are blooming, and the forecast says "SUN all week next week"

We're ready!

Signs of Spring in January!

Spring has always been my favorite season.  Watching plants slowly emerge from the cold ground and seeing the first blooms is one of life's joys for me.  Today it's 55 degrees - still cloudy and rainy, but definitely warming up!

Fruit trees at Costco and the Co-op are one of the signs - and who am I to resist.  Plus I had a nice half hour discussion with a fellow gardener about pruning and pollinating fruit trees.
I can always find a place for another fruit tree.  Ron helped me take out a totally useless plum tree in the fall, so a three type cherry takes its place now.

I worried a couple of weeks ago that I hadn't planted tulips and daffodils deep enough as they were already popping up.  So I covered them with about a foot of mulch.....and here they are again!

Aha!  Buds on the raspberry bushes!

What is this plant?  It was a gift from my daughter and son-in-law and it is definitely a keeper!  It started blooming in November, got frozen when we had a week of very cold weather, but has started to bloom again!  

Signs of Spring through the Mud

It's coming back to us why we usually come home to Washington State in mid-April to late April.  We were fortunate to come home to the warmest day so far this year and lots of sunshine.  That was last Monday.  Since then, it has rained every single day - often ALL day.  This morning we got a little break so I went out for a walk to see what might be looking like Spring.

I didn't have to go far to find the Forsythia in full bloom,

daffodils

heather,

rhododendron

and even salmon berry bushes.

Iris and lilies are all poking out of the ground.

Pairs of ducks on the lake - hooded Mergansers here, but lots of Buffleheads too.



There is a small lake at the end of the strawberry patch,

But I don't wait for the ground to dry out to start the garden!

Back to Spring in Georgia

While we've enjoyed the sunshine and warmth in SW Florida for the past three months, it feels really good to be back to Georgia and the cooler temperatures and signs of Spring all around.  For a native Pacific NW person, it seems kind of unnatural to be in perpetual summer with sunshine every day.  In Florida, trees always have leaves, the grass is always green, and there is always something in bloom.  Here and in the Pacific NW, there is the joy of watching nature awaken after its winter sleep.  Every day we find something new that has been given a new birth.

 

 

The first sign of spring was the tilled fields.

The Camelia almost doesn't count, as it sometimes blooms through the winter.

But daffodils and forsythia are definite signs of spring.

Hyacinth with their wonderful smells greeted us in one flower bed.

We also saw red bud trees and many trees full of white blooms along the road as we neared the house.

 

It was also exciting to see the folks' new dock completed.