Beeless blossoms are everywhere this spring Where Are The Bees? Here we are in the middle of April, many gardens are bright with blossoms, and all those luxuriant spring flowers ought to be alive with bees. But they’re not. Granted it’s been cold (44 degrees this morning) and often windy too, and bees are most apt to be seen when temps are in the 50s and winds are breezy rather than gusty. To top it off, it’s also been scary dry all year so far, especially for a month that’s been famous for rain for hundreds if not thousands of years. In dry, windy years, blooms may shatter faster, giving poll ..read more

Native flowering currant is a pollinator magnet Rewilding Our Property Plant By Plant My favorite garden spaces always have at least a touch of the wild about them. Sometimes it’s a matter of allowing plants to tumble over the edges of beds and borders, erasing hard lines and blurring angles. Sometimes it’s offering an area of native plants as a bug bank, dormitory and mess hall to serve pollinators and pest predators, from ladybugs and lacewings to birds and bats. At best, such gardens merge seamlessly into natural surroundings, as when a flowery meadow is encircled with tiered shrubs that le ..read more

Upcycling clothing with patching is satisfying and fun Fashion Frolic A few days ago, I hosted a delightful event where several dozen participants brought in garments for a reimagining session. Folks brought in all sorts of things, from a 60-plus-year-old wedding dress and 1960’s prom gowns to shirts and jackets that were worn to shreds but still well loved. One of my favorite items was a saucy black lace Merry Widow made by Portland’s Jantzen Company in the 1950’s. Today, boned corsets like this one are trendy and often worn over rather than under a dress, but this one is in such good shape ..read more

Magic mushrooms have a long history in human lore Mushrooms Of Magic and Mystery This has been a banner year for mushrooms around here, as the unusually warm fall and abundant autumn rains made for perfect growing conditions. Ever since I first moved to the maritime Northwest, I’ve enjoyed mushroom hunting with knowledgeable friends who taught me to find golden chanterelles, delicious morels with their sponge-like caps, and spicy, pine scented matsutake. We found all these in wooded ares, especially near partner plants like swordfern, huckleberry and rhododendron. My favorite mushroom hunter ..read more

Feed the Solstice fire bowl with hopes and dreams Image by Patrick Gulke Learning To Under-do Happy Solstice! New Year! My wish? May this year be a time for assimilation of new ideas and greater understanding for us all. My own cycle of renewal starts with the Winter Solstice, not so much January 1. That moment in time when the balance of dark and light begins to shift back towards the light has always felt full of possibility to me, like a change point when we might tip ourselves away or towards whatever we choose. This Solstice was especially lovely since, after several frustrated attempts i ..read more

Blooming on despite freezing weather Of Sweet Peas and Smooth Stones This year I planted a late batch of sweet peas, not expecting much as they rarely thrive all summer. To my surprise, they rose up in a huge mass over six feet high and bloomed endlessly all summer long. Eventually a wild autumn wind storm blew most of them down yet they kept on blooming, if more sparsely, even while bent double. Several strands somehow clung to the house wall and they have continued to flower through freezing nights and several more gusty wind storms. Out of season flowers always seem especially precious, bra ..read more

Natural order is hospitable Planting Yesterday For Tomorrow As I wander about on my daily walks, I often find myself dreaming into the past. Within living memory, often not long ago at all, our Maritime Northwestern back yards looked much like the magnificent forests that draw zillions of visitors to our region. Tall firs and bushy cedars rose above thickets of flower-and-fruit bearing shrubs; huckleberry and snowberry, salmon berry and thimbleberry, currants and wild cranberry, wild apple and wild cherry. Foamy ocean spray frothed above wild roses and hazelnuts, teaberry and salal, mock orang ..read more

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