Tag: Gardening
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2019 The Year of Black and White: Week 11
While the easy title for this week’s post was “Black and White” I could have also added something about it being the last full week of winter, or how my earliest memories of enjoying photographs were with books full of black and white images. All of these would have been…
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2019 The Year of Looking for Light: Week 8
I know February is coming to a close when I can hear birds again in the morning but daylight hours are short and it’s too cold for spring flowers to fill the gardens. We’re turning the corner but we aren’t there yet! Because my mornings and evenings are still fairly…
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The Reds and Greens of Autumn
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.”– Unknown “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a…
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Earth Day 2017
If we do not permit the Earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either. — Joseph Wood Krutch I hope everyone took a moment today to appreciate, acknowledge and protect the earth around us. Happy Earth Day all.
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Dogs are our link to paradise…
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace. Milan Kundera My goal for today was to write an…
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Hellebore
While local garden centers are filled with pretty displays of spring bulbs and primroses I’m starting to worry about the mostly dormant state of my own yard. Plants that usually bud and flower in early February show no signs of growth and my weeds are the only green things that look truly…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 1
Now that we’re into December I can officially start the end-of-project countdown! After two years of taking and posting daily photos it’s time to try something new and even though I’ve learned a lot about social media accounts and refined my view of the quiet little moments that bring beauty…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 1
October is here, the weather is changing and my thoughts are turning to late garden color, cozy accessories, movies and spooky lights. My week in a nutshell! After ignoring our yard for much of the summer I had fun at some end-of-season plant sales and shipped my first warm scarf of the…
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My Year In Photos – May Week 5 & June Week 1
After nearly 1.5 years of taking and posting daily photos along with a 2 year tradition of regular weekly wrap-up posts here on the blog I’m finally throwing my hands up and admitting this time around I’ve totally blown my self-induced deadlines. I hope you like this super-sized post covering two weeks…
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My Year in Pictures: February Week 3
I’m so happy February has an extra day this year! Really, I’ll need more than one day to catch up but I’ll make the most of what I get. 🙂 The third week of February started on a sweet note with Valentines day falling on a Sunday. We celebrated with…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 2
Finding the right words to describe February in the Pacific Northwest is always a challenge for me. Some days feel like winter while others bring a mix of spring-like skies, rainbows and thunder storms. In truth it’s a month of contradictions as the snow fans fear their last chance of a white blanket…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 4)
Today I’m going to jump right into my last “shake it up” recap so we can get to my final thoughts about this project and start talking about where I’m going for the next phase of my photo-a-day challenge. Sunday was a little too cold and wet for my comfort but perfect…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up In The Garden
This week, discover the hidden details that can only be seen up close. Brie Anne Demkiw – The Daily Post During our walk to the grape vines from my previous post we passed a colony of bees harvesting pollen from this lovely border of sedum… Posted as part of the Weekly…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This week’s set of seven photos perfectly illustrate why I love summers in the Pacific Northwest. The temperatures are generally mild, flowers are in full bloom, gardens are at their peak and the beaches are wide open. I’m a day later than usual with this recap because Ryan and I just got home from long weekend…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another pretty week in the Pacific Northwest has come and gone but thanks to my random photo a day project I have some nice souvenirs to remember the season. Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to sit outside for lunch and believe it or not I didn’t plan to match my food…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I think I’ve mentioned before that some weeks I’m surprised by a theme weaving through the photos when I sit down to write my recap. There are plenty of weeks that feature random yet interesting moments but every once in a while I see a trend in my choice of subjects that wasn’t apparent…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Sometimes these weekly recaps highlight random, un-linked moments from my days and sometimes an unexpected theme emerges. Flowers, flowers and more flowers filled the second week of June. We filled our empty deck planters Sunday afternoon and before they were finished I snapped a photo of a few of the bright colors…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid Peonies
Can I have one of each? I couldn’t walk past this flower stand without picking out a few for myself! Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Today’s recap is a quick one while I wait for Ryan to finish his math so we can start our Mother’s Day walk to the beach. It was another beautiful spring week here in the Pacific Northwest filled with plenty sun and very little rain. We are all a little concerned about a dry…
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iPhoneography Challenge: Macro (Spring Trillium)
When we lost the large trees in our front yard I thought my favorite patch of shade loving trillium was finished but we carefully transplanted a few hardy specimens to the back side of our house and this little seedling is growing strong tucked away under a leafy rhododendron. Posted as…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I think any week that starts with a big party is bound to go well and this past one was no exception. Our Sunday began in Bellingham with a beautiful lunch in honor of my mom’s birthday and ended with the discovery of these pretty, pink camellia blooms. I’ve been…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Just when we thought this strange, sun filled winter would last forever spring arrived and brought some much needed rain to the Pacific Northwest. This week was exactly how March should feel in Washington with lots of fresh green growth, wet petals on the ground and flashes of bright sunlight. Sunday…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Summer Hydrangeas)
December in the Pacific Northwest means plenty of wet days and early sunsets. Today’s 8:33 hours of daylight passed far too quickly but these bright blue Hydrangea flowers remind me that summer is just a few months away. 🙂 Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro.
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Nature (Fall in my Backyard)
It’s hard to believe December is already here but it’s the first Monday of another month and time for Sally’s creative Phoneography challenge: Nature. I’m happy to be back from a busy few days filled with Thanksgiving visits, half-finished home projects and the general stuff that piles up when I try to do too…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Achievement
We have a small patch of wild strawberries growing in the backyard that are pretty to look at but the birds and squirrels always beat us to eating the fruit. Since I haven’t been able to taste one I don’t know if the berries are tart of sweet but this year the…
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Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge: Macro (Canna Leaves)
Some of you might recognize this canna from a mid-summer black and white photo challenge but I couldn’t resist going back for a new angle to take part in Lens and Pen by Sally’s weekly phoneography challenge: Macro.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
One year ago this little corner space beside our driveway was buried under pieces of old asphalt, granite boulders, tree trunks and some pretty big excavation equipment. Bringing some life back to the bed has been an ongoing project and we’ve slowly filled in the soil with new plants that…
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iPhoneography Monday 9-22-14
Another full weekend and another happy party. I feel like September has passed in a blur of entertaining and schedules but at least the weather has been beautiful, the company has been great and we’ve enjoyed plenty of good food and drink on the deck. I sat down outside Saturday…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 6:00 am – 7:00 am
What do you do with a favorite red wagon when your kid outgrows pull toys and spends his time with electronics and sports? Turn it into a planter. 🙂 This week has flown by in a blur of first week of school activities, a new home re-decorating project and big plans for my husband’s 50th Birthday…
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iPhoneography Monday: 8-4-14
For nature week at Lens and Pen by Sally I have a close up shot of the Hens and Chicks on our front porch. I love how these plants thrive with little to no attention and this one has been happily residing its tiny pot for years. Posted as part of Lens…
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iPhoneography Monday: 6-30-14
Today’s iPhone challenge is to share a photo that’s processed using apps. Sally does a great job encouraging every participant in her weekly photo challenges to stretch the boundaries of their comfort zones and try new things with photography so today I decided it was time to finally explore one of the…
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Happy Earth Day 2014
Our April showers paused just long enough for me to take a walk this afternoon and snap some photos of our spring blooming trees in honor of Earth Day. My fingers are crossed hoping these wet days really will bring more May flowers…
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Travel Theme: Garden
This isn’t a traditional garden picture but March in the Pacific Northwest is a challenging time everyone who loves the outdoors. It’s cold and damp 90% of the time with a few brief stretches of sunny weather that give us all spring fever but send pollen counts into the double…
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A Word A Week: Violet
One of the things I love about Heather is its determined nature, blooming right on schedule no matter the conditions. This little plant flowers in my front yard every winter providing bright spots of color in a season filled with green, brown and white. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week: …
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Travel Theme: Dry
I’ve found the only sure way to enjoy home-grown Pacific Northwest flowers in January is to cut an extra bouquet or two and set them aside for drying. I have the best luck with late season Hydrangeas and if kept out of direct sun their deep purple, pink and blue pigments can last for years. Posted as part of Alisa’s weekly…
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iPhoneography Monday: 1-20-14
Today is the third Monday of the month which means it’s time for January’s black and white week over at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge. I wasn’t sure what I was going to post today until I came across this small trillium photo from last spring. While I like the…
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iPhoneography Monday: 1-13-14
Yesterday I sat down in our wet backyard grass and decided I wouldn’t go back inside until I found something interesting to photograph for today’s macro challenge. I’m happy I took a few minutes to look at things from a different angle because I had completely missed how pretty this little mushroom was…
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Our Landscaping Project: Progress Update
Writing an updated post about our big landscaping project has been on my to-do list for several weeks (months) but hey, life is busy and I rarely make it to the bottom of a list. I didn’t think I would be posting anything today but when I saw that the Daily Prompt was Progress I realized I was out of excuses. Here is…
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Travel Theme: Winter
When I read Alisa’s latest post announcing “Winter” as her weekly travel theme I knew I wanted to wait until December 21st and take a photo of the first day of winter. December 20th brought our first snowfall of the year but we were still officially in Fall so I waited……
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers
Layers. Layers can reveal, conceal, and make something more complex. They can vary in size, texture, color, or functionality. Each layer can have its own story, meaning, or purpose. They can overlap, blend, or be distinctly separate. A layer doesn’t have to be a part of a single object but can…
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A Word A Week: Silhouette
Sue’s latest word of the week over at A Word in Your Ear is Silhouette. I’ve posted a smaller image of this tree before but thought the contrast of the dark leafless branches against the bright white sky was worth a second look today. Unfortunately the tree died last year and was removed to make way for…
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Travel Theme: Deep
Seven year old boys are so much fun, everything is an adventure and anything goes when it comes to work, play and clothing choices. Raking leaves at our old house was a huge job but Ryan was always ready to step up and help. This cold afternoon he dressed himself in…
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Phoneography Monday: Nature 10-7-13
I’m home from a fun-filled family trip just in time to participate in Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge: Nature. Last Wednesday I posted a photo looking up through some late summer flowers and today I thought I would show you a view of the same planting bed looking down toward ground level instead of up to…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Saturated
Every year I find at least one place to plant this combination of ferns and red begonias. I enjoy almost every color variety of begonia but non stop red has claimed the top spot as my favorite with the maidenhair fern. This pot spent most of the summer in a shaded spot…
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Our Landscaping Project: Weeks Five and Six
We have been so busy working I missed my update last week so this is a combo post showing our progress through weeks 5 and 6 of the big Landscaping Project 2013. We have had some long days and a few scheduling setbacks but several big items on our renovation wish list are complete and we feel like…
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A Word A Week: Pink
Sue’s last word of the week was Pink and yes, I know, I’m a little late with this one. Over the next few days I hope to catch up with the recent posts waiting in my draft folder – starting with the word Pink. Though I am not usually a…
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Phoneography Monday 9-2-13
My last week of summer here in the Pacific Northwest has been filled with long days working on our landscaping project but I did take an afternoon off to visit some favorite locations looking for fall planting inspiration. This view is from one of the many of flower beds at Marina Park along the Edmonds waterfront.…
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Our Landscaping Project: Week Four
We are wrapping up week four of our big project and have reached the inevitable plateau that comes after initial excitement of breaking ground meets the sweaty reality a lot of work still left to do. The heavy equipment is gone and the days of huge changes are (hopefully) behind us leaving lots of hard…
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Our Landscaping Project: Week Three
Week three was filled with more shopping trips for plants and materials, a lot of dirty/dusty work framing the new front porch, some time posing next to big equipment that doesn’t usually decorate our front yard, and a few new plants successfully placed in the side yard. The caution tape…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh
Fresh. The definition for fresh has a bit of a fork in it – it’s a state (new, recent, previously unknown)… – Sara Rosso This morning, home after a busy week in Texas, I couldn’t wait to sit down and catch up with the latest posts in my reader. As I expected it is filled with…
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Phoneography Monday: Nature
For today’s Phoneography Monday: Nature post I have two cool images from our Pacific Northwest Spring to share. My afternoon forecast is for the mid 90’s and the season of pretty spring flowers is over…
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What I Like About Travel
One of the things I enjoy most about travel is the chance to experience a brand new view during very normal moments. I’m sure most of us have been disappointed by a sub-par hotel room with an uninspiring view of the parking lot but I don’t take pictures of those mistakes… I do…
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Travel Theme: Green
To celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day and the arrival of spring Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme is all about the color green. I love green and living in the Pacific Northwest gives me plenty of opportunities to photograph this beautiful color. Today I chose three pictures that I think highlight the themes I like to talk about…
Northwest Frame of Mind 