It has been quite a Spring 2020 for everybody. During these times of quarantine I've been able to stay employed in a safe manner at the nursery, which is fortunate. Charlotte has also been able to continue doing her soil data collection job, driving to vineyards on her own on certain days and able to enter data from the safety of home much of the time. Amidst the chaos of the Outside World, we relish in the pleasures of the home and yard...
Here are a couple shots of our "Bog Room", as we call it because of the family of carnivorous plants living therein. Charlotte's Asian mountain pitcher plant (Nepenthe) is on the left there on top of the milk crate. There are some American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) in front of the bright window. A giant coleus, growing is marionetted from the ceiling on the left. A handful of bromeliads which are showing nice colors this time of year in the right half of the picture. Just to name a few...
And over here in Dolly's corner is some type of morning glory relative given to me by my good friend Rowser which has taken a great liking to its relocation into the bog room last year and is stretching it's heart-adorned vines upward and outward over the kingdom. Just over Miss Parton's right shoulder is a Slipper Orchid in bloom.
This is a Columbine I started from seeds found in a place called Montezuma's Well in Arizona. The place is a natural well in the middle of the desert with a deep pool that drains off into a little stream surrounded in lush green growth, a natural oasis of sorts. I did a little research and I believe it is likely Aquilegia Chrysantha. Last year I did see one flower, but the plants were still in containers then, so the blooms were small. This year I am very excited to see what this waist-tall monster of a columbine has in store! I check to see if this flower has opened every morning. Any day now. . . . .
In the same North-facing area at the backside of the barn, I love the bright yellow flowers of this Golden Currant.
A Tiarella ("Spring Symphony" variety) conducting the show from below, tucked in between Columbine and Currant.
Yesterday I took down this bluebird nest box that my great uncle Marven made so I could clean it out. This is the first time I have done this. I had always let them be, assuming that was the best thing to do, but recently looked it up and verified a growing suspicion that an occasional clean-out was necessary.
I had to remove this mama wasp and her little nest, despite how uncharacteristically sweet they looked clinging together.
Speaking of larva, check out these geometric little eggs lined up on the underside of a leaf of kale I picked. I don't know what they turn into.
A decent harvest of beets.
It is nice having a garden in these times of quarantine. A soft-spoken old man that always comes to buy beet seedlings at Van Winden's once said to me, "There's no part of a beet that you can't eat!". Here I did discard some of the less-pristine leaves, but I kept the basket-full on the right. They stay fresh in refrigeration for many days; I chop a handful into my scrambled eggs most mornings. As for the beets, we usually marinate and roast them to use in salads.
A modest carrot harvest.
This little hummingbird (not sure what kind) might be the only other one that loves Black Island Sage (Catalina Sage) as much as I Charlotte and I do.
Miss Meowgic getting some sunny afternoon nuzzling in the grass.
Black Meowgic has been more and more social and affectionate with us humans since we started feeding her a couple years ago.
And one last highlight from the yard right now...
A year or so ago I noticed a small vine beginning to grow out of the pot this beautiful Aeonium is in. I decided to let it grow as it seemed unusual and I was curious to see what sort it was. It wound its way up the stalks of the Aeonium and then went dormant over winter. The other day I was astounded to see two bright white discs of heavenly perfection staring me in the eye as I passed by the steps that this pot sits on -- Clematis!
