A Walk Around the Garden

Skim through the last post for the work we recently did in planting.  Now here's a walk about, beginning with the espaliered fruit trees and the vegetable garden area and lower yard.

 Down the path  to the garden deck.

 The wisteria will soon be in bloom.

Back up and around the house to the upper yard.

 In the herb bed the rooster has been redecorated and stands gurad.

 The dahlias are next to the raspberries this year.

 In the secret garden.

 Spring is all pink and green and lovely.

Is it in the woods Where the wild things are?
Rest in peace, Maurice Sendak.  Your Wild Things will live on.

Spring Beauty

We've done a lot of work in the garden in the last month.  There is still more to do - there always is- but today brought a milestone in the spring cleanup and planting phase.  


And the hard work shows.  Things are lookin' good.


Today I planted out all of Tom's fancy leaf geranium collection, some on the patio and more on the front porch and steps.

We're trying out a tropical/house plant patio pot this year.

Wintered over in the greenhouse, this shade pot group is cleaned up, a few flowers tucked in, and it's ready to go.

The impatiens and plectranthus are planted under the cedar tree.

The sun pots are refurbished with plants from the green house.

We worked all morning, and then stopped for lunch and a visit from an insurance broker connected with the Washington State Teacher's Retirement System.  Now we have to decide if we want Cancer Treatment Insurance and Medical Transport Insurance.  That's another story, but input is welcome.


After she left we worked for another hour and then Tom went to get a hair cut and I sat down and finished reading my Martha Stewart magazine in the sunshine on the patio, after which I grabbed my camera and took a walk around the yard.  I ended up with 98 photos, so after editing, I still have so many I'll be posting more tomorrow.

So to continue showing you the work we did, here's the temporary planting under the Wind Spinner.

We'll be working to clear out the greenhouse in the next week or so, and then the shed will be turned back into a playhouse.

Impatiens replaced pansies on the front porch.

And of course, the geraniums.

Here you can see some of the echeveria along the front walk.

I potted up extra geraniums to give to Jill.

Dahlias are getting a head start as they wait for the tulips to be finished and removed.  The tulips are also planted in gallon nursery pots and can just be popped out of the ground.

Tom's tomato seedlings, for us and for others, and some annual flower seedlings, enjoyed the day in the sun before going back into the greenhouse overnight.

Everywhere there is color and new growth.

The last hurrah of the tulips.

It's columbine time!

A Summer Day

What a beautiful day we had in Seattle!  It reached 73 this afternoon, which for us could be considered a lovely summer day.


I used it to do spring things.  Outside.  


As Mother's Day approaches, we can consider all danger of frost has passed, and we can begin to set out tender plants.  I removed pansies from containers and found places in the yard to stick them, not having the heart to throw them away.  In went impatiens, a few petunias, and tomorrow the geraniums will go into emptied pots.


I removed a square of sod from beneath the Wind Spinner and will plant under it until/ or if/ we create a pebble mosaic.  I set out echeveria along the front walk.  


This evening I took a 30 minute walk through the neighborhood.  The air was fragrant with newly mown grass and blooming flowers. Birds were singing and children were playing.  


It was a great day.  And we can expect at least a good morning tomorrow, so I'll be back out in the garden.


Maybe I can remember to grab my camera and take a few photos.

A Busy Day On Whidbey Island

Tom and I were up early and caught the 8:30 ferry at Mukilteo to Whidbey Island.

When we arrived at the cabin Jill and Corey, who had been there overnight, already had a good start on the list of cleaning jobs for our work day.


While lots of work was being done inside, I chose to work outside.  I weeded the garden, and then Irene and I washed all of the outdoor furniture.  After lunch I put oil on the teak deck furniture.

 Tom's sister Jan arrived about noon with their other brother Dave and his wife Vicki, who are visiting from California.

With all of the work, there was also time to sit in the sun watching the heron in the lagoon and taking walks on the beach, where eagles had gathered.  Sorry, no eagle photos.  I didn't take my camera that time.

 Irene loves to collect and examine natural things.  Here she was thinking about how sand is really ground up rocks.  She wanted to know how that happens.

 Last fall this boat washed up in a storm.  We wonder who would just leave a boat to rot on the shore.

 In the cabin garden the tulips are fading and the columbine are beginning to bloom.  There was a lot of color in the sun today.

Another Soccer Saturday

It was another one of those sunny Saturdays when we got the whole family together for a Sounders match at CenturyLink Field.


Corey had to take a job related test this morning, so the rest of us rode the train in to Pioneer Square station.  On our way to the March to the Match, we stopped by Waterfall Park, a lovely little pocket park in the middle of the historic district that just happens to be where the original UPS store was located.

We stopped off at a Starbucks before the march for some beverages and a snack, then joined the march to the stadium, where we listened to the band for a while.

Jill and Isaac joined Jake in the south end of the stadium, in that crazy Emerald City Supporter's section.

 We got two extra seats just across the aisle from our regular seats. Irene actually watched some of the action on the field.

 Isaac got to wave the Cascadia flag.

 Corey finally made it just before half time.  Oh, and he passed his test, which means he goes into a hiring pool, if and when several law enforcement agencies are hiring.

It was another victory for the Sounders, over Philadelphia 1-0.
Then the Gibsons were off to Whidbey Island, where we will all meet up again tomorrow for a work day at the cabin.