Category: Flowers

May Flowers

Painterly Roses, Sequim Woodcock Demonstration Garden

I applied my collection of digital paintbrushes to this image in an effort to soften the effects of the harsh background I found it in, and so doing, my enjoyment of it increased exponentially. I hope you enjoy it as well.

And be sure to stop by the garden, a local gem, and a wonderful spot to find flora and fauna as well as Master Gardeners with a vast knowledge of everything you need to know to succeed in growing your own.

Today at New Dungeness Nursery

Purple Sunflowers Begging to be Photographed

What better way to celebrate the onset of May than with a trip to one of our local nurseries?

Although my luck with growing plants is questionable, I love the thought of having a yard full of plants and flowers to nurture and photograph. So I’m always glad when a friend suggests to stop by the New Dungeness Nursery here in town to admire their collection.

And today, as I cruised through their selection, I found this eye popping color staring back at me. Later research, whether accurate or inaccurate, tells me these beauties are purple sunflowers, but with this much variety in color I question the name.

Nonetheless, if you too find yourself craving a nature “fix” or if you need help in the garden like I do, the nursery, as well as the Master Gardener Nursery in town are there to help, or to simply indulge your senses in the beauty of May flowers.

Columbine

Flowers of the Forest

Hurricane Ridge is a beautiful location with magnificent landscapes and mountain views, as well as breathtaking wildflowers. And in the darkness of the forest, this one was lit by sunlight peeking through the trees, waiting to provide pollen to bees and birds and warmth to humankind. And I was blessed with the opportunity to capture it!

Words of Wisdom?

If you’ve ever woken up, looked in the mirror and thought…oh no, what’s next, then this post is for you!

At this point in life, I find that the signs of aging can be brutally unkind and although I tried to prepare for it, or to convince myself to simply accept it and carry on, sometimes, it just slaps me in the face.

And so it was when I created this “greeting” card. It reminds me that somedays things aren’t so sunny in Sequim after all, but that The Blue Hole is still up there; tomorrow will indeed be a better day…and, that I really need to dump that mirror!

Who Knew?!

Trillium in Bloom, Olympic National Park

Although not as colorful, but closer to home than the tulip fields, Sequimites like me love to find trilliums in the forest. They cost nothing to view or photograph, require no cultivation techniques, or care, and they too are an indication that spring has arrived; which makes me wonder who coined the term “April Showers bring May flowers”?

But aside from that, trilliums are unique in that:

  • by picking one you can seriously injure the plant and may prevent it from producing food for the next year, and the plant will eventually take many years to recover, or die!
  • picking them is illegal, and…you could get arrested!
  • trilliums are especially unique because they produce a chemical that is technically called an elaisome, a syrup that attracts insects.
  • from a planted seed, it takes approximately five to nine years for the Great White Trillium to bloom! So when you see a massive number of these in spring, you know you’re looking at a bunch of plants that are at least a decade old, probably much older.
  • since the late nineties, the trillium, a member of the lily family, has been a symbol of bisexuality. This symbol came to be used on the Mexican bisexual flag in 2001, showing how nature can intertwine with larger themes such as love and the freedom to love regardless of gender.

Remember, you read it here first!

Skagit Valley is for Lovers!

RoozenGaarde Tulip Farm, Mt. Vernon

I can’t help but wonder if this couple, whom I found gently tiptoeing among the tulips several years ago during the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival may have ventured down the path to matrimony…

Pathways of Grape Hyacinth framed by Tulip Bulbs

and if so, what a pretty path there was to offer them at nearby Tulip Town the same year. But if they hesitated, I’m sure the offerings this year will be equally as inviting.

And for those of you who haven’t been there yet, this is a gentle reminder of what you may be missing by delaying your trip. Although there are no guarantees of matrimony, you will find a fabulous display of flowers, not only tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and peonies but crocus, muscari, and more.

And I you choose to plant your own bulbs, the farm is offering 25 free Akebono Tulip bulbs if you “place a bulb order for $75.00* or more by June 15th or $90.00* or more by July 31st and we will add the 25 FREE bulbs to your order!” – see their website for more information and if you go…tiptoe lightly too, please.

P.S. the Sequim Senior Center, aka the Shipley Center is now offering a trip to the festival, April 10th, so if you’re of the ripe age, you may want to check it out!