Spring Kale

Pin It

What's growing in my garden:  beautiful kale.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Easter 2013

Pin It

Just in time for Easter, my hellebores are making quite a show.

Aptly referred to as the Lenten Rose and Easter Rose, they are a beautiful reminder that

spring is springing and summer is not far behind.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Felling Alders, Sawing Logs, Making Firewood

Pin It

True color of a just-cut Alder tree.

Assessing the fall path.

Notching and cutting.

 

There she goes!

Kaboom! As the dust rises ...

Firewood!!

Alders grow like weeds on our property. They also make decent fire wood. Many of our Alders are 20-plus years old and are prime for cutting. A few days ago, as a blissfully sunny morning began, three Alders were felled and are being cut to dry and season for the winter ahead; which seems like a long way off right now but really isn't all that far, given our short summers.

Ya gotta plan ahead around here.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Winter's End; Spring's Beginning

Pin It

Pieris Japonica and Rhododendron 'Winter' have been blooming in my garden since January, and although they brighten an otherwise cold and gray time of year, what I really look forward to is ...

this.

Welcome Spring. You've been a long time coming.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

"Morning ...

Pin It

... has broken, like the first morning

Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird

Praise for the singing, praise for the morning ..."

- Cat Stevens, 1971;  - Songs of Praise, 1931

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Pin It

I hope you're smilin', Irish!

Actually, what you see here is not clover, four-leaved or otherwise.  This is Redwood Sorrel which grows in the Redwood understory here in Humboldt county.

I'm thinkin' it makes a pretty good substitute.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

First Blooms of Early Spring: White Violet

Pin It

I am happy to report that we've been enjoying beautiful sunshine for a several days and, along with it, a few  early spring flowers are beginning to bloom, bringing me out of my winter cave and lifting my spirits, which were in sore need of lifting. How can one scowl and frown when confronted with such sweet delicate beauty?

And if you walk slowly and stand just so, a fleeting-but-heady whiff of violet perfume can be yours.

© Copyright 2006-2013, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Merry Christmas from Raven Ridge Gardens

Pin It

Raven Ridge Garden's very own yule log; covered with moss and fungi.

Merry Christmas to all!

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

A Bloom for the First Days of Winter

Pin It

Not many flowers are blooming in my winter garden, but this Joseph's Coat rose never stops.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Another Beautiful December Sunset

Pin It

Walks on the beach have been fruitful lately.  We've had really low tides, exposing rocks often not seen, and sunsets that flash brilliant with gold just before setting beyond the horizon.

© Copyright 2006-2012, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.