Winter

Winter

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Spring in My Garden - A Bee on Rose

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The bee had just emerged from the center of the rose, drenched with pollen dust. Click on photo to see the effect.




Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Spring in My Garden - A Birthday Rose

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Happy Birthday, Erika!




Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Sunday, May 24, 2009

Spring in My Garden - Siberian Iris

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Iris afficionados will know right away that this is a beardless iris; a Siberian iris, to be exact. I didn't know either of those botanical tidbits until I researched my photo today.

I found the iris plant at a plant sale last fall. It had no blooms, no tag, nothing to tell the interested plant buyer what it was, and it was marked down to - free. Little did I know how lucky I was until it bloomed yesterday. During my research I came across this. I'm fairly sure it is the same as mine. An award-winner no less.





Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved




Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Native Rhododendron

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Rhododendron macrophyllum, Pacific rhododendron, California rhododendron, California Rose Bay. They are all names for this spectacular native rhodie that grows wild along the northern California coast. Encountered while on a recent walk in the woods.




Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Monday, May 18, 2009

Spring in My Garden - Reflection in a Drop of Dew

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

Spring in My Garden - Soft Blue Columbine

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All dressed up in her bonnet of soft blues and greens, this sweet columbine grows in the shade of a Japanese Maple on the west side of the garden. The photos are a bit harder to take, but worth the trouble. She is the sweetest of all my columbines.

Happy Mothers Day!

To all mothers, mothers-to-be, mothers-in-law, aunts, sisters, girlfriends, nieces, grandmothers, ...


Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Thursday, May 07, 2009

Apricot Double Daffodil

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Came upon this rather elegant lady while taking a walk yesterday evening. Pretty, isn't she?




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Sunday, May 03, 2009

Spring in My Garden - Purple Columbine

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The first photo of what I hope will be a series from my garden. Columbine, or Aquilegia, is easy to grow from starts or seeds and can be found many shapes, colors and sizes.




Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Friday, May 01, 2009

Spring in My Garden - A Shrew Mole

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Lily, one of the grey sisters, was keeping a watchful eye on something in the grass. Knowing that it would be some kind of critter, I quickly grabbed my camera and went to investigate.

This is a Shrew Mole, Neurotrichus gibbsii, and although I've seen them laying about the yard, quite dead in the winter, I've never seen one alive and up close until now.

You might have to click on this photo to see the eyes as they are not very pronounced, and judging from the meanderings of this little guy, they don't seem to rely on their eyesight very much. I got the feeling that smell and touch were the more acute senses going on here.

Did Lily hurt it? Of course not. She just likes to play. Claws sheathed. I made sure it got safely to the blackberry brambles, where even the intrepid cats do not go.








Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved