January in the Garden 2010 - Hydrangea Petal

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On this last day of January, with flower and leaf buds already swelling in my garden, I leave this month with a rather ghostly image of the skeletal remains of a hydrangea petal. I find it quite beautiful, if a bit poignant.

I am so ready for Spring.

More hydrangea photos can be seen here, here, here, and here.

© Copyright 2006-2010, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Shadow Shot Sunday 01-31-10: Cat Nap

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I caught this kitty cat-napping on some sunny steps as I was going to work the other day.

The photo screaming to be a part of this week's Shadow Shot Sunday.

Check out the rest of the gallery over at Hey Harriet's.

2/6/10 - Ed note: This post if for SSS #90, not #89 as previously linked. I'm gettin' the hang of it...

© Copyright 2006-2010, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

January in the Garden 2010 - Pink Camellia

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I know it's still winter but I'm feeling an ever so slight shift in the air. It may just be the January Thaw that we often experience up here. January being relative - it could be in February, or December, but mostly January. The rains cease - for a while. The sun shines - for a while.

Buds are beginning to swell on the wisteria, the quince bush has a few lonesome blossoms and a single narcissus has bloomed, as well as this pink camillia. My spirits have lifted too.

Here's what was happening in my garden one year ago today.

Ed note: Yes, I've changed my blog template. I finally took the plunge and converted to the new Blogger. It may take me a while to get all my links and things back, but I'm working on it. Please be patient with me. :)
Another Ed note: What took me so long? I love this new template!

© Copyright 2006-2010, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Autumn Colors: Mid-Winter

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Liquidambar leaves still sporting fall colors at the

Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco last weekend.

© Copyright 2006-2010, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Clear Dawn Sky

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Want to know just what's so special about the otherwise plain dawn sky this morning?

No clouds. Not one.

It's a beautiful thing.

Will it last? Probably not, according to NOAA, but I'll take what I can get.

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

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Reflecting pool, waterfall, and Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial

at Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco.

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

January in the Garden 2010 - Iris reticulata 'Harmony'

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These caught me quite by surprise early yesterday morning as I was out feeding the chickens. They're not supposed to bloom until February. They're such sweet little things, barely 4-inches tall with large blooms that belie their small stature.

Since I began this blog almost 4 years ago, I can now confidently track the yearly bloomings and other events in my garden. These are definitely early. By a whole month.

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

January in the Garden 2010 - Quail Chatting on the Backyard Fence

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I wouldn't normally have taken this shot because the sun behind the quail was washing out the colors. But how often does a shot like this present itself?

Hardly ever.

Sometimes you gotta go for it.

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

Shadow Shot Sunday 01-10-10: Roman Shade

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Roman shades on the sun porch are rarely lowered to this position. But when family comes to stay, the sun porch becomes a spare bedroom. A golden moment all around.

See more Shadow Shots over at Hey Harriet's.

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

Happy New Year 2010

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To me the turning of the year means that spring and summer are not far off; the sun will eventually shine, the ground will warm, new shoots will spring from where the old died, vegetables will be planted in the greenhouse and garden, snakes will come out of hibernation, honey bees will strip the red poppies of their pollen, the swallows will return, frogs will sing their joyous chorus to the heavens, the farmers market will open, people will come out of wood smoke-filled houses, lift their faces to the warming sun, and smile. Surely a cause for celebration.

I wish for whatever makes you smile in your new year.

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