January's Tiny Bits of Color

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Stay alert. Walk with your eyes wide open.  Tiny bits of color are everywhere.

Even in January.

© Copyright 2006-2019, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

The Rose with No Name

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Reaching out to my blogger friends who may know the name of this rose.

It has the habit of a climber although I keep it pruned to a rather leggy upright (6-feet tall).

It loves cool weather and blooms best in spring and fall. It is very softly scented.

Any suggestions?

© Copyright 2006-2018, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

First Post of the Year: A Winter-Flowering Rhododendron

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Celebrating mid-winter with the first Rhodie blooms of the year.

On February 3rd, a rather ragged-looking swallow buzzed the eaves of our house where they come, usually later, to build their nests.

This is terribly early for the swallows to arrive and I worry how they will do when winter settles in again.

Right now we're having very un-February like weather:  Sun, heat, dry.

© Copyright 2006-2018, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Spring Rhodie

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Trumpeting Spring!  Sweetly scented, too. That's all.

© Copyright 2006-2017, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Opportunistic Spider; Unwary Moth

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It's been quite a while since I've posted here. So much rain and cold weather in our corner of the world has kept me from venturing out with a camera. Well, except on some walks - between the raindrops. One can see those photos on my Facebook page.

This sunny morning, upon seeing that one of my irises had bloomed, I pulled out my cell phone to take a few photos, noticed a small blue moth on the flower and thought, wow, lucky me:  a flower and a critter in one shot.

As I focused in, however, I saw that the moth was struggling and that's when I spied the spider.

Nature is not often kind, but she is always real.

(Click on the photo to enlarge)

© Copyright 2006-2017, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Fungi on Moss on Wood

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Deeply shaded by redwoods, huckleberry bushes and alders, an old fallen log is covered with myriad types of mosses and lichen, a small pine seedling, and clusters of very small fungi, looking like woodland lanterns. Add to that the ubiquitous blackberry canes, various fallen leaves and needles, and behold the vignette that I see on my daily morning walk.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Orb Weaver in Orange and Black

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I was going to save this photo for Halloween but couldn't wait.  Just look at the markings on this orb weaver!  Look carefully and you will see her web too.  So far, I have counted 8 orb weavers in my gardens. That's 4 times more than last year. Yay!

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

October, Hallowe'en, and Spiders, Oh My!

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The Hallowe'en month of October seems to be my month for discovering spiders.  And I've got a few photos coming that I took before the rains came down and washed the spiders out, along with their glorious webs.  Stay tuned.

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Orb Weavers Return

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Hooray!  In keeping with the season:  The orb weavers seem to be returning in greater numbers than I've seen in the last few years.  I equate their presence with a more "normal" autumn leading to rain showers by October.  This weather pattern has been woefully lacking for several years, along with fewer and fewer orb weavers.  Now they are back and so is the rain: An inch or more in the last few days, setting us up for a cooler, wetter fall.  One can hope.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Pacific Ocean Driftwood

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Another example of the driftwood, large tree roots, and branches that wash onto our Pacific coast beaches.

Photo taken last March 2016, after a winter storm.

© Copyright 2006-2016, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.