Winter

Winter

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Sunny Yellow Pansy

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Back-lit by the sun.



Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Friday, April 18, 2008

A Chilly Tulip Angelique

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I brought my Angelique tulip bulbs indoors late last summer, kept them in a paper bag in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator, and planted them in late February. Now they've begun to bloom and they're not bad looking. My experience with tulips has always been that they look beautiful the first year but then it's all downhill after that; they never acheive that first-year beauty again. Maybe a winter's worth of deep chill is what the doctor ordered.




Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved




Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Orange Mystery Flower

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Does anyone out there know what this is?
Edit, 4-18-08: As can be seen in the comments section below, my friend Anne from across the pond has identified this intensly orange-flowered plant as a helianthemum. Thanks Anne!




Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Friday, April 04, 2008

Spring Garden Series #3 - Three Sisters Daffodils

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Aren't they just stunning? Could the sky be more blue? Could a photo be more perfect? Well ... probably, but this comes awfully close.




Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Sunday, March 30, 2008

Spring Garden Series #2 - More Narcissus

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Not the same as these early bloomers, the above beauties are blooming now. I never tire of photographing them and never, ever tire of their scent.




Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Friday, March 28, 2008

Rainbow Weather

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Cause...





and effect.







Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved




Sunday, March 23, 2008

Easter Trilliums

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Trilliums are blooming throughout the shady forests and creekbanks now; another sign of springtime. We're lucky to have a small patch of these beautiful plants down in the shady redwood forest on our property. Although the one above is growing against the house in a protected, shady area. As its name implies, the Trillium has a three-petaled flower with three offset sepals just below, and which blooms above three leafy bracts.
So just who or what is this imposter? A Quadrillium? I shot this while taking a walk on Trinidad Head this morning with Mr CC and felt as though I'd found something even more rare than a four-leaf clover. A quick Google search brought me to this blog where the flower photos are drop dead gorgeous and another Quadrillium was encountered.

Happy Easter!



Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Greenhouse Tomatoes

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There are six of these "trial" tomato plants all potted up and growing in my greenhouse. Better Boys, purchased from a small box/pharmacy store, and very inexpensive, are going to be my bellweather for what I should and shouldn't do to raise greenhouse tomatoes. A little later in the spring, and hopefully well along the learning curve, I'll put in the heirlooms that I long for.




Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Spring In My Garden #1 - First Rose

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On Sunday, March 9th, the first actually warm day of the year, this rose slowly unfurled its petals and two swallows were seen checking out the eaves of the house. And because it's awfully difficult to get a photo of a swallow in flight (they hardly ever sit still), I offer this rose as my first Spring Garden Series post. Because when the swallows return to Trinidad, Spring truly has begun. I hope gardens everywhere are beginning to feel the warmth of longer days and increasing sunlight.





Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved



Saturday, March 08, 2008

Winter In My Garden #14 - Muscari

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Unless it snows sometime between now and March 20th, this will be my last winter garden series post. Sorry, no matter what the calendar says, spring has sprung along the northern California coast. What has also sprung are these cute little Muscari armeniacum. Known more commonly as Grape Hyacinth and actually a member of the lily family, you have to get down on your hands and knees and put your nose right up to the diminutive blue blossoms to get even a whiff of scent and even then it can be rather disappointing as these don't have the sweet fragrance of your standard Dutch hyacinth. Ah well, they make up in cuteness and blueness what they lack in scent.





Copyright © 2006-2008, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved