Nature Notes 07-31-09

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"



This is an artichoke that didn't get eaten. I love to see them go to seed, such spectacular color and texture.



Hmm, what's that crawling around in there?


Aha - a pollinator. Ms. Bumblebee, I presume.

Nature Notes 06-25-09: Anticipation

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"



There's so much happening in the gardens in June here. Berries are ripening, buds are getting ready to burst open, seed pods are forming.

I just have to wonder what's going on inside these lily buds. Looks like someone else is curious too.



Top row: Blueberries almost ready! -- Crocosmia will soon burst into colorful red and yellow -- Hydrangea buds.

Middle row: Cone flower, or echinacea, getting ready to bloom.

Bottom row: Kiwi vine -- Poppy seed pod -- Baby tomato.


Click on photos for a larger view.
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Nature Notes 06-18-09: Bugs for hire

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"




Did you know you can buy ladybugs? And hire them to work in your garden?


Our fruit trees have been infested with aphids the last couple of years. Aphids are a ladybug's favorite snack.




We turn them loose in the garden in the cool of the evening, and by the next day they're hard at work.


They even get down inside the alliums to munch.


Of course, then they start showing up everywhere - in the kitchen, the bathroom, on the dishes. But we forgive them their trespasses since they do such good work!

Click on photos for an even larger view.
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Nature Notes 06-04-09: Signs of summer

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"




Strawberries ripening in the garden: the first sign of summer!

Nature Notes 05-28-09: Anticipation

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"



One of the plants I monitor closely in spring and summer is the artichoke.



The foliage is quite impressive and spiky - it's related, after all, to the thistle.



Way down inside there appears to be a kind of nest...



...and this is the treasure it's nurturing. Mmmmmmm, artichoke!



Right now they're about the size of a ping pong ball. I hope we get to them before the aphids do.
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Nature Notes 05-21-09: Study in Dandelion

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"




They may not be welcomed additions to the springtime garden, but they are fascinating!

Nature Notes 05-14-09: What's in bloom?

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"




Seems like every day now something is popping open. I took a tour of the yard this morning; here's a sample of what's blooming now:

Nature Notes 04-30-09: Transformation

Nature Notes is the brainchild of Rambling Woods who challenges us to "look at something you might never had paid attention to..a flower…a plant..an animal…What changes are taking place?..Is your garden starting to come to life again?"




I took this first photo a couple of weeks ago. It's an epimedium (aka Bishop's Hat) in our front yard. I love the delicate pink flowers.


The second photo was taken yesterday. Now the beautiful heart-shaped leaves dominate and all but hide the flowers.



I don't think I would have noticed how quickly this plant transforms if I hadn't been paying attention and photographing it.

Ellipsis Photo Shoot and Nature Notes: Earth Day

This week Carly from Ellipsis invites us to celebrate Earth Day by showing something in the natural world that we particularly appreciate. I love living in a place where we can see sights like this on clear days; or be on a beach at the Pacific Ocean in a little over an hour. Forests, mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, ocean beaches - we have it all here in a small circumference. I love Oregon.


Mt. Hood. Taken from Mt. Tabor - a Portland park near our house - yesterday, Tuesday April 21st.

Combining this with Michelle's Nature Notes for this week.

Nature Notes 04-15-09: Promises

I've been reading Rambling Woods' blog for a few weeks and have been so impressed by the amount of information she includes in her posts about each item - plus some great reminders about conservation and threatened species. Recently she's posted about the decline of honey bees and of monarch butterflies. And not just doom and gloom, but she lets us know what we can each be doing in our yards to help these critters survive.


I walked around the neighborhood today in search of new things blooming and found a lot. But today I'll post a couple of photos of promises to come - tulips and irises.


I wonder what color this iris will be....