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For a Good Time, Call Alison Part One; Barone Garden

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On Saturday night, I stopped by the gas station near my house to fuel up for the week and a large flat bed truck pulled up behind me marked "Barone." The bed of the truck was empty but I recognized the driver from a recent visit, with my pal Alison, to Barone Garden .  The driver, with whom I had a nice chat, assured me that they are happy to deliver just about anywhere in the Puget Sound region.  I'm seeing these pictures with fresh eyes since I'm no longer limited to what would squeeze into the plant mobile.

Barone has one of the largest collections of garden decor in the area and it's always a joy to see their ever-changing inventory.


A hydrant for every dog!

By the way, in case you haven't heard, Fleur de lis garden statuary in Seattle will be closing by the end of December as they haven't found another location.  Everything in stock is now 50% off.   Back to Barone - There's something for every garden style.


Granite spheres

Bridges large and small

Jurassic Park?

The selection of fountains and bird baths is unrivaled.  Amusing bird bath.



Not really my style but gorgeous outdoor fireplace.

Oh those metallic gold pots.

One of these hose pots almost came home with me.  Wouldn't one look awesome with a large agave growing in it?

If there were only space in my bamboo grove for one of these, it might have jumped into the car. 


"Hare Rising"  or hare raising?

Catfish.

I'd not seen this take on the Gunnera-leaf fountain before.

What would you put in those holes?  Succulents come immediately to mind. 

Stepping stones 



Handsome German Shepherds.

I love these natural-looking water catchers and I'd imagine that the birds are fairly fond of them as well.


Both Alison and I fell hard for this gorgeous pot.  It would have jumped in the car immediately if it weren't so large and I could think of a place for it in my garden.

The price was very reasonable.  Alison may go back for this later. 

Handsome.

Someone's got a big head!

Appealing simple lines.

Even a nice selection of steel planters. 


Faux stone fire pit surround. 

This guy's not amused. 

Most of the fountains were in part sun/part shadow and were difficult to photograph.  There were hundreds of different styles.

So much to think about. 

This lady, who looks like she could be a fragment of a fancy historic building facade, did jump into the plant mobile.
Alison also found something special but we'll have to watch her blog to see if she posts about it.  Stay tuned for more from our fun day of garden shopping.

Wednesday - Autumn Textures

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Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Flutter on over to her blog to see her vignette this week. 


Happy Thanksgiving!

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This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for many things, including each of you who stops by every day or every once in a while. 

The table runner was made by a dear family friend who passed away a few years ago.  The "Give Thanks" decoupage on wood message was made by my brother's eldest daughter and her girls a couple of years ago.  I'm thankful for family, friends, and traditions that transcend years and miles. 

 "Forever on Thanksgiving day, the heart will find the pathway home."                                                                     -Nesbit
Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving today or not, may your life be full of blessings for which to be thankful. 

Cleaning Up on Black Friday

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For many, today is about getting great deals on merchandise at stores and online.  Businesses hope to cleanup on this day.  After Thanksgiving, I prefer to avoid the madding crowd, stay home, and enjoy the afterglow of sharing the feast with family and friends.

This year, my eldest grand niece, who is taking a floral design class at school, made and brought this sweet centerpiece.


 Because I have the day off, and because the messy garden needs regular attention, I'll be heading out to do a different king of cleanup.

Thank goodness for the leaf blower!

The fallen leaves of Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'"bloom" on evergreens. 

This resembles the red fabric of the table runner. 

This guy isn't amused.

Time to pick the persimmons - Yum.

The Linden and Cherry trees have finished dropping leaves for the year. 

All is not about ending and messiness. Some plants are just gearing up for their winter work.

The year's first blooms on Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ which will be blooming and sharing sweet fragrance all winter long. 


Mahonia blooms are abuzz with fighting hummingbirds and the now leafless Euonymus europaeus 'Red Ace' (below) Clerodendrum trichotomum, and Callicarpa are providing a jolt of unexpected color.

Looking like winter.

 Lots of seed pods on the Empress trees this year. 

Dammit kids, I just cleaned up after you last weekend. 



 Happy Friday everyone!

In a Vase on Monday

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Dashing out between gusty rain storms on Sunday I grabbed a few colorful contents for a vase today.  Variegated evergreen euonymus, Callicarpa berries, hydrangea blooms, and Cupressus arizonica 'Blue Ice' got thrown into a vase.  The smaller vase originally chosen kept falling over.

Finally, I gave up on that one and used instead a vase made by Island Art Glass.



Joining the arrangement are some cones found on a walk in the park and three of the persimmons harvested from my tree.



The arrangement eventually ended up somewhere else where it's contents could be admired from above.
In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to see what other participating bloggers have carefully arranged or quickly plopped into a container today.

Fun With Alison Part 2 - Flower World

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There's always a lot happening at Flower World, a fifteen-acre nursery where they grow 90% of what they sell.  The weather was a bit brisk but fortunately, three of those acres are covered with huge greenhouses. 

I couldn't resist the kale sale.



While nearly all of the dahlias outside are pretty much past it, greenhouse magic kept these potted bloomers safe from the wind and rain.  So tempting!



Seasons collide as autumn color meets winter greens.

Potted paperwhites will be bursting into fragrant bloom before you know it. 

I've been stuffing sugar pumpkins with onions, garlic, walnuts, figs, and apple, baking for an hour and enjoying the result tremendously.

This sweet-faced pansy decided to come home with me to stuff a pot for winter. 

 A cheerful color combination. 



A few of these dried hydrangeas came home with me.  They're one of my favorite dried flowers and I tend to keep them around for years.

Alison showing off her nice Aspidistra.  

While I love nurseries that carry lots of holiday tinsel, gegaws, baubles, etc. to add to the carnival of Christmas, I greatly admire Flower World for concentrating on growing things.

Tempting but there's no room at the inn  in the greenhouse. 




An effective pairing.

Beautiful in bloom.  Perhaps there'll still be one left in January when all plants go on sale here. 

This 'Assorted Cacti' with the spiral growing habit may have jumped into my cart.  

Cordyline terminalis 'Tricolor' is so gorgeous but they never stay that way at my house so none came home with us.

Four inch pots were all BOGO and there were many temptations. 


Oh the nerve!

 My favorite place to be in the winter is in one of the well-heated tropical houses.  


Like a siren,  the vibrant color of Philodendron 'Orange Prince'caught our eyes from quite a distance.


Bougainvillea 'Raspberry Ice'  looking glorious in hanging pots.  


Pineapple anyone?

Delphiniums used to grow like weeds for me in my Alaska garden but don't seem to like my garden here.  I see fabulous specimens in the gardens of others in the area. If I ever were to cut down the giant timber bamboo, it would be to have space in the sun to grow delphiniums.

Schizostylis coccinea 'Oregon Sunset' is a favorite that also doesn't seem to last long in my crowded garden. 


As I, late as usual, set out to Alison's place, I realized that I'd forgotten my camera.  No time to go back so I used my phone . 


Here in the Acers palmatum is where the battery died so we'll end our Flower World visit here.  Here's a tip, phone chargers must be plugged in to work.  Funny thing that.

Wednesday Vignette - A Moment of Peace

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It seems like as soon as Thanksgiving is over an explosion of holiday preparations ignites.  Today I'm enjoying looking at this peaceful picture taken on a walk in the park a few weeks ago and soaking up the calm. 
Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and hum.  Click here to join in the fun.

Molbak's visits the desert southwest - More Fun with Alison

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Our second stop (Flower World was actually the third) on the Lassie and Outlaw nursery hop was Molbak's in Woodenville.  Their notoriously huge offering of holiday decor of all kids is a bit overwhelming in one sitting so today, we'll look at some things from arid areas. 

That huge opuntia was a serious temptation but the price made me think twice.  Perhaps it'll still be there during the January houseplant sale.

Alison grabbed one of these variegated aloes just about to burst into bloom.  One would have come home with me too if one didn't already live with me.


Oh, that blue color!



Look, glochids that don't come off in your skin!



Pretty good looking faux cacti.

Chrysanthemums aren't really desert plants but the colors suggest the southwest.







These imitation plants require no care whatsoever.  I wish you an equally carefree time as the crush of holiday activities and preparations begins.



Winged Visitors: Coneheads and Angels

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The other evening, this green creature visited our back porch.  I'd never seen one of these before and was unsure of what it was. 


A quick interweb search (remember when we used identification books for this sort of thing?)  makes me think that it's a kind of Katydid commonly called a Conehead. (Neoconocephalus sp.)  According to an  insect identification site, they can be found by listening for their songs.  This one was quite silent  and come to think of it, I don't see any wings either.

Saturday before Thanksgiving was spent teaching a glass class, a fast and fun make and take utilizing ornament lead to create angels.

Interesting beings these, messengers of God mentioned in the sacred writings of all three of the monotheistic faiths.  Halos didn't appear in artwork until the fourth century but they now show up all over the place.

Do angels have wings?  Well, at least cherubim and seraphim do but if they are spirit beings, are they bound by the laws of the physical universe and in need of wings to propel themselves?

A multitude of the heavenly host.  (Oh dahling, those canapés are simply divine!  You're a heavenly host.)

Fun fact: the angles mentioned have male names - Lucifer, Gabriel, Michael.  Interesting that most of the angels we see as decorations have decidedly female faces.  Then again, if they're not bound by the laws of the physical universe, are they in need of gender?



The quickie technique with U-channel lead and a bit of solder can be extrapolated to make larger pieces without having to go to all the fuss of copper foil.


It was a fun few hours playing with glass.  

Have a great weekend all!  Hope you have time to listen for the songs of Coneheads and angels.

In a Vase on Monday - Cheating Again

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The fabulous Cathy at Rambling in the Garden hosts In a Vase on Monday each week encouraging us to bring cuttings in from our gardens or foraged nearby to bring us joy throughout the week.  It rained all day on Saturday and Sunday was a very busy day so my foraging took place at our local everything store while I was doing some grocery shopping.  Chartreuse chrysanthemums have been catching my eye lately so I decided to bring some home along with some Liatris.  Long stems and lots of evergreens that will undoubtedly be re-used, required a heavy and deep vase.  This ceramic vase from Thailand has been sitting around gathering dust and waiting to be used.


Just two kinds of flowers seemed a little sparse.  I thought of going out and cutting some euonymus seed pods but, being lazy, decided to forage some tilandsias from the kitchen windowsill.

Callicarpa berries might have looked good in here as well.

Joining the vase for this first week of advent is an iridized floppy vase/bowl that I made years ago along with a purple crystal heart.  "...Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart."

I considered picking the red berries off of the holly branch but decided to leave them even though they don't really go with the flowers.
Happy Monday all!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Watson's

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Truth be told, these pictures were taken on a visit  before Thanksgiving.  Santa's put together quite a parade of tinsel, baubles, and fun!


Watson's is always full of fun merchandise but the holidays really get done up in a big way.  Some may look with dismay at so much non-garden related stuff but if carrying all of this helps keep the business going all year long so that we can enjoy all sorts of plants every day, so be it!  Plus, it's fun to look at all all of the seasonal stuff and wonder what'll be left to buy at deep discounts during the days after Christmas.  

I'm just digging out the bags of goodies I scored at last year's after Christmas sale.  

If the tree is viewed as a huge floral arrangement of sorts, one could start with autumn tones in October and just let things  evolve into December.



I used to do a different themed tree every year but now have settled on throwing the same stuff on every year.  It's still fun to see what designers come up with every year. 


It kind of depends on what the Chinese have been busy mass producing over the summer. 


Have you begun decorating for the holidays yet?  My glass pumpkins are still out from Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

There was a decidedly lighter and more pastel feel to the decorations this year.  





Here's some saturated red and heavy gold. 

The baby grand is in place and soon there'll be live music to enhance the shopping experience. 

Do large nurseries everywhere do this sort of thing? 

Hope you are enjoying all the preparation for the festive season.   It's a nice way to take our minds off the long dark nights and  impending cold of winter.

Wednesday Vignette

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In a few locations around the area, there are water tanks with trees painted on them.  The idea that painting trees on a  huge cylinder will make it blend in with the surrounding trees is a little silly.  On the hill where I work, the water tower is simply painted white.  However, at certain times of the day, when the sun is low in the west, the tank is decorated by the shadows of nearby trees.

When I first saw this many years ago, I assumed that someone had painted the tank.  By morning, the tank was blank again.  Things aren't always what they seem.

This is a little show that I look forward to seeing as I leave the parking lot at work.  Notice the clear sky?  Tuesday morning was the first this year that required me to scrape ice from my car windshield and the clear/cold weather is supposed to last for a week.
Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Click here to join the fun!

It's Cold Outside - Time to Fire Up the Kiln!

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When the mercury plummets, there's nothing like playing with a little 1400 degree heat to warm things up a bit.  Like most people who do crafts, I find myself with a lot of scraps.  It's hard for me to throw away anything useful so here's my latest attempt to use some of what's sitting around.

Cut a triangle, throw on some scraps.

Add a little heat and trees appear. 


Every year for the last several, I've made snowflakes for fun.  These were mostly designed by the delightful and talented Lani Neil whose Etsy shop is here











This year, I decided to depart a little from the blues.



Now I'll just repeat this a few times. It's as easy as baking cookies, less fattening, and they last longer.
Hope you are finding creative ways to keep warm!

A Little Summer Warmth - The Garden of John A. Wott

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Back in July, Alison and I had the pleasure of touring the garden of John Wott and chatting with the current gardener there,  the talented and wonderful Preston Pew.  Author, garden designer, nursery owner, and genuinely nice person, Sean Hogan was also on hand to answer questions. The midday sun was not helpful in capturing images of this delightful and lush garden and I apologize in advance for the image quality. 


"The original garden, established in 1994, contained many plants selected by Dan Hinkley, Heronswood. The decks and trellis were designed by Robert Jones."

Notice the groovy emerging leaves of Amorphophallus konjac.

"The intent was to showcase rare and unusual plants, supplemented by perennials.  

After twenty years, the garden was overgrown, and in early 2015, most plants were removed, along with the hot tub and some structures.  The soil was completely renovated, and a completely new palette of plants, again largely selected by D. Hinkley was established."



Dianthus caryophyllus 'Chomley Farran.' According to Annie's Annuals website, "This is the only remnant available in the U.S. of the type of Carnation or Dianthus so beloved by plant breeders of the 1700s and 1800’s. Sadly, there used to be over 200 of these striped varieties called “Bizarres” now lost to cultivation."  This color combination is glorious; the dangling habit of the blooms is less endearing.












"Some of the original plants were retained.  Under the supervision of gardener Preston Pew, color is provided through seasonal movable pots along with many seasonal succulents.

Can you feel the warmth?  Oh how I miss summer!


"Several hundred plants showcase themselves during the year, with something always in bloom."

Thank you, Dr. Wott, for sharing your beautiful garden with all of us!

In a Vase on Monday

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Interesting items are often found thrown into our parking strips.  On Saturday morning I went out to take pictures of our first frost and found this Patron Tequila bottle.  Since the goal of IAVOM is to bring things inside found in our gardens or foraged nearby, this seemed like an apt container for today's arrangement. 


Contents include several weeds, Phytolacca americana (Pokeweed)  bird planted holly, and likewise avian gardened Cotoneaster franchetii.  Non weeds are Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’ and Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’


Many birds were outside enjoying the calm and sunny day and the berries.  It seemed only fair that, since they planted a lot of what's in today's vase, some should be included.  They had some green sparkly stuff with them so it went in as well.

I heard a bird sing
in the dark of December.
A magical thing 
And Sweet to Remember.

"We are nearer to spring
Than we were in September."
I heard a bird sing 
In the dark of December. 

-Oliver Herford

In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click over to her blog to see her vase and links to those of other participating bloggers.


Into Every Life A Little Frost Must Fall

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Areas nearby have been getting frost on the ground for several days but my neighborhood avoided it until Jack arrived early on Saturday morning to scatter a bit of  glitter around.

Fennel



Cotinus coggygria

Old Man winter will be joining his pal Jack soon. 

Tanacetum haradjanii

Cunninghamia lanceolata 'Glauca'


The neighbor's Juniper.

Phytolacca americana

Heuchera something or other.

Berberis 'Orange Rocket'

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens'  I'm finally comfortable pronouncing this name which is usually a signal for the taxonomists to come up with something even more difficult to pronounce.

Some cotoneaster.
It can no longer be said that I don't know Jack. (Frost.)  

Just yesterday when I left for my brief drive to work the temperature in my garden was 33 degrees; just a few miles away, it was 25 degrees at work where the following pictures were taken.



  



Wednesday Vignette - Ghosts of Christmas Past

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Walking toward the light. 




Speaking of celebrating light, Happy Hanukkah!
Wednesday Vignette is hosted by Anna at Flutter and Hum.  Click on over there to see what's caught her eye this week.

Suddenly Seymour

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The Seymour Conservatory looked and felt particularly festive when I walked over last weekend.  Tacoma's Dickens Festival was taking place this weekend and the conservatory's costumed workers were hosting an afternoon tea. 






Revelers appreciated a performance of a bell choir.  

Longfellow's poem, "Christmas Bells"  always runs through my head on hearing  the tintinnabulation of the bells.  It's especially meaningful if you know Longfellow's story.  If not, click the link. 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
     Their old, familiar carols play.
          And wild and sweet 
          The words repeat
     Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
     Had rolled along
     The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
     A voice, a chime,
     A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
     And with the sound
     The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
     And made forlorn
     The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head,
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
     "For hate is strong,
     And mocks the song 
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
     The Wrong shall fail,
     The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."



During this advent season and always, I wish you peace, love and plants (lots of plants.)

I still haven't decorated for the season but since I can visit the conservatory frequently, maybe that's good enough for this year.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day December 2017

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.  To see what's blooming in gardens all over the world, click here.

In my western Washington zone 8 garden blooms are fewer during this darkest time of the year.

Viburnum × bodnantense ‘Dawn’ will be opening fragrant blooms all winter long.

Mahonia "Soft Caress"

Mahonia 'Charity' is a hummingbird favorite.

Sweet Alyssum with a little frost.

Crazy daisy doesn't know how cold it is outside. 

Arbutus unedo 

Winter pansies have been found by slugs. 

A brave or foolish pelargonum.

Fatsia japonica

There are still a few fuchsia blooms.

Of course, the hardy abutilons are still doing their thing.  


 Meanwhile, inside the greenhouse, the less than hardy abutilons are blooming.
Echeveria

The carnivorous Pinguicula 'pirouette' or Butterwort has been blooming for several months now.

The greenhouse is delightfully fragrant with the large brugmansia covering a quarter of the ceiling with booms.

The schlumbergeras are a little later than usual this year.  

Back outside, the tropaeolum speciosum planted closest to the house still has a few blooms

and some lovely blue seeds. 

Saxifraga fortunei 'Magenta' is blooming for the first time in my garden. Such a nice saturated jolt of color for fall and early winter. 

Days will soon be getting longer again even though the coldest part of the year is yet to come.  I wish you joy and happiness during this holiday season!

In a Vase on Monday - I't s the Thought That Counts

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Receiving a dinner invitation a couple of weeks ago, I'd decided to find contents from my garden for a red glass I'd made and take the resulting arrangement as a hostess gift.  As Saturday wore on, the plants in the greenhouse got watered and a few tasks around the house were completed but then the dogs insisted on cuddling (napping) on the couch with me.  Soon time was as short as motivation so today's  offering was "foraged" from a nearby market.



I also gave a great deal of thought to putting up some decorations.

It's the thought that counts, right?  Not actually doing anything gives more time for enjoying a bit of cheer.  Won't you join me in sloth?  I'll pour you a cup of eggnog and we can think about accomplishing great things while doing nothing together.
In a Vase on Monday is hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to see what more ambitious  bloggers have put in containers this week.
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