I showed you Mahonia up close yesterday, but this is what she looks like in shrub form.  Same bush, just a different perspective.

 

It matters to me that you know the whole story.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I got a great picture of the Mahonia at the park in bloom.  

 

This is Mahonia aquifolium, also called Oregon holly grape.  It is neither a holly nor a grape, that's just the common name.  The leaves look like holly leaves, and the fruits look like grapes.  Don't know about the Oregon part.

 

Mahonia is an early spring bloomer, and sometimes it blooms so early that the flowers get burned by snow or frost.  Those years they bear no fruit.  But when we do get to see the fruits in summer, they are bluish in color, grape-like, and edible.  I've never tasted them, but I'll let you know if I ever get the chance.  This bush has gotten frosted two years in a row.  Maybe, this year we'll get to see the fruits.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

WHO DOES THIS???

 

This is what I saw when I got up this morning!!!  Jon had his computer apart on the sofa.  Apparently, a dvd got stuck in the drive, so he dismantled the computer to release the disc.  Personally I would have let the disc stay in there for all eternity.  Not Jon, he takes stuff apart, then puts them back together.  

 

It reminds me of the story he tells about taking apart his grandmother's sewing machine when he was little.  He still does this with toasters, refrigerators, cars.  And usually without any leftover parts.  

 

Well, I just heard the computer boot up, so it must be working now.  

 

HE'S AMAZING!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in Meeks Park one day last week, and saw this field full of Bluets.  This is what it looks like from a distance:  a haze of blue in the grass.  We cut across the field so I could take a close up picture, because they are so pretty!!!

 

 

My wildflower book says:  what [they] lack in size they make up for by their profusion.  Boy is that ever true in this field.  They are so tiny individually, less than 1/2 inch across,  but they make a huge statement en masse.  

 

 I love seeing Bluets, they are all over.  Another happy sign of Spring.  Keep an eye out for them.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

My friend calls these little creatures "tree rats."  

 

I know we see squirrels everywhere:  in the yard, on the road, up in the bird feeders, and on and on.  But!!!  They usually run off when you get close enough to take a picture.  Well, this one was so intent on his acorn or whatever, that I was able to focus my telephoto lens and get three pictures.  He was still for at least 15 seconds.  

 

Anyway, I love this picture.  This one's for you, Nick.  ;D

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

I was just looking back through the archives, and found this picture of daffodils on February 9th, 2020, coming up through the snow.  It is the same patch of daffodils as Tuesday's picture.  I guess I shouldn't repeat myself, but just in case you don't peruse the archives, give it a whirl.  There is some good stuff there.

 

I love going back through the pictures and articles.  Good winter day thing to do:  find something that makes you smile.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

This makes me so happy!!!  It means that Spring is coming.

 

Daffodils are coming up everywhere.  We have patches of them emerging all over our yard.  I've also seen them all around town.  Be sure to check out the ones on the hillside as you drive into Union County on Mocassin Church Rd.

 

Daffodils are such an easy bulb to plant, and they multiply each year.  You plant them in the fall, before the ground gets too cold, and cover them with mulch or leaves or straw, and come February they do this.  It's too late to plant daffodil bulbs now, but I'll remind you in the fall to plant some bulbs.

 

Best off all: the deer don't bother them.  Squirrels may dig up the bulbs and move them to a new location, but nobody eats the leaves or flowers.  

 

I'll post another picture when they bloom all the way.  But this stage is very exciting to me.  

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We planted cold weather seeds last Saturday.  Cabbage, arugula, lettuce, mustard, and kale seeds all need between 50 and 70 degrees to germinate.  We are keeping  them warm in our little greenhouse in the basement.  And when I checked on them on Wednesday, some had sprouted!!!  

 

On Saturday while I was planting seeds, I threw some arugula seeds in the arugula bed.  We get about 3 crops of arugula every year there.  Those seeds have NOT sprouted;  the ground is still too cold for them to germinate.  But they will eventually.

 

Wanna see our greenhouse?  What's that acronym for unique art?  OOAK:  one of a kind!!!  I'm sure this qualifies.  ;D   We designed it to be portable, so we can break it down when we're finished for the winter, and store it neatly under the sofa in the basement.  We are on our sixth season with this little greenhouse.  It works great!!!  We can put another shelf and up to 6 flats in it.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

This is just too cute to not share.  Hahaha!!

 

Can't wait til we get enough snow to make a fun sculpture.  

 

HAPPY WINTER STILL!!!

 

I was raking the leaves out of the Mondograss, and saw these bright blue berries!!!  They appear every year, but they always surprise me.  They look like some kind of lapis lazuli beads that have fallen into the grass.

 

Mondograss is a great ground cover in this area. It only grows about 3-4 inches tall, and spreads from underground rhizomes. I planted a few 4 inch plants from Home Depot the first summer we were here, and it has spread and filled in a large area where we don't want grass to grow.  It looks a lot like Liriope, but is much smaller and tidier.  Of course the deer prune it for us, but they can't pull it out of the ground like they do the pansies.  

 

It gets a little ratty looking in the winter, but in the spring it will green up and start growing again.  Then next winter I'll get to see these funny blue berries.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!