Blue Macro Ruby Monday, January 27, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post.   I didn't manage to post last week, still waiting for a new camera and also bogged down trying to decide on a smartphone plan and phones.   If anyone wants to mention their favorite phone that would be fun.   Today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Ruby Tuesday Too hosted by Gemma Wiseman

It turned out that Mandarin Orange Monday is taking a break but I forgot to change my title before I posted so I couldn't change it.

Still dreaming of Spring, some irascible but dainty and colorful blue flowers that never fail to return,  aptly named Forget-Me-Nots,

But indoors I have a little orchid blooming, Maxillaria sanguinea, the flowers are only 1" across-

 My plants that I started Nov. 15 are now getting quite large, challenging my ability to keep them in good shape until they can  be planted out to hopefully bloom much earlier, Coreopsis 'Sunburst', Monarda citriodora, and Browallia speciosa-

Grass Side Oats Grama, Monarda punctata, and Echinacea 'Bravado', with one tiny Phygelius, second from the right on the bottom row-

And I will wrap up with a couple of shots of my energetic cat Celeste, who wouldn't be still for a good shot but kept walking back and forth, we were both enjoying some nice sunny weather outdoors-

So, my Spring countdown is now at 52 days, and I need to be deciding on my tomato line-up this year and get the seeds sprouting in some zip-lock bags.  I got some 60-day stratified seeds out of the refrigerator today and found Eupatorium maculatum had a couple of tiny sprouts coming up, so I'm glad I got them out!    Hannah

or cameras are macro

Phyllostachys nuda, Favorite Plant Pick of the Week, January 26, 2014

My favorite plant pick of the week is Phyllostachys nuda.   It is a running bamboo, and as such is suitable for large areas or grown in a barrier in a neighborhood.   I find that without getting any supplemental water in the summer, it does not run far for me, but has increased over the years, probably around 10, to quite a clump.   It yields all the stakes I could want and more.   It is very cheery in the winter to look out on all the desolation of the brownness of the deciduous fruit trees and see the sprightly green of the bamboo.

Closer

Culms

Leaves

To view other people's favorite plant picks of the week also, go to hostess Loree's Danger Garden blog and also see the entries in the comments section.

Hannah

Blue Macro Mandarin Orange Monday, January 13, 2014

Welcome to my Monday post, I still have not received my camera on order so I have to use existing photos.   I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Continuing with my Dreams of Spring, Anchusa azureum-

Cooky Geum-

Tulip Praestans unicum variegata, which is my longest lasting species tulip, coming back every year and looking smashing, but not seeming to multiply.

My favorite venue for shopping plant bargains from a lot of nurseries, the Home and Garden Fair, here an exhibit with typical Pacific Northwest landscaping and a nice cozy fire ring that would feel good right now.   I saw people building these on YouTube but also read that concrete could break down or explode from the moisture in the bricks getting hot, so don't know if this design really works long-term, though it is very neat looking-

And pursuing another winter pastime, another hat I knitted, with random stitches-

I hope you are keeping warm and toasty this winter, my spring countdown is at 66 days, can't wait.

-Hannah

or cameras are macro

Blue Macro Monday January 6, 2014

Welcome to my first Monday post of the new year, today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Tonight it will be below freezing again, but then we are supposed to be due some of that Pacific Northwest mild winter weather consisting of rain with clouds that insulate the ground and raise the temperatures above freezing.   Winter has not taken long to be tiresome so I am going to indulge in some Dreams of Spring, visions of some flowers that I am awaiting.

Primroses-

Hellebores, whose down-facing flowers hide interesting interiors-

Tahiti-

I am temporarily without a camera but expect a new one soon, it will be fun to see what develops!

Happy New Year, Hannah

or cameras are macro

Blue Macro Mandarin Orange Mellow Yellows Monday, December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas! Welcome to my Monday post, today I am linking with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Some "Charlie Brown" ornaments I collected many years ago, along with a copper enamel Christmas tree I made long ago-

The tree with a small Swedish Dala horse-

The crown of a hat I just finished knitting, with the edges folded under so it can be worn like a beret-

Or flat it can be worn to cover the ears. The first area of pattern is random rows of 6 or 4 K and P stitches, the fuchsia and yellow part is a two-color pattern where two rows are knitted of each color, and stitches that are passed continue across the other color's row.

A continuation of my winter seed-growing progress, here Coreopsis at 30 and 37 days after sowing-

And here after transplanting into individual pots; Coreopsis 'Sunburst' is nice to transplant since it is not leggy and keeps the base of the plant right at the soil level, on the left; on the right is Monarda citriodora, just a little leggy so adjusted deeper when planting-

And here waiting to be transplanted at 37 days, Browallia speciosa on the left and Echinacea 'Bravado' on the right, with Monarda 'Bergamo' behind on the right, and Side-Oats Grama behind on the left which is not doing very well so far-

After the holidays I plan to plant another group of seeds and take some that are stratifying in the refrigerator out to warm up under the lights.   Within a month or so I also plan to start some tomatoes.

Happy Holidays, I will have my daughter's family with one grandson traveling up to spend it with us and my son's family with 5 grandkids, and my daughter that lives up here, 6 grandkids total.  I wish you a good time of family fun and fellowship.

Hannah

or cameras are macro

Blue Macro Mandarin Orange Monday, December 16, 2013

This week my Monday post is linked with-

Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally

I Heart Macro hosted by Laura

Macro Monday 2 hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Monday Mellow Yellows hosted by Gemma Wiseman

Mandarin Orange Monday hosted by Lorik

This is a ceramic angel I made 34 years ago.   How time flies!  The background is part of a wool hat I knitted.

Heart ornaments made by some of my son's five kids-

Cyclamen

My Zebra Finches have Mandarin Orange bills, they make beeping noises and flit about constantly-

A crocheted heart I made from one I bought at a Swedish festival, and a Swedish Dala horse-

I am happy that the winter solstice will soon arrive this week and the days will start getting longer again.   Happy Holy-Days!   Hannah

or cameras are macro

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, December 15, 2013

Welcome to my post for What's Blooming Now.   To see what is blooming in other people's gardens or houses now, go to hostess Carol's May Dreams Gardens website.  GBBD finds not much blooming here outdoors after a week at temperatures around 10*F.  So here are some indoor blooms.   A plant I really enjoyed this year, Browallia americana, bloomed so well I brought one plant in to my aquaponics bed.  It has slowed down but is still blooming-

My faithful little Geranium is blooming, though a little over the hill-

A new red Cyclamen, these I find hard to keep alive indoors-

Last week my Epiphyllum angulier, Ric Rac Orchid Cactus, bloomed, a rare occurence-

Thanks for visiting, Hannah