Snow and Tulips!

I can't believe that it snowed at TCO yesterday...Brrrr.  If this is global warming then bring back the "ice age" scare of the '70s.  

Here are some SPRING photos taken  at a tulip festival this weekend!  Enjoy!  Anne

Chuck photographing a newspaper man potographing me photographing the tulips!

My favorite!

Chuck's favorite!

Orchard Mason Bees

 Mason Bees waiting to hatch.

 

 

Empty holes show that they have emerged.

Bees later return to the box to lay their eggs.

                                         I love Mason Bees.  

After a year of non-activity they are now "hatched" and flying around the orchard.  These friendly bees are only active for a short period. Most of our trees have not bloomed yet, so hopefully the weather will warm up, flowers will blossom and the bees happily pollinate the fruit trees! 
These bees are called Mason bees because they use mud and water to build the door to seal the opening of the nests (long hollow tubes) where they lay their eggs.  Each hole contains one egg.  Once all the holes are empty it is advised that the holes be cleaned out and the box rehung.

I Spy Fiddleheads! Yum!

How many fiddle heads can you find in this picture?

I was wondering around the property and noticed that the bracken fern fiddle heads are popping up.  Yummy!  A fiddlehead is the name for the baby fern sprouts before the leaves open up.  

 Did you know that fiddleheads are edible?  Asian cooking use these fern shoots in stir fry, pickles and various dishes. Alaskan Cooking mentions simple ways to prepare this fern. Do NOT eat them raw or unprocessed. fiddlehead article   E-mail me if you would like to know how to safely process these "free" forest edibles!

Fiddle heads should be gathered when the heads are tightly curled. They are inedible when the leaves open.  Be careful not to step on any when you go through the woods to gather them.

Pick those with tight heads.

Look in areas with last years old dried bracken fern leaves.

A Tropical Wedding break

Pacific Luau tropical arrangements.

In the midst of this dreary wet, cold and gloomy spring....here is a tropical break! I was asked to create a wedding bouquet. Enjoy, feel the sunshine!

Bride's Sideway Bouquet

Close up of Pin Cushion Proteas

Ribbon Ti-Leaf hold.

Lauhala Basket stand to hold bouquet.

Close up of Bird of Paradise, protea and parrot beak heliconia nestled in ti-leaves and bear grass.

I also created a birthday bouquet.

Hummingbird calendar blooms!

     I was out in the yard during a sun break this Sunday and noticed my native "hummingbird calendar" in bloom!  Now is the time to clean out and put up hummingbird feeders. When the flowers bloom, the hummingbirds will soon be out looking for food.
     The formula for nectar is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.  Put the sugar and water in a pot and heat it just until the sugar is dissolved.  Cool and refrigerate the extra.  Oh, you may want to label the jar...legend has it that unsuspecting family members drink the syrup.

Enjoy this amazing video and live stream of  hummingbirds.  
click to see hummingbirds being hand fed and also a live stream of a hummingbird nest!

What is my native hummingbird calendar?  It's the red flowering currant
http://green.kingcounty.gov/GoNative/Index.aspx
Anne

Blueberry care

Thought I should write an update to blueberry care...
1)Fertilize - within the next 2 weeks.  Use Amonium Sulphate (NH4)2 SO4    Sprinkle around the perimeter of the roots.  I basically think of this as the perimeter of the plant branches.  Do NOT sprinkle on  the roots as you might "burn" the plant.  Use about 1 cup for large bushes and 3/4 cups for medium size bushes.
2)Mummy berry prevention should be done when the buds break.  E-mail me if you need specifics.
3)Water as needed, ha, ha, ha .....(this is an inside joke for all of us who live in the NorthWest...)
4)Mulch is helpful in hot weather to hold in moisture... ha, ha, ha (Another NW inside joke)

Feel free to e-mail me or "comment" if you have more questions.  Anne

Easy & frugal indoor starts!

When it's too cold to go outside, start seeds inside! 

Do it yourself seed sprouters using egg cartons and a plate in a ziploc bag.

I want to share an easy frugal way to start your own seeds without buying special seed starting kits.  You will need a paper egg carton, a plastic bag from the grocery store used for vegetables, a waterproof tray, soil and seeds.   1) Cut the top off the egg carton 2) Plant your seeds in the bottom egg cups of the egg carton. Dampen the soil. 3) Lay the egg carton TOPS on the tray and lay the plastic bag ON these tops.  4) Place the bottom carton with the seeds INSIDE the plastic bag nestling each bottom in the top.  That's it!  

Now all you need to do is mist/water the seeds as needed and when the seeds sprout cut the top of the plastic bag so it does not smash the seedlings.  When you are ready to transplant the seedlings all you need to do is to rip or cut apart each egg section and plant the entire section in the soil.

Anne

Rain, rain and more rhubarb...

Chuck prepares ground for the planter box

I decided to plant vegetables instead of flowers this year due to my disgust at the 33% rise in food prices.  We'll see how it goes.  My first project was to plant the rhubarb plant I had transplanted from my in-law's house when they moved in July.
I wanted a raised bed for physical comfort so took a discarded storage shelf, had the kids remove the back and put it on our bank.  I chopped off 3 other rhubarb plants from my friend's  MEGA rhubarb plant and planted all 4 in the new box.                                                       Did I mention digging horse composted manure for the soil??? 

Then I noticed on Day 2 after planting, that the cats had used it for a kitty litter... I have screen over the box now... my next challenges will be the deer and slugs...BUT the rhubarb is doing great with all the rainfall.  We won't harvest any stalks this year but wait til next year!!!  Rhubarb cobbler, rhubarb fruit pies, rhubarb sauce....yum!


 

Rhubarb plants - March

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look closely in the photo on the left you can see the snap peas I started in the house.  I'm planting them temporarily with the rhubarb until I set up my "new" planter box for the peas.  I'm wondering how to protect the plants from the deer...   

I'm also planning to plant carrots and garlic chives around the rhubarb plants this year.  My next post  will be my money saving starter kit for the carrots.

 Anne