tall clover farm

I recoil at the thought of considering that which I love a burden or the things that feed me being a bother. But there are days, when a turn to the left or gaze to the right will add a parcel of things to my already hefty to-do list, and leave me pondering when will [...]

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 Miss Olivia does not regret she’s able to lunch today, Madame. Last Sunday, Miss Olivia came to Vashon for brunch, Though our activities lead us to dine well past lunch. There were gardens to explore, Bulldogs to not ignore, And raspberries to pick by the bunch. Mom Leslie and Ms. Joan rounded out our party [...]

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  I have not quite exhausted my fig fest of love and wish to offer up one more fine fig in the August lineup: Violette du Bordeaux (or Negronne as it’s often called).  I just picked this fig today, three days later than I picked it last year. (How’s that for consistent ripening.) If you’re thinking about growing one in cool coastal [...]

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 Peter’s Honey Fig, thin-skinned and sweet as candy Earlier in the week, I waxed on about a fig named Desert King; juicy, prolific, dependable and one of my favorites. This week I beg its pardon, and must swoon over my new best friend in the orchard: Peter’s Honey Fig. While I have no idea who Peter is, I’ll vouch for the [...]

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There’s nothing like a fresh ripe fig and there’s nothing like a fresh unripe fig.  Ripe delivers a juicy, succulent and melting gem to fawn over. Unripe tastes like a wasted opportunity: dry, starchy and flavorless.  It’s good to know the difference. Here’s my photo guide to knowing when to pick your homegrown figs. Figs can be [...]

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 Desert King Fig: It’s big, green, sweet and easy to grow. There’s nothing like a fresh fig, especially if  perfectly ripe and dripping with nectar (see blossom end of above photo). And of all the figs you can grow in the Pacific Northwest, Desert King (a name that belies its happy habit in a cool climate) is one [...]

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Bullish on art, Boz strikes a pose for Rondi: pensive, yet playful Vashon has a host of galleries and fine spaces to show art, and each first Friday of the month island artists and galleries host Gallery Cruise, an island-wide art opening to launch new shows and new artists. Last Friday, my friend Rondi Lightmark had a [...]

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Horse Manure and Weeds Seeds Go Hand in Hand Spring weeds found in my raspberry patch, courtesy of my friend Flicka On the daily bus/ferry commute my friend Rud contends that someone will bring up the subject of manure well before we reach the West Seattle Fauntleroy dock.  On an island where gardening trumps TV [...]

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