tall clover farm

About this time every year, I look at my sickly menagerie of houseplants and wonder why I bother. The leaves of my streptocarpus have the crunch of a corn flake, the air roots on my orchids resemble cooked spaghetti and my brugmansia has become a retirement home for spider mites. The citrus trees know if they can hold out one more month, [...]

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The phrase to gild the lily says it all. Why would anyone attempt to improve or adorn something that is already perfect. The reference is not intended for the tulip, peony or daisy; it pays homage to the lily–in my mind, a floral gem with few peers.   It’s hard to believe these scaly, bearded bulbs can release such fanciful, fragrant wands. Dramatic, fragrant and easy to grow, lilies are at home in Pacific Northwest [...]

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I’ve never been a huge fan of rolled oats, that is unless in a cookie, granola bar or apple crisp. (Hmmm, I see a pattern developing.) As a breakfast food, its texture and consistency seem better suited for those wearing bibs awaiting big spoon choo-choos to deliver their slimy cargo post haste. The day I discovered steel coats oats, I was a changed [...]

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 Sometimes the view can speak for itself.  On the M/V Issaquah, view to the Northwest; photo below, a turn to the port side and the Southeast view with Mt. Rainier peering out of the clouds.

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Boz is befuddled; he, like so many other kiwi aficionados, had no idea that this delicious fruiting vine grows well in a temperate climate. Yep, these fuzzy little puppies (Boz included) are not tropical in origin or range. Vashon Island, Washington is comfortably anchored in Zone 8a, where freezing temperatures occur regularly. The kiwi thrives here.  The above photo was taken in the winter, a good [...]

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