This and That: A Blog

 Sugar Snap Pea Shadows 

First, some things around town. There was a new double sided case of fancy dog treats at the grocery store.  The prices weren't up yet, but they look expensive. There's finally a restroom at the park.  It's a kind called a  Portland Loo .  Now, the garden.   I forgot Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day on the 15th!  I seem to do that a lot lately. Some neglected calendulas and globe gilia. Lance-leaf coreopsis  I'm not sure of the name of this bearded iris.  It's by the back fence, out of sight, so I'm going to move it when it's done flowering.  Finally, snap peas!  The tomatoes are growing well.   Sungold and some morning glories Pantano Romanesco   Bonny Best was bought at a yard sale the weekend before last.  Turkish Sage  The front yard.  I got some cat repellent spray for the bed in the foreground.  So far it's working!  Whenever I decide to use it the wind picks up, so I end up having to shower ...

  Skywatch Friday Hope you don't mind another puddle reflection shot!  I am partial to them.  Have a nice weekend.  My weather is getting a bit warm.  Today is forecast to be 81° and tomorrow 88! I'd like to say it will cool off after that, but I see it might be 90° on Tuesday.  My peas have just started to flower, they won't like this...

 The Herb Garden area is as colorful as the front yard. Almost, yesterday the yellow Moonshine yarrow in the front yard made an appearance.  Blue Flax (oops, this particular plant isn't in the Herb Garden, but there is Blue Flax there) Blue-Eyed Grass (not a grass, it's in the iris family) A California poppy, sea thrift and Persian catmint combo. Firewitch Dianthus  Boy, does this one ever self-seed! Ixia in front of the dianthus.  The corms came from the Dollar Tree a few years ago.  Juniper Thyme I bought from Mountain Valley Growers quite a few years ago.  They have a nice herb selection.  I keep this as an ornamental, cooking with my common thyme.  Persian catmint and sea thrift again, with Hot and Spicy oregano on the right, Golden oregano clumped in the upper right. Not an herb, but growing in a container near a rosemary.  The sole survivor of a snail invasion. Also in the Herb Garden area are the large nursery pots I used last year...

 Woolly Apple mint is a reliable invasive!  One of the self-seeded Sungold tomatoes.  I guess I won't have to buy any plants this year!    Star of Bethlehem is a weed that's hard to get rid of, but it sure is pretty.  Hopefully it stays cool enough for the snap peas to reach maturity.  They are in no hurry this year.  One of the oreganos pops up all over the yard.  It's pretty, so I don't mind. Golden Oregano  Geum Fire Storm  One of the free curb irises is blooming.  As are the California poppies.  I think 99% of them came up in the paths not the beds.    I'm already pulling them out. The globe artichoke is coming back nicely.  The weather's been nice, cool mornings and warm afternoons in the 70s.  By the weekend it will cool off though, with rain expected in a few days.   That might give the peas a chance!

 Spring is here!  That is if you aren't one of those " Spring began on March 1st " meteorologists!  I'm not, I go by the astronomical first day of spring, the vernal equinox.  Equinox comes from Latin for equal and night , and is when the sun is directly above the equator, resulting in approximately the same amount of day and night. This happens twice a year, the other is the autumnal equinox, first day of fall. This past week has been warm here, but it is cooling off again in a few days.  My cough/respiratory illness is only a little bit better, and moved into a sinus infection for which I just started antibiotics yesterday.   The fruit trees have lost their blossoms, and the crocus and daffodils are done.  Here are some flowers heavy on the purple! The prostrate rosemary isn't new to blooming, but now the bees are up and about.  Grape hyacinths are pretty, but I don't really like them due to the messy foliage.  I thought I'd pulled th...