Day Trips

Not much traveling done this spring or summer. We are staying home to care for the kittens we adopted last November, and waiting until they’re one year old before leaving for extended trips. In the meantime, our days (and evenings) are filled with gardening, day trips, hikes, concerts, and projects. As I do miss our long vacations, I’ve found three travel blogs to follow. All are thoroughly enjoyable; well-written, beautifully photographed, and all include places I’ve not yet visited. (If you haven’t discovered these blogs, I recommend searching them out: Four Points Bulletin, Travelling Han, and Travels with Terri.)

But, between projects at home and kittens to train, we have found time to get out and enjoy our remarkable weather. The following pictures, from March through last week, show a few of the sites we’ve seen.

The above photo, and a few following, are of our yearly visit to the South Sound Prairie in Thurston County, south of Olympia (Wa). Abundant life in prairie soil may seem surprising due to its appearance, but decades of undisturbed cycles of life, death, and growth of plants creates remarkable soil. The majority of this continent’s interior was once fertile, rich soil.

Snuggled amid a field of Camassia quamash, we encountered this erratic – a remnant of its glacial past.

No prairie is complete without Balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata.

And to our great delight, we encountered yellow Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja flava, in greater numbers than last year.

We visited a demonstration garden in Mt. Vernon, with a delightful, interactive Children’s Garden.

The following photos were taken in Dunn Gardens, in north Seattle. Bill and I are fortunate to live within walking distance of this 7-acre gem.

Lots of Star Flower, Trientalis borealis, a beautiful little wildflower native to much of the North American continent. I grow this little beauty at home.

The tough, hardy leaves of Rodgersia. It will produce tall plumes of gorgeous, delicate white or pink flowers.

The pond and small waterfall at Dunn.

The following photo was taken during a day hike in the La Conner area.

And last, the following pictures are of my garden. I don’t usually post photos of my garden but since it’s looking pretty good this year, I figured now is the time to do so.

We have a bank of Rhododendron kurume, Hino-Crimson Azalea, that date to when the house was built, 1942. They have never failed to put on a spectacular show each May.

I’d say this is my favorite group of Primula, but in truth, they all are my favorites.

The very beautiful Enkianthus perulatus. In the background is a containered Pinus schwerini, ‘Weithorst’, with this years’ candles.

A garden can never have too many primroses.

I hope your spring is filled with beauty, adventure, good weather, and a lovely walk along a primrose path.