trees – While I Was Gardening

In the Presence of Trees, Part 8

I hear chirps in the Lawson cypress towering above me. A new nest with new life. The tree canopy is dense and dark – protection provided by age and size. On hot summer days the foliage smells pungent and dry but this afternoon – a cool, damp day after an early May heat wave –Continue reading “In the Presence of Trees, Part 8”

Kruckeberg Botanic Garden

In Shoreline (Washington), a small, beautiful, intriguing botanical garden is tucked away in a deep, shady ravine. This woodland garden was created by Dr. Arthur Kruckeberg and his wife Mareen in 1958. Dr. Kruckeberg taught botany at University of Washington for many years (my spouse took a class from him and has fond memories ofContinue reading “Kruckeberg Botanic Garden”

In the Shade of Giants

I was offered cool, refreshing shade on a long walk early one warm July morning. This gift is received with much gratitude – I wish I could reciprocate. What they give us, we must treasure and protect.

A Treasure of Trees

Yakima, Washington, is home to an exceptional and surprising treasure – the Yakima Area Arboretum. I first learned of this beautiful and educational arboretum in 1976 from a co-worker, with my first visit coming in early 1977. Having only experienced arboretums in Seattle, Oregon and western Canada before this, I admit that I was aContinue reading “A Treasure of Trees”

Traveling and Hiking in the Rain

My spouse and I just returned from our anniversary vacation to the Olympic National Park and Rainforest – specifically, the Hoh and Quinault rainforests. The Park was established in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and encompasses 922,650 acres of unique landscapes: rainforests, magnificent beaches on the Pacific coast, meadows, rivers, and mountains. The extensiveContinue reading “Traveling and Hiking in the Rain”

Neighborhood Gardens, Part 1

One of my favorite activities besides gardening (and hiking) is walking through my city’s neighborhoods. An enormous variety of gardens exists here in Seattle – from classic, formal gardens to casual lawn and flower bed yards, to unique mini-forests or native-plant landscapes, to yards full of veggie beds or yards full of dandelions (a veryContinue reading “Neighborhood Gardens, Part 1”