garden shots - spring 09

The other morning I got out early with my camera. There was a light overcast, and I was hoping it would be bright enough to photograph well but not so bright as to make shadows. I don't think I have a very good camera, but I do like how the garden looks. Above is a photo of the front walkway. There's a rockrose in bloom, as well as the wild lilac.















This is another view of the front walkway. The strawberries are in bloom, although a bunch of volunteer _______ have come up in the the midst of them. You can see the rock birdbath, and to the right of it is a three-leaf sumac.














This is from our back porch. This shot would be prettier if I'd cleaned off the table first, but I like the mix of plants and pot colors.














Last weekend we moved the chicken coop to the other side of the yard, because the neighbors complained about the smell. Now it's under the kitchen window, so we can keep a closer eye on them, and it looks cool under the tree there.




















This is another back porch shot, showing my pretty Japanese maple with the yellow grass growing around it in the pot.



















Also from the back porch. I think this is the only rhododendron color I like. The buds start scarlet then turn yellow as they bloom, sorta like little sunsets. Very pretty.



















The enkianthus in bloom. This is the best year yet for this tree. Also, the blossoms show up more with the golden hops growing up behind it.














One of the two raised beds in the front yard. Mostly herbs in this one - sage, chives, oregano, lavender. Also planted garlic in it last fall, and they're looking good. Put some Walla Walla Sweet onions in this spring, and planted corn in the center. It's looking good so far, and that sage on the near end is going to look fabulous in a couple more days when it's all in bloom.














This is one of the three Pacific Coast iris that I have growing along the front walkway. I love the saturated purple color!














This is the other side of the rock birdbath, showing the sumac on the left and some monarda (?) Ruby (Something) in front of it.



















This view is looking across the front yard towards the front walkway. It's so peaceful in the front yard. The only thing I want to fix is that it needs a couple little chairs or a bench or something so you can sit and enjoy it. Of course there's always things to fix......all over......

school auction

So last Saturday was the school auction. Overall, it was a success, which was a good thing, because it was a whole ton of work. I was the contact person for catering. I also helped with supplying the bar and to a lesser extent helped with the Head Table. It was fun, but did I mention it was a whole lot of work? We raised about the same amount of money as last year, with the exception of the Fund An Enhancement portion, which did very well to the tune of $85k.
The energy there was really interesting. People had fun. In fact, they seemed determined to have fun. People partied. They were clearly committed to the cause, and they clearly wanted to raise money for the school, but, given the current economy, there was an undercurrent of anxiety about doing it. Not quite dancing on the deck of the Titanic, but heading in that direction. The thing is, though, they weren't desperate. Everyone wanted to get the job done, but it was cutting a little closer to the bone than it had in years' past. I hope that by next year things will have improved enough that we can relax a little as we drink too much and bid too much and eat (very decent) catered food.
In case you were curious, Our Lady of Fabio did go home w/ someone, don't know who, for somewhere in the $75 - $100 range. I hope they like her! And the photo above is of my Dear Son, taken by the father of one of his classmates, that was part of a book of pictures of all the 3rd graders. It was our one big-ticket auction purchase, and I think it'll make a nice memory book, since this is Dear Son's last year in that class.