Look at these roots!

Dawn on the inlet.

Lycaste aromatica

Syn.: Maxillaria aromatica; Colax aromaticus; Selbyana aromatica; et al.

June 4, 2021

A nice dry home for a spider.

Gosh I'm just very enamored with this darling

It is now magnificent ☺️.

立派になりました☺️

Sedum spathulifolium (Colorado stonecrop var. ‘Cape Blanco’)

The West coast of North America is home to a number of sedums and this particular one, Colorado stonecrop, is growing in my rockery. I find it’s pale leaves particularly attractive although they turn red and orange at the end of summer. 

Blush pink dogwood flowers.

Bearded iris (Iris × germanica). May 2021. 

Platycerium ‘Lemoinei’

Liriodendron, aka tulip trees. They’re blooming down at Black Rock woods!

This morning I went out to some familiar places.

Lupinus polyphyllus (Large-leafed lupin) and Bombus nevadensis (Nevada bumblebee)

David Douglas

The Scottish botanist, David Douglas, is rightfully regarded as a giant in his field. He explored my area (the Pacific Northwest of North America) between 1824 and 1827 on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society. In addition to the Douglas Fir, he introduced the Sitka Spruce, Sugar Pine, Western White Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Monterey Pine, Grand Fir, Noble Fir and several other conifers that transformed the British landscape and timber industry, He also returned to Britain with Flowering currant, Salal, Penstemon, the California poppy and, of course, the Large-leafed lupin. A century later, George Russel, used this species to develop his famous Russel hybrid lupins which grace our gardens today in so many different colors.

This is a large-leafed lupin in the wild and, wouldn’t you know it, it’s entertaining a local bumblebee. This is the scene that might have greeted David Douglas, so many years ago.