Please help identify

This small orchid like flower, is one of many growing on a spike. The flowers, when fully open are about the size of a dime.

Barred owl

I photographed this barred owl at a friend's house. It was sitting patiently up in a tall tree waiting for lunch, which could be an unfortauate bird or squirrel visiting one of the bird feeders.

 

Tuesday collage

 

Crossbills

 

Outstanding vegetable garden this year

Please enjoy this short slideshow of my vegetable garden.

Wordless Wednesday

Pretty in pink/purple

At long last I have learned how to grow great vegetables

This year I am so thrilled with the vegetable garden, as it is the best, since we built it about four years ago.

So lush and lovely

Peas, bush beans, zucchini, swiss chard, kale, strawberries,and flowers all share a place in this raised bed.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, lettuce, broccoli, and flowers are happy here in this raised bed.

These lettuce plants have been feeding us for three weeks

The strawberries are ripening faster than we can eat them.

Lettuce, bush beans, a self sown tomato plant, and self sown onions are sharing the recycled tire.

This is the first time I have had broccoli grow to harvest stage. In the past it was puny and did not form heads. The kale is producing almost faster than we can use it.

Almost ready to harvest

Well earned R&R coming up

A few more photos to hold you until I return from a few days sitting beside Bank's Lakes WA. I really need a few days of rest as I feel worn out, and who knows how I will feel after my first ever visit to a chiropractor this morning. I have had a couple of falls within the last couple of years and since then have had pain in my left leg. Exrays have shown no bone damage, but as I fell backwards and both times came down on my behind, I am thinking perhaps I have a pinched nerve.Well we will see, if nothing else the good company of friends, a glass or two, or perhaps three and doing nothing unless I have too will be enjoyed to the fullest.

The two ripe beauties did not make it outside the garden fence yummy!

Scarlet runner beans

A PVC pipe about a foot long, with holes drilled along bottom edge, and sunk in the raised beds.
A easy way to compost, as the worms enter through the holes, consume the veggie scraps which have been place inside the pipe, and distribute the goodness throughout the raised bed.

So many blueberries to look forward to

I like to plant flowers with the veggies in the raised beds, also add flowers in pots here and there.

The straw is doing a good job of keeping weeds at bay and conserving moisture.

A few pot brightening up a corner.

Better late than never

Sorry I have not been posting lately, but I have had a rather busy schedule. Yesterday I spent a lot of time in the veggie garden,and this year I couldn't be more pleased with the growth. We have had a very wet Spring so the plants have responded well, I also have experimented with adding new amendments to the soil in the raised beds.

Through the garden fence

Kale and cabbage in the rear, scarlet runner beans on the left

bush beans

Best lettuce I have ever grown

strawberries ripening

The tomatoes have flowers. This one is Early girl

Bath time

I love this time of year

The front garden is starting to look pretty now the tulips are beginning to bloom. There is work needed to be done in this garden, but it can wait a day or two, until the vegetable garden is finished.

Spring is here, and I have the fever.

Today it was a wonderful balmy 65 degrees outdoors, so I spent most of the day getting the raised beds in the vegetable garden ready for planting. There were also a lot of small weeds growing in the gravel between the beds, so they had to be pulled.

I am tired, and have sore muscles, but oh! so pleased at how much I accomplished today.

 

 The strawberries are in bloom, I sure hope they produce like they did last year.

The first of the veggie starts are planted.

A row of kale and one of broccoli.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Sun shining, patches of blue sky, and it is snowing.

What weird weather we are experiencing this morning. I started off to go to work this morning, but turned around as there was too much snow on the roads I had to drive, the last thing I needed to do, was get stuck on one of the unpaved, narrow, hilly roads I had to drive this morning. I know by this afternoon the snow will be gone and I will be able to get out again.

Awww! how cute, unless...

it is eating your favorite plants.