Blooms in January

One of the reasons I love living in the Northwest is that you can have interesting things happen in your garden year round. I planted some galanthus bulbs last fall, which are starting to bring life to our front walk. Some hellebores were already in the garden when we bought the house and it's exciting to see them bloom in the middle of winter. Our camellia tree is covered in flower buds that should bloom any day now. The pulmonaria that I got from a friend and didn't expect to bloom this winter is loaded with little pink flowers.

While I appreciate all the beauty in my garden, I can't wait for spring. I can already see mysterious sprouts from perennial bulbs of the past. I've ordered hostas and designed two shade gardens for under our camellia tree and another under a conifer in the backyard. Anytime I have a minute to spare, I open our laptop and browse the web for container planting ideas. My friend, Amy, and I are planning on going to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in February, and I'm sure that event will put me completely over the edge.

How did this happen? I've never been much of a gardener, and frankly, I probably laughed at gardeners as old-fashioned and uncool in the past. All I know is that I love seeing the life that our garden provides whether through plants or the animals and insects that find refuge in our mini-habitat. As I've gotten older, a garden is both a therapeutic exercise in teaching me patience but also helps me relax when the world outside seems chaotic and overwhelming.

2009 is the "Year of the Garden", and I will post lots of pictures of my work and the rewards throughout the year. To get us started, here are a few images of what I love in January:

The Galanthus, or Snowdrop, Flower

Green Hellebore

Another View of the Hellebore


Pulmonaria Doin' Its Thang...

Inside the house, I forced some Paperwhite bulbs.

More Paperwhites

Now let's just hope my dog-child doesn't kill anything...

Don't Rely on Us in an Earthquake

It's been too long since I posted on this blog -- my apologies to our legions of fans. I'm in the middle of my busy season at work since the legislative session started three weeks ago. Ryan is busy saving us all from hordes of zombies in a new computer game and building a beautiful coffee table for our living room (pictures to come). 

Anyway, you may be wondering about the title of this blog post. Well, yesterday morning at 5:30 a.m., Seattle and the region felt a 4.5 scale earthquake. Ryan and I slept right through it. Granted a 4.5 quake isn't a big deal usually, but it's big enough to wake most people up at night. In fact, most of Ryan's coworkers felt the earthquake, but that's probably because they were still up at 5:30 a.m. playing World of Warcraft. 

So if you ever need us in the middle of the night, you are warned about our heavy sleeping. Whatever you do, you need to make more of an impact than a 4.5 scale quake. 

First Post of 2009 (3 weeks late)

A little over a week ago, Ryan's parents came to visit rainy Seattle from snow-infested Syracuse, New York. This was the third year his folks ventured out west to escape from freezing temperatures and to enjoy some relaxation before Ryan's dad (an accountant) becomes entrenched in his busy season. Usually we try to show them a good time with lots of fun touristy and not-so-touristy stops, but this year we did the Seattle Underground Tour, ate a bunch of food, and lounged at the new crib. Check it out!

Patty and Ryan before we head into the underground.

Although you are underground, you are actually at what was street level in the mid to late 1800s.

Old school skylights that illuminate the underground.

Patty and John making their way through the depths of Seattle.

What used to be windows are now bricked over spaces in the wall.

A photo immediately after the Great Seattle Fire of 1889.

The couple against the wall took one of the first tours of the Underground over 40 years ago. Very cool!

The red jacket brigade (not to be confused with the British troops during the Revolutionary War) takes a walk around the neighborhood.

Ryan's parents enjoying some lunch after the Underground Tour.

Why so sleepy, Ry?

John and Patty: Thanks for coming to visit us! We had a great time and hope to see you soon!