Wintergreen

Day 322: Just beside my front steps, I cultivate a small patch of wintergreen for no other purpose than to have a small mid-winter treat waiting for me when I'm on my way to the mailbox. The bright red berries of this low groundcover plant ripen in late December, and never do I pick more than two for my snack. They have a natural sweetness which needs no additional sugar, and their refreshing taste is light and fragrant, truly the pick-me-up needed on a gloomy winter afternoon.

Hedge Morning Glory, Convolvulus Sepium

Day 321: The Hedge Morning Glory or Bindweed is described in some field guides as "rampant" or "pernicious." Larger than its cousin, Field Bindweed, it has a more twining habit and "forms hedge-like growths over other vegetation and objects." A single vine may extend up to eight feet. Youngsters of my era loved to gather the deep white cups which, when inverted, look like skirts for the faerie folk.

Hoverfly On Rosy Spiraea

Day 320: Hoverflies (locally referred to as "tiger flies") are a common sight in the alpine areas of western Washington. These bee mimics often suspend in mid-air, going almost nose to nose with hikers travelling through their territory. They are harmless, although the uninitiated frequently panic when coming upon a meadow thick with Rosy Spiraea (Spiraea densiflora, aka Subalpine Spiraea), one of the insects' favorite resting places. Unlike the deerflies and blackflies which are also present in alpine meadows, hoverflies do not bite. If one seems to be standing its ground six inches before your face, just take another step to send it on its way.

All Hope Abandoned

Day 319: It is not going to happen. Despite a week of days in the mid-80s, the nights in the Pacific Northwest have been cooler than usual for the season, and of course this follows an unusually cold and damp spring and early summer. My cherry tomatoes are just now coming into bloom, just now when the threat of first frost is less than a month away. Sweet Million has always been a good producer for me, the wisdom being that cherry tomatoes ripen more quickly than their larger cousins. Early Girls and Beefy Boys are out of the question here at the foot of Mt. Rainier. It wasn't that I failed to get them into the ground in time, no. I put them there, and there they sat, not putting on a single leaf in June. I fertilized and cajoled, but still they sat, unwilling to reach toward the sunless sky. For once, I do not have to say I failed for lack of gardening expertise. This time, I can truthfully blame it on the weather. I'll be fortunate if Sweet Million gives me a Tart Ten for ripening on the counter.

Woodland Skipper, Ochlodes Sylvanoides

Day 318: Never one to pass up a good thing, I headed back over to the new boat ramp at the east end of Riffe Lake today to see if the butterflies were out and about again. They had been numerous three days ago, but three days is a long time in the life of these ephemeral winged creatures. As I walked down the concrete ramp, only a few rose at my feet, but when I reached the bottom and the edge of the water, the Woodland Skippers were simply thick in the air. There were hundreds of them!

The Woodland Skipper is a little thing with a wingspan of an inch or less. They have a peculiar morphology in that the forewings are held at a 45-degree angle to the horizontal hindwings like some strange type of experimental aircraft. Their bodies are stocky, and their antennae seem short by comparison with other butterflies.

Skippers such as these are very common in western Washington, both in urban and rural areas. They are most active in late summer and early autumn, as evidenced today at the boat ramp.

A Canadian Residency

Day 317: I've been putting off photographing Canada Thistles (Cirsium arvense) because...well, because who wants to look at one of Washington's worst invasive weeds? That said, thistles have their own brand of beauty, particularly the huge Scotch thistles which look almost like small artichokes. However, if humans hate thistles, other creatures find them appealing.

I did not realize my Canada thistle was occupied when I shot the image. As usual, I had zoomed in from some distance to make my "close-up." It wasn't until I got the photos into the computer that I realized someone had taken up a Canadian residency, and was hanging around waiting for breakfast.

Love-In-A-Mist, Nigella

Day 316: Love-in-a-mist is a garden favorite which rewards long after its season is through if the gardener picks the unopened seed pods with long stems and hangs them upside-down to dry. The fine leaves will curl around the balloon-like pod creating a lacy effect for dried arrangments. In the bed, the flowers may be white, yellow, pink or even light blue, and are lovely when grown among Centaurea montana. Easy to grow, Nigella can be started indoors to prolong the blooming season.