A Gift and a Walk

I've been reading Chris' blog, Tot Hill Farm Stitches for a couple of years now. This past year Chris' job has involved extensive travelling, but she is still managing to stitch and blog.  She posted her Bent Creek "Liberty" finish recently - that's a OOP kit I have wanted for a couple of years now. Well as luck would have it she had a give-away and I won!  Not only the "Liberty" chart, but two other patriotic stitches and a snowman too.  Wow!  I've got my July stitching set out well in advance thanks to Chris' kindness. Many thanks Chris - I love them all! (And more amazing, as large as my stash is, I didn't have any of these charts!)             

It's Wednesday and there's lots to see in this Green World.

Let's take a walk. Today we'll focus on trees, shrubs, and ferns.

Our poor Madrone (upper left) still look rough and ragged from the cold harsh winter two years ago.  As some trees did not survive, I am thankful that ours appear to be on the road to recovery. Some things continue to thrive no matter what the weather - Hawthornes, the grasses, Sword Ferns, and Hazel brush included. 

The young Douglas Fir trees are now sporting bright green new growth. On some trees the new growth is soft and fuzzy and begs to be touched and 'petted'.

The ubiquitous Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is popping up everywhere! 

The Western Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is about done blooming. 

When I too this photo I was sure I'd remember what I thought the shrub / tree was.  Guess what?  I don't! 

I keep saying I need some signs on the plants so that I can remember!

The last couple of weeks the Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana) along the Big Creek have been crazy-glorious.  The trees are tall - maybe 30 feet. 

There is an impressive stand of them.

What's not to love about the dangling white blooms? 

The new green leaves of the Oregon White Oaks (Quercus garryana) are worth waiting for; and a sign that it is time to plant the garden!

Our Pacific Dogwoods (Cornus nuttallii) are kinda' scraggly as they fight the Douglas Fir for daylight.

Still the blooms are lovely.

The Redstem Ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus) has been in bloom since the first of the month.  

Each branch has several white sprays of flowers.

It is interesting just how many shrubs and trees have white blossoms.

Here's a humble native - Salal (Gaultheria shallon). In the woods of the Coast Range it is considered a pest as it thrives there and forms dense impenetrable thickets. I like it and bought a plant from Willamette Wildings a couple of weeks ago for my native plant flowerbed.  As the deer don't like it, it will form a nice sized bush and the berries are good food for birds and other critters. 

Spring brings the return of some of the oldest plants on the planet.  The Horsetails.  This is a stand of Scouring Rush Horsetails (Equisetum hyemale). I like the geometry of the plants - vertical and horizontal.

Here's a fertile and unfertile Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense). 

The Corn Lilies (Veratrum californicum) continue to grow apace in the deep wet shade.

The Douglas Spiraea (Spiraea douglasii) still sport last summer's dried bloom stalks and give us a hint of what is yet to come!

I hope you enjoyed today's amble outside.