Author Archive
Peeping Hostas…
April 29th, 2012 | 
Author: I love new beginnings… Weddings, moving, first babies, a new job, a fresh start. We have this opportunity every spring, every year. A chance to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. There are so many perennials that give us this great pleasure of new beginnings. Hostas, tulips, iris, gladiolas, creeping jenny, clugsfoot (yes, a bad name for a really cool plant), black eyed susans, alium, peonies, and more. The list is long and so wonderful. Take time today to see what is coming up in your garden. Here are some hostsas that are more than peeping out of the ground. Soon we will enjoy them for the entire summer. They have such a beautiful leaf – just remember to put some slug bait around their base, if you can. Enjoy the continuation of a stunning Spring!
Hostas, creeping jenny and some Sweet Woodruff
The beginnings of the Hosta
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings | 
Tags: hosta, new beginnings in spring, spring, spring gardens, sweet woodruff | 
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Leaping from winter to spring – the Hellebore
Even though spring arrives this week, it has certainly felt more like winter over the last ten days. As we transition into a new season, let’s reflect on some of the winter show-offs. We are quite fortunate to have a plethera of winter blooming plants in the Pacific Northwest. Perennials ranging from the hellebore to sarcacocca to the every popular pansy can be seen across the region. Those plants that live in full southern exposure do the best in the winter. Pansies fair better in the sunny spots for sure, but sarcacocca do quite well in a shady winter garden. Other winter blooming wonders that I see regularly on my walking routes are rosemary, witch hazel, euphorbia and the holly tree. On a rare occasion, I catch a glance of the crab apple tree, especially beautiful with white winter lights draped throughout. Above all, my favorite is the Hellebore. The blooms on this perennial are best seen by flopping over the stem to closely examine the detail underneath. A quiet beauty indeed, the hellebore always amazes me. Look for some in your garden or neighborhood this week or browse the plant selection at Molbaks – www.molbaks.com. These perennials will hang onto their blooms well into spring…
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- Pink spotted hellebore
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- Hellebore – a winter wonder
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: hellebore, pink spotted hellebore, winter blooming plants, winter garden, winter perennials |
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Winter dreaming – Summer gardens
My newest discovery for inspiration is Pinterest. This website has become a place where I can catalogue my current projects, garden dreams and other people’s wonderful visions too. If you have not discovered this site, you must check it out, at www.pinterest.com. You can search for me (Kim Richards), and follow one or all of my boards. But, if nothing else, do a simple search for garden design or vegetable display. You will be overwhelmed with delight…
While you are dreaming of your summer garden plans, here’s one to enjoy. This is a shoot of a backyard on Mercer Island. A friend has created the most amazing oasis in their back yard. This bathtub is a fish pond, water lily garden and fountain. I was so taken by it! Happy winter dreaming!
Garden Oasis in Vintage Bathtub
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: lily garden, summer gardens, water pond, winter dreaming |
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Giving Thanks…
Where has the time gone? It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is less than a week away. The To Do list continues growing, and the idea that Christmas is not far behind seems daunting at best. As I prepare to spend time with family and friends in the coming days and weeks, I am quietly reminded of the power of gratitude. There is a post-it at my desk that brings it all home…
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough. It turns chaos to order.
It makes sense of our past, and brings peace for today. Gratitude turns a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
It changes confusion into clarity and brings a vision for tomorrow. Gratitude turns a meal into a feast.
I am so thankful for you, my readers. I am also grateful for great friends, good neighbors, people in my life who really care about my well-being, wonderful family and a comfortable place to call home. I trust that gratitude will show up at your door over the next few days. May it bring you clarity, comfort and an opportunity to breathe out and just enjoy what’s in front of you in that moment.
Cheers! Chien, Chien! Salute!
The best cocktail ever, the "French 75"
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: French 75 cocktail, Giving Thanks, Gratitude, Thanksgiving |
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Last of the Summer Show-offs
We are in the last days of summer. Yes, it is certainly hard to believe. For me, the early nights and nip in the air are not that easy to adjust to… As we close our summer chapter, let’s take a moment to review some blooms that are considered Show-Offs in the gardening world.
The honeysuckle – a creeping vine that will certainly take over any space you give it, this one has a small but stunning bloom, especially when blue sky is the back drop!
This next ”bloom” is an unknown. Do you know this flower? I saw this wonderful stamin at Molbak’s in Woodinville the other day while browsing with friends. The red petal and the gold stamin are just such a combo. Love it, and had to share! Please reply if you have any clues.
Ah, the dahlia! Here I go talking about the Dahlia again… Yes, this giant white bloom was spotted in a bathtub on Mercer Island. This lone bloom had just been snipped from the mother ship, and was enjoying an afternoon swim. How many kinds and colors of dahlias do you have planted? How many have you seen this summer? I’ve seen dozens. I am amazed at how many grow in our gardens. Well, enjoy these blooms for several more weeks to come. Dahlias do not like the frost, but that won’t be here for awhile.
Enjoy your blooms! Enjoy the fall air! Enjoy the last few days of summer – fall is here on Friday this week!
One bloom, but really there's four!
What a stamin!A large Dahlia bloom floating
A large Dahlia bloom floating
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: blooms, Dahlia, gardens, honeysuckle, summer blooms, summer gardening |
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Dahlias + Persimmons = Good Friends
September and October are two of my favorite months every year. The weather changes, school starts, the nights are cooler. In the northwest, there is always something blooming. As it turns out, this month presents the heights and glories of the Dahlia. There is an endless number of dahlia varieities – small, tall, fat, spiky, round and dinner-plate style. Just this week, I saw a red and white spotted dahlia at the flower market. I don’t grow them in my garden, but do find great joy in admiring them in the neighborhood, and I {love} using them in floral work.
My team, here at Lollie Fleur, is in the heart of wedding season. We have several on the books this month, but we will only be using the Dahlia for one of these weddings – boy, that was a smart bride!!! The featured picture here is of a stunning marriage with hot pink dahlias and green persimmon fruit. I love how these textures play well together… I hope you enjoy them too!
Dahlias and Persimmons present a great look
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: dahlias, florals, persimmons, September weddings, wedding flowers |
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Hostas Gone Mad
Summer is here at last! The lilies are blooming, the Hostas are at their peak and are forming buds, and the crocosmia is already in full bloom. There are so many varieties of Hostas. These pictured below are a variety that don a gigantic chartreuse leaf. I’ve never seen a hosta plant that is this large growing in a garden pot. I maintain these garden pots for a customer of mind; obviously I am doing something right. If you have hostas in your garden pots, you might consider keeping them as the show piece. I’ve under planted this hosta with two varieties of creeping jenny, and then surrounded them with white impatiens. A lovely combo indeed! Enjoy your summer garden pots in the coming weeks. They are at their peak…
Gigantic Chautreuse Hosta LeavesChautreuse leaves show off this garden pot
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: Chautreuse Hosta, crocosmia, garden pots, summer |
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the {family} flower lady
It has been two weeks since my birthday. I spent my special day with friends I adore talking about my favorite things and drinking favorite cocktails. I started my birthday visiting my friend Kim – we walked through her garden and talked about the possibilities for her new vegetable garden and we shared ideas for new garden pots in her smaller garden spaces. She is so excited to see her garden transformed – our visit was such a treat! Then I finished my birthday serving French 75’s to friends who came to the party at my house. In case you don’t know, French 75’s are a cocktail made of good champagne, Hendricks gin, then finished with a lemon twist. My birthday was everything I imagined.
Two days after my special day, a package arrived in the mail. It contained some special treats including a vintage book. This miniature book (pictured below) is called The Flower Guide by Chester Reed. It was published in 1916, and contains detailed information about flowers that grew west of the Rocky Mountains. This tiny book (4 inches wide and two inches tall) was a gift from my great uncle Gordy. He is our family historian. Every time I see him, he has a story or an old picture to share. In this case, the vintage book had been in his archives. He decided to share it with “the family flower lady.” When I discovered this book in the box mailed to me, I cried. This is the first time I’ve been called the “family flower lady.” I hope the name sticks! As far as I am concerned, I will be proud to be called the flower lady for the rest of my life. After all, flowers are one of the great loves in my life.
As I carefully looked through The Flower Guide, I found some irony. At the end of the book, there is a section called “Key to Flowers by Color.” You can see what types of flowers are white and peach and pink. Just after the pink section, there is a short list of “Red as the Conspicuous Flower Color.” Now, who would ever think of a red flower as conspicuous? Perhaps this meant that in 1916, one had to wear red flowers conspicuously. In today’s world, gardeners who love color in their yards will certainly pack a punch with the red flower. Even back then, you could choose from the Coral Honeysuckle or the Cardinal Flower, even the Painted Cup. Have you heard of the Painted Cup flower? There were also flowers called Oswego Tea, Pimpernel and Pitcher Plants. I am not familiar with any of them, but I love that they grew ninety five years ago in this region of our world.
Thank you Gordy for this wonderful gift! The little black book will be cherished in my library for years to come. For you readers, read and enjoy your favorite things today. May that moment be found in a book or in your garden or hanging out with good friends. Cheers!
A 1916 edition of The Flower Guide
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: my favorite things, red flowers, the flower guide |
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leaping greenly spirits of trees
This month I am remembering how much I love spring. I’ve already talked about this most amazing season early this month, and I feel the need to do it again. Each day this April, I have been in awe of the layers and tones and lushness of greens in the trees. This is not something new; it happens every year. Spring and fall are my favorites. It always amazes me how our evergreen trees come alive next to deciduous trees that bud and fill out with each passing day. I decided to really capture the wonder, so here are some blooming tree pics. All the various shades magically bring out the other tones in our landscape.
The trees of green can been seen with the eyes, smelled through the nose, and heard too. Here is a fabulous poem written by a poet who pushed punctuation to a new creative level – you may have hear of him…
i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth
day of life and love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
– e.e. cummings
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: april, e.e. cummings, spirits of trees, spring, spring greens, trees |
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Three {Favs} of Spring
The leafing greenly sway of the willow
Today’s blog is all about my favorites. When it’s spring, you must talk about (or sing) about your favorite things. My three favorites about spring are the season itself, fresh new blooms and bloosoms and the sweet return of wildlife.
Spring, ah the true beginning of spring. I love beginnings, and I love spring. There is nothing like it. Spring and Fall are my favorite two seasons. I cannot say which one is number one and number two; I could never decide. Yesterday was a perfect example of THE perfect Seattle spring day – a cloudy morning and crisp breeze, sunny afternoon, a punch of thunder and hail when the dinner bell rang across the city. Since I could not get out for a walk mid-day, it was hopeless. The sun would quickly change to wind and rain, and sure enough, I was right. Spring weather is insane, a constant season of change.
Beyond loving the season itself, I love the greens of spring. I love the joy of surprise as I see {daily} blooms and blossoms coming on. Whether on a evening walk or sitting at a light, I see SO many wonderful flowers, trees and shrubs budding. Cherry bloosoms, hydrangea buds, daffodils galore, the new greens on a willow tree, primroses. Even creeping jenny {Money Wort} is starting it’s annual creep. There are so many shades of fresh new greens each spring, I nearly burst with excitment. What’s next??? Everyday, a new discovery!
I also very much love the return of wildlife to the parks and marinas and small places in our world here in the Pacific Northwest. I regularly walk through Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. This time of year, the frogs return and a family of ducks bring their babies to hunt for bugs and other nibbles they dig out of the earth. To hear the frog’s ribbit and see the ducks makes my heart go pitter-patter. The best sign of spring indeed!
As a final note… I noticed there is a beautiful new book available. “Wildlife of Juanita Bay” by Aaron Baggenstos shows stunning photography of local fowl. Here is the link to his site, if you’d like to take a peak: http://www.aaronbaggenstos.com. Enjoy your spring! Get out there. Walk, smell, see, and take it all in. We have much to be thankful for…
Posted in Thoughtful Plantings |
Tags: birds, blooms and bloosoms, ducks, Luther Burbank Park, spring, wildlife |
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