There’s a wordless tune from some old Native American song from my childhood that sometimes haunts my memories – a one chance encounter humming in a barely whispered Hodge posh of unintelligible lyrics and music from the cracked lips of a sad elderly Pacific Northwest beggar at a farmer’s market. He was there peddling his bleeding heart plants harvested no doubt from the forest floor of a nearby wildlife preserve.
Read MoreFor the last few weeks we’ve been quite proud of the heirloom plants that are growing in upside down containers on our front porch. It seemed like every morning we’d awake to new evidence of their growth and vitality. However, this morning, quite the opposite has occurred. For whatever reason, they are now showing signs of stress and struggle.
Read MoreCertainly all flowers did once grow wild — and all animals, too. There are certain kinds of flowers and animals which men have developed by choosing the kind of thing they wanted and leaving the rest, and so gradually getting such things as the garden rose, the different breeds of dogs, and so on.
Read MoreHere you'll find descriptions of some of the more common wild flowers of the region, and the descriptions and pictures will enable you to know them when you find them. Here are some of my favorite wild flowers in our Pacific Coast states!
Read MoreAs someone who once dyed my then blonde hair pink on a dare, it occurs to me that while I’ve seen Old Man’s Whiskers outside in nature, I’ve never seen a man (old or young) brave enough to sport a pink beard (although I’m sure some have). For a long time, this wildflower of the west and northwest, has been on its way to becoming the passenger pigeon of plant life.
Read MoreUnfortunately, many people today do not know much about berries found in the wild or even in their own backyards. Here are some of my favorites that everyone should be familiar with:
Read More