Wednesday Vignette

Okay, not really vignettes,  just things that made me smile.  First, one more reason to love the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival, this sign:

I don't know how one would be able to walk around balancing camera, purchases, and a drink but it's nice to know the option exists.

Second is this license plate seen while driving home in the snow.  I was sorely tempted to follow the vehicle to see the garden but thought the driver might not appreciate that.

Thanks to Anna at Flutter and Hum for hosting Wednesday Vignette!  Click here to see what's caught the eye of  other participating bloggers.  Can you believe that today is the last day of February?  Hooray!

Winter Walk-Off 2018

Every year at this time, Les at A Tidewater Gardener hosts "Winter Walk-Off."  We are challenged to walk, camera in hand, and capture what we've seen.  One can drive to his/her walking location but I chose to set off on foot from my front door.  Join me for a little saunter through the hood.

My neighbor, Katherine's hellebores.

Pieris japonica in the same garden. 

Can't decide what color to paint your house?  Why choose just one? 

This one is for sale.  See the listing here.

Thank goodness our deep freeze is over for this winter (hopefully!)

There are a lot of houses in this post.  I love old homes!

Nice to know that other people also have pot ghettos!

This moss lawn peppered with crocus stopped me in my tracks.  

 I always enjoy walking by this lovely and well-kept front garden.  It's beautiful even in the winter!

Looking down from the sidewalk at my pal, Florence's garden. 

No royalty invited me in for tea...

The following crime  scenes may not be suitable for the faint of heart.  Obviously, one is not meant to enter here.

Trees which have been pollarded for many years.  There are no power lines overhead.

The sign says it all!

Interesting fence.

Mystery shrub in bloom.  Any guesses?

21 more days until spring!

In A Vase (?) on Monday - Laughing At Winter

You may remember from an earlier post that this happy woman came home with me from the Tacoma Home and Garden Show Vintage Market.

Her long neck begged for dangly earrings.  Fortunately, there is a collection of costume jewelry in the glass studio/craft room in the basement and on Saturday, I found a few bits that will work.   I've named her Tammy after my blogging pal, the author of Casa Mariposa.

Both Tammys have an infectious, sometimes mischievous, spirit of fun. 

(Photo from Tammy's blog, used with permission.)

Tammy (the mannequin, not the blogger) will eventually find a place in my greenhouse but until then, she's hanging out inside. I kept looking at her and thinking that she needed to wear something a bit different for a while so she's wearing my offering for In a Vase on Monday, an addictive meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.  Click here to see what other bloggers have put together today.

Our recent cold snap did some damage to some plants in my garden, others simply laughed at the cold and kept going.

Hellebores were lying flat on the ground but now that the weather has warmed, they're perking back up again.  Stachyurus praecox never skipped a beat.

A few camellias got a little nipped; others acted like they hadn't noticed temperatures in the low 20's (-6 c)

Hey there bud!

I cheated and brought these primroses up on the back porch for a little protection.  Their friends that stayed outside are still looking unhappy.

Tammy's floral display didn't stay on her very long before they needed to be floated in a bowl of water.

So there she is with her floral jewels laughing at the cold.   I hope you're equally happy today.

The Two Words Every School Kid Lives For: SNOW DAY!

Teachers, on the other hand, much prefer the words "late start" which the automated phone message announced at five a.m.  We'd much rather be at work when it's too miserable to garden outside than on a sunny day in July.  (Missed days must be made up.)  However, as time progressed and it seemed as if road conditions wouldn't improve,  school was canceled altogether yesterday. 

Many of  us who live in this region  like to put pumpkin spice everything, eggnog, hot spiced cider, mulled wine and snow away when we drag out the Valentine's Day decorations so this late February freeze isn't particularly welcome.  Oh well, might as well take a little stroll through the snowy garden at dawn before spending a lazy day at home.

It's always winter in this stained glass panel created by my pal Florence. 

Frigid temperatures and ice-covered roads are an uncommon occurrence here so sand trucks and snow plows are equally scarce, 

One doesn't often see a snow-covered parakeet.

 Buddha doesn't seem amused in the least.

Stoic Camellia japonica.  Don't know if it doesn't mind or if it's just frozen.

Until the recent polar blast, it looked as if this Tetrapanax might just bloom; not so much anymore.

Someone has quite a dandruff problem. 

The sun's rising.  Time to go inside where it's warm and bask in the sun streaming through the windows.