Spring is in full swing here in North Seattle. Thousands of seedlings are popping up in my native nursery pots, and flowers and leaves are springing out in the native garden.
More than two dozen western columbine seedlings that germinated last year and wintered over are waiting for their next steps. These plants grow very slowly for me, so I am adding some organic fertilizer to the pots hoping to get them to transplant size in the next six weeks.The large-leaved avens that wintered over are all destined for my native plant garden. They will go in this weekend.I am so excited to see Oregon grape seedlings popping up–such a great native shrub. Lupinus rivularis are germinating now. My main plant passed on last year so I am excited to add a few more to the native plant garden and share with neighbors.Iris tenax has proven successful in my native plant garden, so I am excited to add a bunch more. These seeds were planted last spring; others that were planted in the autumn are also germinating.Yikes! A thousand fringecup babies germinating in a yogurt cup! I love these natives! More fringecups here–there are several cups full!Oregon sunshine seeds are consistent germinators for me and they grow on pretty quickly–these will be ready to transplant to the garden by autumn.Yarrow should be so easy to grow! I have grown the garden cultivars easily before, but the native white version has been a challenge. It appears these will succeed this year, though, as several pots have healthy seedlings.These seep monkey flowers were outside all winter and had already germinated when we had that coldest week down in the low 20s. They took it all in stride and look especially great right now. I will prick them out in little clumps to Leon’s koi pond soon.Large-leaved avens from seeds collected in my native plant garden. I have a slight fetish for these hardy perennials. They are robust, the leaves are lovely, the flowers charming, and the seed heads impossibly photogenic
Along with the seed starting, I took cuttings of Douglas asters yesterday and potted them up. This is the perfect time. My original large clumps continue to spread. The stolons towards the outside of the clumps are easy to pull with healthy roots, almost more of a division than a cutting. I also harvested seeds from my clumps last autumn. Those seeds have just started germinating.
The native plants in the garden have been putting on a subtle show over the last month.
Salmonberry blooms just opening this weekend.My Oregon grape has so many flowers this year! I am hopeful some pollinators find them and make a million “grapes” this year!It was interesting to see some reddish tints on some of the Oregon grape flowers.My osoberry put on a real show this year. I need to get a male plant so I can get some fruit/seeds. I believe my plant is a female.
I am so excited this spring with all the birds that have visited our little yard in North Seattle. I continue to plant for them, and they continue to come! Best of all, several species are nesting in our yard, including the following:
A dark-eyed junco pair is nesting in the native plant garden on the ground near the path. I saw them constructing the nest yesterday.A pair of Bewick’s wrens are nesting in the box in front of our living room window. We saw them busily adding nest materials for about a week. All has been quiet for a while, so I imagine incubation has begun.Leon was having a sing-off with the male wren, with the wren singing a beautiful song and Leon trying to imitate it, and the wren coming right back with a corrected version. The bird was only about six feet from us.Leon found a nice nest box in the shed, and I hung it out in the orchard garden. I saw a nuthatch around it several times–I am hopeful they are nesting in there. This one was scouring the Douglas fir trunk yesterday and was too much of a busy-body to notice me and my camera.The queen of the yard birds, Half Beak, the crow we have been feeding for more than twelve years. She typically nests nearby, often in our Douglas fir tree. I heard mating noises yesterday so I expect maybe eggs will be laid soon.A couple of song sparrows have been spending time in the orchard garden–they love all the branch piles and twigs. I have not seen any nests, but am hopeful.
Other birds might be nesting in the yard, as well–I will work to find out and get good photos in the coming weeks. My plan is to really get some good photos of the insects that are coming to the yard, too.
