So long, farewell...

The last you heard was about snowdrops and the last plantings in the reservoir. The last few weeks of work were slow. Massive planting and plant prep were done, so it was back to shuffling plants around the can yard, pot washing and weeding. All lacking in the glory department, but still necessary. And if you got bored you could take a stroll through the green house to look at these beauties. 

 Top: Indian plum looking lush. Above: Baldhip rose (a mutant with three cotyledons instead of two). Right: Black cottonwood, which smells faintly sweet and wild. Surely as more of it opens up to smell will compound.

The bigleaf maples have been taking off everywhere you look (top). They are beautiful hardy looking little sprouts. The red flowering currant in two forms; to the left it is nearly in bloom on many of the cuttings. Above the stems of the seedlings are reddening, as though to thoroughly justify the 'red' part of its name.
Some of the twinberry cuttings (lower left) have also been sending out the beginnings of flowers, and the slender sitka willow cuttings below have begun shooting out catkins which look enormous and a bit ridiculous on such small plants.

 To the left one can see the very obvious greening over of all the cuttings. Somehow all those sticks we gathered have turned into this magnificent display of life.
And still the sowing continues, a little here and a little there. The last count I heard was 80,000, including the cuttings. Oh geez.

 Dave was kind enough to give me some plants from his private nursery. So I planted them around the house, hopefully the landlord won't mind. I added some salal (in a place where it would be contained considering its tendency to spread wildly), red flowering currants, columbine, fleabane and a few other odds and ends. It'll add character to the place.

 And that was it. I'm done, and have moved back to Bellingham for the time being.

We had a little farewell potluck, for which I made carrot cake (again, its so damn delicious!) and Leonie made delightful pretzels. I neglected to take any pictures so you'll have to make do with me frosting cupcakes.

 Leonie and I went out to breakfast the last morning I was in town and ended up with this marvelous spread. The cinnamon rolls were perfect.

Its strange how forlorn an empty room can look, or how daunting a stuffed truck. Although I don't generally name my appliances or plants, I feel that after four hours of getting elbowed my fern needs a name.In Bellingham we managed to get all our things organized in such a way that all my crap fits in, if in a slightly cluttered way.

 With this, one short chapter has ended and I am a little more learned, a little more prepared and a little richer in my friend bank. Maybe I'll go back when the flowers are blooming.