Our Evening Walk

There is a lot to be done at Chickadee Gardens right now, but I didn't want to let the week go without at least a quick post. I took my camera along with me on our regular evening walk, a routine we have nightly after dinner if it's not raining. That is taking the kitties out for some fresh air around the garden. I guess technically you could say the kitties take us out for a walk because they dictate where we go. Come along on this odd tour of the garden where I had the task of following Hobbes.

Evening light and Muhlenbergia rigens, our native West Coast deer grass, one of my favorites. The spikes add a lot of interest to the garden this time of year.



Those tripods FM built me that we saw last week are being tested out in the meadow to give some structure.


Along the berm, Rudbeckia hirta and asters add late season color.


Hobbes on one of his catnip stops.


Wicked thorns on Berberis jamesiana.


Unknown but sweet white aster.


Stipa gigangea and Geranium 'Rozeanne' (foreground right) in the evening light.


Isn't the stipa lovely?


Meanwhile, FM has Annie duty. Here he keeps his eye on her in the shrubberies.


Hobbes and his dad.


Annie loves to sit and listen to underground critters. She could stand here for an hour, no kidding. Easy to please, this one. So cute!


I never really look at this shrub up close, but Hobbes decided it was a good pit-stop to sit and smell the air so we were here for a good 5 minutes. I paid attention to it tonight. Baccharis pilularis, coyote bush, an evergreen really cool native shrub. When the sun is out, it is a favorite of pollinators.


Ozothamnus 'Silver Sussex' and its clouds of flowers.


This Crocosmia pottsii is right next to the catnip, so of course we lingered.


Cardoons have been stripped of their dead leaves so that I am left with something sculptural on the horizon.


Fungus under the coyote bush.


I've recently been smitten with Clematis 'Romantika', one of the darkest of the clematis flowers. Here they read as very dark violet, sometimes they actually appear black.


Rhamnus alaternus 'Variegata', another fine evergreen shrub.


The most sincere pumpkin patch in the land with bean towers and fading corn stalks.


Aster ericoides 'First Snow', my favorite of all the asters.


The corn has been harvested, it was a smaller crop this year as it wasn't a very hot summer. Still, it was fun to grow it.


This little one has been singing outside our bedroom window for a while. We really enjoy the frog song.


In the evening light, Tetrapanax papyrifer and the "bones" of Silphium perfoliatum backed by Solidago 'Fireworks' look lovely.

There's my quick, disjointed tour of the garden, courtesy of our cat, Hobbes. It really is one of our great joys in life to, at the end of the day, enjoy a little quality time in the garden with the cats whereby we are forced to focus on them and not the weeds. It's probably the only time we are ever in the garden and not working, so for that alone, we thank Annie and Hobbes.

 That's a wrap for this week at Chickadee Gardens. As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting, we love hearing from you!

Comments

  1. Kitty tours are the best! I miss those I used to take with my Ming and poor Pipig isn't getting any outdoor time during our remodel activity, poor baby. I love the frog pic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, Kris, I hope Pipig survives! Funny how they act like they are melting if they can't get outside... The frogs - we are thrilled to have them!

      Delete
  2. That is an excellent tradition!

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband and I used to do an evening stroll through the garden too but these days are too worn out by the end to do more than sit in the last rays of the sun. Our cats love to follow me into the garden where we play a weird game of hide and seek. They love to jump out at me when I'm completely absorbed in something. Thankfully, I have a strong heart.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, the worn out at the end of the day feeling, we can relate. I would have a heart attack if Annie or Hobbes jumped out at us like that....oh, what a game. Glad you can handle it!

      Delete
  4. I like that muhly too, and we're going to transplant some big clumps into our neighborhood pocket park this fall. Hope it survives the move. That ozothamnus has turned into quite the specimen. What an incredible playground for the "crew" to take their evening walks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh, nice. They're pretty tough, right? (muhly grass). It seems like they are. What a great idea for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. Cool.

      The crew...I like that, Denise. I'll use that one in the future! Cheers.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous2:40 PM PDT

    Everything looks fabulous in the evening light...well, any light really. My strolls usually happen in the morning but I think this evening thing is worth borrowing.
    rickii

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are too kind, my Rickii. The evening thing...it's even better with a glass of wine in hand.

      Delete
  6. What a great way to spend an evening! I bet the kitties are upset on days they can't go outside and visit their catnip and other favorites. Intrigued by the jamesiana - need to come out some time and check on its growth. I can't help it but I love those nasty thorns in fall arrangements. If you ever prune it, let me know, would you please? Also, am deathly envious of your frogs... tried raising some again this year. I could swear I heard one once, but I haven't seen one yet. I'll keep trying... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The kitties ARE upset if they can't get outside...ha ha! Indeed.

      PLEASE come over, Anna! After all the Berberis j. was given to me by you, the least I could do is give you first right of pruning material. Help yourself! Oh, the frogs - we've been hoping to have them since we moved here. Finally they have arrived. Small numbers, but I'll take it! :)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments! I love hearing them, I will approve comments as soon as I can. Yay!

Popular Posts