Happy Valentine's Day

I love to collect plants with heart shaped leaves so I would like to share theses pictures with you for your enjoyment on this day celebrating matters of the heart.  First, a native vine

Wild Morning Glory (Calystegia purpurata)

Lovely flowers of Wild Morning Glory

Second, California Pipevine (Aristolochia californica)

Third, a cut in half Pink Pearl apple for its vibrant color

And fourth this houseplant I bought from the Botanical Gardern in Phoenix, Arizona many years ago would be a glorious Valentine's Day gift.

Hoya kerrii

Happy Valentine's Day! And may you

JOY and GRATITUDE for Mother Nature's Work

We have had another round of glorious rain, the first since our return from our roadtrip. Pulling weeds is easy! Planting out native grasses is satisfying! Usually in the late Summer I gather seeds from the various native grasses growing here at MuRefuge then plant the seeds in Todd planters. In the last go around of this process all of the Todd planters were filled with seeds and all of them have found their new home in the ground. I did not have enough to complete one of the areas I was restoring . . . but then I noticed many volunteers all along the front swale/path just waiting for a permanent home. Mother Nature has been at work. Why not, I thought, take advantage of her work and transplant the volunteers? The process is a bit more tedious than popping out the cells of the Todd planters yet very satisfying. And I feel much joy and gratitude since Mother Nature is providing me with plants to complete the praire North of the duckhouse.

Idaho fescue volunteer grasses (Festuca idahoensis)

The California pipevines (Aristolochia californica) in abundance here at MuRefuge are starting to put out their leaves while still holding their Winter blooms. 

A late Christmas present/early birthday gift from Dwight now sits among the pipevines.

Recognize the face of this Greenwoman? Dwight used pictures of me from earlier in my life and
sculpted this piece for the pipevine garden. I must admit it is eerie seeing my younger self in clay.
The gorgeous pipevine leaves and the beautiful Pipevine swallowtails are an enjoyment.

As you, too, experience JOY and GRATITUDE for Mother Nature, may you