The snow has melted and we are green again, at least temporarily. We enjoyed a few clear, warm days this week, and have now returned to gray, drizzly weather. The real truth about living here in the Pacific Northwest:  Weather neither stops us in our tracks nor makes us change our plans!

Today someone’s been busy. Looking out from the house, you can see some empty black pots past the large Western Red Cedar.

Son has been hard at work in this wild area of our fenced land, cutting back native, overgrown red elderberry and salmonberry, Sambucus racemosa and Rubus spectablilis. His intent is to clear another path down to the stream, keeping on top of the horsetails and nettles that thrive in this section.

He asked me to check with a new friend from last year’s master gardening class who runs a native plant nursery, so that we might add plants to this area. This week I came home with six great additions:  three native mock orange plants, Philadelphus lewisii, and three native twinberry honeysuckle plants,  Lonicera involucrata. Today’s planting day!

In addition, Son planted a dozen trillium bulbs or pips I bought at Costco, of all places. We hope they’ll establish themselves in this spot of dappled shade.