We’ve had three days of really nice weather—dry and not too cold. Time to start peas outside! I like to soak them for a few hours before they go in the ground. So exciting to be planting something for spring.

Three kinds of peas soak for a few hours before going in the ground

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Even on a gray and rainy day, there is beauty in the world.

Little angel sculpture waits patiently for spring

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Went outside the other day in a dry break and was thrilled to see these bluebell sprouts pushing up already. It’s not even technically winter yet and they speak to us of spring.

Green tips of spring flowers getting started early

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It’s gray and rainy in Seattle this week, with more darkness on the way. Let’s think about summer sunshine and tomatoes, just for a bit, shall we?

Orange sungold and red cherry tomatoes from my garden, with their little star-shaped hats I love so much

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In Seattle on a sunny afternoon at this time of year the shadows reach far into the house.

Striped shadows on my glass of milk

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This is the bottom half of our giant cedar tree, estimated to be perhaps 300 years old. There’s about twice as much tree above as is shown. The trunk is four or five feet in diameter. The recent wind has dropped the older leaves onto the lawn, eventually to be raked into mulch. Many, many birds live in its branches. I love our tree.

Discarded leaves beneath a very old cedar tree

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I know that usually these are all called Christmas cactus, but the points on the leaves mean it’s Schlumbergera truncata, or Thanksgiving cactus, and not Schlumbergera bridgesii. I am happy to report it is blooming the proper time, not that I do anything special to it. I have several different colors and they all seem to be liking the indoor weather this year.

Close up of a white Thanksgiving cactus flower with magenta edges

Bonus image!

Thanksgiving cactus with red flowers, with its planty friends

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I live in the Pacific Northwest so it gets kind of cold, with some frost, at least, most years. So that means moving the houseplants inside (ideally on an overcast day) and then finding room for them, which is the hard part. I’m still rearranging. South windows are so great in the winter, especially in Seattle. That low-angled sunshine (when it appears) will come all the way into the room in a few weeks. Outside the window is a peach tree on the right and on the left in back, a huge, ancient cedar tree.

Houseplants and shadows in a quick Seattle sunbreak

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The only name I know for sure is string of pearls for the middle one. Some kind of rosette with pink-gray leaves on the left, and the weirdest one, a cactus with long papery spines that are kind of like fingernails, but very pointy indeed, on the right. We’ll be getting sun in this window all winter.

Some succulents in the afternoon sun

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Just a year ago, took a quick tour of the Cactus House at Volunteer Park Conservatory, in Seattle. I hope they can open again soon. We all miss it so much. Bonus image below!

Pretty little hen-and-chick succulents (not cactus!)

Bonus image:

Stunning accordian-pleated cactus (also a succulent!). When they have more water, they expand.

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Finally we’re getting some warm, sunny weather in Seattle. The tomatoes are loving it!

Early Girl red tomatoes, Sungold orange cherry tomatoes, wax beans, a lemon cucumber,  a green tomato that got knocked off the vine, and some Blue Lake string beans, with some cosmos and a chiminea in the background

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This campground photo from several years ago I offer as a way to remember what the woods feels like. Not this year for us, but maybe next year.

Summertime forest scene with sword ferns in Washington, not far from Mt. Rainier

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