Polar Bears in Disguise

Snow? Ice? Who cares!

Happy Solstice! Happy Winter!

 Celebrate the Solstice and the coming warmth of longer days.  

Celebrate the Winter and the serene beauty it provides.

Whatever you choose to celebrate, best wishes for peace, joy, and good health!

Solstice Countdown . . . 1!

autumn shadows

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 2!

Brassica oleracea

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 3!

Hibiscus sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 4!

mushroom, unknown

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 5!

Hosta sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Sostice Countdown . . . 6!

Paeonia lactiflora

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 7!

Allium sp.

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 8!

Iris germanica & Tradescantia x andersoniana

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown . . . 9!

Pulsatilla vulgaris

 Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Solstice Countdown. . .10!

Those of us  who are avid gardeners and living in the Northern Hemisphere can't wait for the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Then the days will begin to lengthen and we can look forward to the gardening season once again. Whoo-hoo!  This year the solstice occurs on December 22nd, and to celebrate I'm posting a photo-a-day countdown with some of my favorite photographs of 2011.  Enjoy!

Magnolia stellata

Meet . . . Platanus!

 a mature sycamore tree in Denver, Colorado

This plant profile is a bit different because it features a plant that I do not recommend. However, it's a plant that I think is visually intriguing and worthy of closer examination if you happen across one.
Platanus occidentalis, American sycamore, is native to eastern North America. It's found in deep, moist soils - not a characteristic of Colorado's front Range - and is very large, 75 to 100 feet tall with a similar spread - so not great for most residential landscapes, either.  This specimen is located in an irrigated park (32nd Ave and Federal Blvd, Denver) with plenty of room to grow. The texture is irregular and coarse with rangy branching and large leaves.

These trees definitely fall into the "messy" category. There's a mature sycamore in a yard right around the corner from me; I walk by that property all the time and I've noticed the constant litter of twigs (and branches after snow storms).

The beauty of a sycamore is in the amazing bark, which shifts from chunky, grey tessellations on the trunk to large, multicolor, flaky sheets on the lower branches, to smooth creamy-white bark on the upper-branches.

 

love the lichen on the north side of this old tree!

hues of warm browns, greys, and cream

And did I mention the cool fruit? Another sculptural component of Platanus.

Keep your eyes open for sycamore trees and enjoy them when you see them - just don't plant one!

Wordless Wednesday 12.7.2011

 stenciled detail from the ceiling of the historic Waring House at Denver Botanic Gardens

On the Waterfront

view across the lake to the willows

On a recent visit to my local Crown Hill Park, the beautiful light of late autumn inspired a flurry of photos.  Flora, fauna, and the water itself captured my attention. Here are a few of my favorites:

common cattails, Typha latifolia

native milkweed, Asclepias speciosa

Mr. Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus 

tangled cottonwoods, Populus deltoides

happy Mallard pair, year-round residents to our region. Anas platynchos

Remember, you can click on any of my blog photos and see it enlarged on a black background...