I hate daylight savings!

It's true, and if I didn't love the ocean and salmon and clean abundant water, I'd consider moving to Arizona just because of it. I have to admit I don't love this time of year when you have to leave for the day job in the dark and drive home in the dark. This year does offer some tiny bit of solace in that I spent a good deal of time with a trencher and at the electrical panel putting in a proper power line to the greenhouse this year. This weekend I'll install some HID lighting so that I can at least get a few hours of work in when I get home at night basking in the artifical rays of flourescent and burning sodium lamps.

Crocus thomasii in the raised beds at Illahe
Looking great despite the 7 or so inches of rain it has had to endure this month.

I had an amazing visit to the wonderful garden of  Claire Cockroft in Bellevue, Washington. Jane and I took a rain filled drive up and she was a great host for some hours of visiting. I'm so thankful to the elders that are willing to share bits of knowledge and time and plants with the younger set to ensure the collections live on. 

Jane McGary admiring Claire's wonderful curbside rockery, much of it seeded with Ron Ratko's Northwest Native seed treasures.

Claire's nursery is loaded with treasures

And back home Sam is standing guard over the
Crocus collection, he is a marvelous hunter and
After Ginger passed and we went through a few cats
lost to Coyotes, I'm happy to have a good Tom to
Keep control of the rodents.

   

So the daylight is fading ever faster now and the days grow shorter by minutes. 

I do look forward to the holidays, but having to leave in the dark and drive home from the day job in the dark does grow old fast. That doesn't leave much time for enjoying the fall bloomers. 

Thunderstorms and rain, hopefully a little sun this weekend and I'll be out harvesting some of the Saffron. 

Cheers, Mark Akimoff