Let me show it to you!

WARNING: Picture heavy post ahead.

It’s spring in Seattle, and my lovely golden-and-pink-chain tree out front is blooming.

Here’s a close up of some of the pink blossoms.

Now, I had believed that perhaps this tree was a normal conglomeration of some sort. That the golden-chain had been grafted onto the pink chain, or vice versa.

Except…

I’m not sure how much you can tell from this picture. If it looks as though there are BOTH yellow-chain as well as pink blossoms coming from a single branch, you would be correct.

This is not a graft. I’ve seen pictures on the internet with these kinds of tress where the yellow chain takes up about half and the pink takes up the other half.

Nope. This is some sort of LGBTBBQWTF tree. Not gay, not straight, but a little of this mixed in with a little of that.

Kind of appropriate for Capitol Hill in Seattle, wouldn’t you say?

Along with my LGBT tree, there are lots of other plants blooming in my yard currently as well. The azaleas have started their run.

Whoever planned my front yard did a really nice job with the azaleas. One is an early bloomer (the pink one), then the red one blooms, then the last one, the white one, blooms. It means that I’ll have constant flowers in my front yard for most of the spring.

In the backyard, I’ve planted some lettuce, along with herbs.

In the other planter, no current picture available, I have more herbs and some garlic.

Out at the farm, Blaze wants to grow more Oregon grape. It’s a native plant out here. It isn’t actually a grape, but a variety of holly. The leaves are serrated and sharp, like a holly. The grapes grow kind of like regular grapes, starting with bright yellow flowers that turn into deep purple grapes. They can be used (with enough sugar) to make jam.

There are three varieties—some are creepers, some are bushes that only get 2-3′ tall, and others are really tall trees, 6-8′ tall.

There are many spots on Capitol Hill that have Oregon Grape growing as ornamentals. By that, I mean that they aren’t being grown for their grape harvest. Only the critters were eating the grapes.

So last summer, Blaze and I “harvested” some of the grapes, from three different plants on the hill. Then we planted all the grapes.

This year, well, this happened.

I spent last weekend separating out all the seedlings, putting them into their own pots. I believe I ended up with 19 plants. This will make a great hedge out at the farm!

I will leave you with one last picture of the kitty, doing Cat Yoga in the sunshine. Because your day needed it.