🌱AYearInThePNWGarden

Can you smell that? It drifts out of nowhere on a January afternoon, an incredible scent you can't quite place. It's coming from tiny flowers on this nondescript shrub, sarcococca. Bring a stem into your home for winter bliss!

I love drawing birds, and we have some sweet ones here in the northwest. Here are some of my favorites! #watercolor #pnw #northwestbirds #birdwatching

A few local fungi! #mushrooms #seattlegarden #fall #illustration

Nuthatches love to nibble on pinecone seeds during the winter months. They’re my favorite little bird; sweet and round, with a lovely song. 🎶🎶

Here are some of my favorite shade plants that flower! The frogs, I have to admit, are both for scale and because I just like drawing frogs. 😊

Where it started How it's going

Fall is a great time to think about making new plants from your favorites! Here are four common ways to propagate plants. #gardening #plants #illustration

I made 4 x 6 sticker sheets of my favorite drawings from the planner so far! They really turned out great (thanks @stickermule!) Planning to use these if/when I do a Kickstarter for the planner, as extra rewards.

If you want cheerful, bright color when the days get dark, get one or two or three beautyberries! They're easy to grow, like full sun to partial shade, and have pretty bronze-colored leaves that make the berry color really pop. #seattlegarden #northwestgarden #fallcolor

Since it’s nearing that time when the flowers are going off to sleep, I thought I’d draw some of my favorite ornamental grasses. What’s your fave? Mine’s the Japanese forest grass because it’s easy and brightens the shady spots with its almost neon green shine.

While there are thousands of fuchsia varieties, the Northwest gardener can think of them in two general groups: those that are hardy in our area and usually come back every year, and those that aren't and are grown as annuals. More about #fuchsias here: facebook.com/ayearinthepnwga…

It’s almost time to plant bulbs! There are a ton of allium varieties for the garden, including the ones pictured here, AND onions and garlic. There are even PNW native alliums. If you can only plant one, I recommend the giant “Globemaster” variety for a stunning pop of purple!

I got hung up on dragonflies for a couple of days. They’re really delightful little things. And so many cool varieties! There are skimmers and gliders and meadowhawks and pondhawks and of course darners, because they are the devil’s darning needle!

Easy to grow, tough to kill, and colorful all year long. You can prune it if you like, or just let it do its thing, and it's one of the few plants that deer don't nibble. It's almost the perfect northwest garden plant. #seattlegarden #northwestgarden #nandina #gardenplants

They always get the ripe strawberries before me! 😪 #gardenplanner #illustration #squirrel #furrythief

Some dahlias for the August planner section. What’s your fave? Mine is the cactus dahlia (and so much easier to draw than those perfect fussy ones!).

A familiar little face! For folks who love a perfect lawn they're the enemy but bees and butterflies love them. 🐝🦋 If you want to come along as I explore, draw and learn about more friendly garden plants: facebook.com/ayearinthepnwga… or the link in my profile. 🌱🌸🌞

And we have a website! And maybe, a cover! You can see it here: ayearinthepnwgarden.com/

Do you have a favorite? I know I do, but would love others' thoughts! 😚

Look what we have here! Not final art, but…what do you think? I think I need to add some little puffy clouds in the sky. 🌥 #dayplanner #gardening #pacificnorthwest #seattlegardens