public art

Rainbow Staircase

12/30/2015 svseekins Leave a comment

Rainbows are pretty, happy, enchanting things…
so its nice to see them as public art around town.

rainbow staircase near Fort & Moss in Victoria BC — photo by SVSeekins

A few on crosswalks.

And now on a staircase… of a church no less.

Each time I see a rainbow its a surprise & delight.

Wouldn’t it be cool it they became common-place?
Life can benefit from more whimsy.
🙂

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garden visits, months 10-12: fall, projects

Beyond Stone Mulch

11/23/2015 svseekins Leave a comment

stone mulch in Gordonhead, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

The home owner wanted a nice looking yard.

He got it.

The stone mulch added that Zen feel.

He also wanted ‘low maintenance’.

Nope.

“Missed that by a mile,” he says.

Unless you’re into daily raking for meditation…
Don’t do it!

overgrown stone rock mulch , , garden Victoria BC Pacific North West — photo by SVSeekins

Why?

Any stray leaf, twig or weed stands out. (Like dust on a black car.)
And the different rock sizes roll into each other during raking & leaf blowing maintenance.

But when it looks good, it really looks good, doesn’t it? So…

stone mulch near University Heights, garden Victoria BC Pacific North West — photo by SVSeekins

If you’re determined to get ‘the look’ and insist on the ‘low maintenance’ too… perhaps the answer is cementing the stones into place.

Yeah, it’s not the same Zen as the first yard, but…

faux stone rock mulch at Denny's bus stop, garden Victoria BC Pacific North West — photo by SVSeekins

There’s no where for weeds to take root…
And the wind will likely take away any stray leaves.
There’s an added benefit of stopping soil compaction when folks walk across the bed (especially around this bus stop)
It also provides a distraction for the kids waiting & waiting….

stone mulch in Langford, garden Victoria BC Pacific Northwest — photo by SVSeekins

Either way, the look of stone mulch is popular in residential and commercial spaces. They can’t all be disappointed..
or can they?

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months 07-09: summer, months 10-12: fall

Alice In Wonderland Mushrooms

10/31/2015 svseekins 2 Comments

orange mushroom toad stool Alice In Wonderland, garden Victoria BC pacific northwest — photo by SVSeekins

The scorched grass of summer morphs into verdant lushness.
The air sparkles.
Leaves tremble.

I’m Alice In Wonderland, admiring a toadstool.

Am I too big?
Or are they too small?
Looking around, I’m disappointed there’s no bottle labelled ‘drink me.’

Still, I’m enchanted.

Anything this beautiful must be magical – – but NO.

Research says this is probably Amanita muscaria. Hallucinogenic, YES. But not in a good way. Bad. Very BAD.

cap of orange mushroom toad stool Alice In Wonderland, garden Victoria BC pacific northwest — photo by SVSeekins

Fungus & mushrooms are a mystery to me. Our rainforest abounds with their fruiting bodies each autumn.
They’re so exotic looking – so tempting.

Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) is mushroom heaven. I went there one September to visit friends & forage chanterelles. We found so many varieties I lost count. And the 2 volumes on Mushroom ID just made me even more nervous about proper recognition.
So many. So similar. So tasty. So deadly.
Too risky.

orange mushrooms toad stool Alice In Wonderland, garden Victoria BC pacific northwest — photo by SVSeekins

Each year the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society host a Wild Mushroom Information Day at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. Perhaps I should be brave this year and give it a try.

Or maybe playing with my camera in the woods is more my style. Hmmm.

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