Many plants in the garden look dead or dormant . I like to think of them as sleeping. The first tree is a paper birch. Notice the white bark and how it flakes off the tree. The second tree is an alder. It has small cone like structures. Neither tree has started budding. Most of the plants are native to this area. They survive wet periods and dry periods. Spring comes early in the NW. I look for signs of change in the buds and plants.
the water garden is more than a natural garden. It is set at Portlands art magnet school Davinci arts. Today it was raining but that did not hinder the ceramics class from firing their latest pieces out side in the garden. the technique is calleds raku. It results in a metalic coloring on the glaze. This is accomplished by heating the ceramic s and then placing them into newspaper , causing a fire and then reducing the oxygen. Check out these films .
Its been some time since I photographed the water garden. It has been a very cool and wet winter in Portland. All plants and animals are at least 3-4 weeks behind schedule. Today Jason and a parent volunteer zapped the fish to get an idea what was in the pond. The shock didn't hurt the fish but allowed easy capture and release. Last summer I placed 6 catfish and one Crappie. Today we recovered 5 of the catfish and the Crappie had nearly doubled his size. Check out these pictures they are cool.
* All Fleck and Autotrol Valves fit "standard" tanks ( which all tanks are standard unless you own a Culligan or Sears water softener ). water filter
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