Floral Clock

This past week we had our first heavy frost and a dump of snow. Some of our plants weren't ready for this abrupt drop in temperature, so we will lose some of the more tender vegetation.

Now that it's started to snow I am dreaming about ordering seeds and growing flowers. Today I learned that Carl Linnaeus conceived of a floral clock that marked the passing of time based on the behavior of the flowers at certain times on the day.

I am researching a project that my partner and I plan to work on that is about ecological time, so I was thrilled to see that a local Vancouver group of artists is working on a version of a flower clock that would work in Vancouver's zone. Proximity Arts has created a Wikipedia page on their project. I love it! I'd like to create a version of this clock using bee garden flowers.

Are you starting a wish list for your garden next year?

In my local library, we had a chat about this very topic and one person said she is going to grow ground cherries. Another said he will grow tomatilloes. I know I am going to try for some pumpkins and gourds next year and I am curious to try for the chayote squash that my neighbors are so good at growing. First I've got to taste one, though! What will you grow next year?

Come Tell the Bees: A Shrine for Our Ancestors

Marriage, birth or burying,
News across the seas,
All your sad or merrying,
You must tell the bees.

For several weeks our creativity circle has been working on a shrine for All Souls at Mountainview cemetery. We made a lantern in the shape of a bee skep made of handmade paper. We installed the lantern Saturday afternoon and spent the evening at the shrine inviting people to make messages that would be carried by the bees. We had some very meaningful conversations and what I liked was that people left messages about births as well as messages for their loved ones who have passed on.