I live in Rogue River, Oregon with my wife Anna and daughter Zia.
Our 5 acre lot has many native geophytes including Erythronium, Triteleia, Brodiaea, Calochortus, and a few others.
We live in USDA and Sunset zones 7. I grow primarily hardy summer dormant bulbs that must fend for themselves in the harsh climate. Living in a semi-rural area, I've also had to cope with the presence of deer, rabbits, tree and ground squirrels, moles, gophers, wild turkeys, and other birds which all play their part in making gardening a challenge here. Our summers, in the 100's (F) are bone dry while winters are dark, cold (4 °F last year), and wet often with little insulating snow cover. Winter of 2014-15 was extremely mild, however, barely dipping below 32F!
My recent interest has been the study of the relationships between pollinators and plants, otherwise known as Anthecology. Not all floral visitors are technically "pollinators" because not all visitors make contact with both anthers and stigma, especially evident in large flowers being visited by small bees or other insects. I like the idea that the bulbs and other plants I grow are useful to local pollinators, giving them a source of pollen or nectar. My recent studies have been observations of which pollinators prefer which types of plants. The variable preferences of pollinators can vary greatly between genera, species, and even cultivars. With the help of volunteer observers around the Pacific NW region, I am going to assimilate all of the data into a book for gardeners or others who love pollinators.
Contact:
enoster [at] hotmail [dot] com
Visit my blog!
The majority of the content here is my photography. My interests in plant ecology all go here.
http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/
Upper Table Rock summit, March 2015