hamamelis at the Seattle Center

Seattle is weird.  The plants have told me this week that it’s spring.  The people have been telling me for a couple weeks that the worst of winter was over, but I didn’t believe them.  Plants, though, don’t lie.  I have daffodils and daylilies poking up, and there are fat buds on many trees and shrubs.

Forgive me for a moment while I get my garden geek on.  The hamamelis is in full flower, and I was just introduced to lonicera fragrantissima while walking around at the Seattle Center today.  When I first scented it I thought it was a daphne.  I was surprised to see this big, rangy shrub instead, and didn’t recognize it as a lonicera until the gardener who happened to be tending the beds told me.

lonicera fragrantissima at the Seattle Center

I had the most delightful time talking to the gardener, too.  I was wandering around while Z was in his acting class, and taking pictures of spring.  He was cleaning up the beds in my favorite corner of the landscaping downtown, and we got to talking while he worked, and I enjoyed the fragrance of the lonicera, and the hummingbirds who were also admirers of the shrub.  He ended up giving me a cutting to try to root.  :-)

Beyond wandering about, Z & I also watched the movie Gandhi, and then went to play board games.  I was surprised by how much he got into Gandhi.  He was asking me questions and clearly really thinking about the themes being presented.  And then we went to game night, and he easily picked up Settlers of Catan, and played quite well for his first time.  My little boy is growing up.  :-)  I’m so proud of him.

It’s been a good day.