The Garden Hermit

@gardenhermit

Collector of obscure and useless information, teacher, gardener, single, childless cat lady, crocheter (aka hooker.) Working on restoring the environment on my little piece of the planet and helping refugees and immigrants.

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The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· 28d

My refuge on a hot afternoon. #BloomScrolling #OutdoorLiving #TuxedoCats

Two tuxedo cats relax on a flower-filled deck on a sunny summer afternoon. One cat lies sprawled across a weathered wooden table, paws dangling over the edge and belly exposed in a posture of complete relaxation. A second cat stands below, looking up toward the lounging cat. The deck is crowded with colorful container gardens, including bright red geraniums, petunias, and hanging baskets. Painted Adirondack chairs with patterned cushions sit among the plants, while a dark evergreen forest forms a shaded backdrop beyond the railing. A cardboard box for a flat pack Adirondack footrest rests on the deck in the foreground, but I'm not dealing with it today. It's raw wood and needs to be finished.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· 29d

Saturday night Bruno spotted a bug in my bedside lamp and knocked over my water glass onto my charging hub. The hub is toast.

Close-up portrait of a tuxedo cat lounging on someone's lap indoors. The cat gazes directly at the camera with half-lidded green eyes and an expression that suggests calm judgment or mild skepticism.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· 29d

Your moment of #Zen Bath time for Robin #Birds #BirdWatching #Pond #BloomScrolling #GardeningForWildlife

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· 29d

Sylvie went to the vet for her checkup, and we discovered a new use for a long, stretchy skirt. The vet and the tech laughed when I lifted a bundle of my skirt onto the exam table. I don't care if my underwear showed. 😂 #TuxedoCats #CatsOfBluesky #Veterinarian

A cat-shaped lump is completely enveloped in a blue stretchy skirt in the lap of a human sitting cross-legged on the floor. The corner of a blue carrier is visible on the left.

A tuxedo cat sits upright on the arm of a weathered pale-blue Adirondack chair on a wooden deck. She is alert and looking directly toward the camera with bright green eyes and a white blaze down her nose. Behind her, potted geraniums and other flowering plants line a white railing, while tall evergreen trees create a dark green forest backdrop.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 12

Your moment of #Zen Douglas Squirrel #Squirrel #Waterfall #Pond #GardeningForWildlife

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 11

This was in a bonsai pot given to me. It's azurite and malachite and possibly came from an old copper mine west of here. #Rocks #RockHound #Minerals #Geology #Crystals

A hand holds a rough mineral specimen covered in vivid cobalt-blue crystalline crusts and patches of emerald-green mineralization. The bright blue azurite forms velvety, botryoidal masses across a brown rocky matrix, while smaller green malachite patches fill cracks and edges. Sunlight catches the textured surface, making the intense blue stand out dramatically against the earthy host rock.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 11

Six female or juvenile red crossbills at my pond. The flock includes at least three males, and they settled in about two weeks ago. Crossbills are notoriously nomadic, so it's interesting they've tarried so long. #Birds #BirdWatching #Pond #Habitat

Six red crossbills gather at the edge of a small garden pond surrounded by dark rocks. One bird stands upright on a central rock with its head raised, while the others cluster below it, drinking or foraging along the water's edge. Their olive-yellow plumage blends with the mossy greens and shadows of the surrounding plants, while dappled sunlight highlights portions of the rocks and water. A bright green aquatic leaf rises from the pond in the foreground, and a tiny pink flower peeks out from the foliage behind the birds.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 11

Tiger Swallowtail on Calibrachoa #Butterfly #BloomScrolling #GardeningForWildlife

A western tiger swallowtail butterfly perches on a cluster of peach-orange calibrachoa flowers, feeding with its proboscis extended into a bloom. The butterfly's pale yellow wings are marked with bold black stripes and delicate blue and orange spots near the tails. Warm evening sunlight illuminates the flowers and highlights the intricate wing patterns, while dark green foliage in the background provides contrast, making the butterfly stand out vividly.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 9

@bretttam.bsky.social asked where I keep my coins since my wallet has a useless coin pocket. I use a change purse that belonged to my grandfather. I realized it's pushing 100 years old. 😲 #Heirlooms #Antiques

A small vintage tan leather coin purse rests on gray composite deck surface. The purse has a rectangular metal frame hidden beneath worn, softly creased leather with a triangular snap-tab closure across the front.

In the open view, the purse expands into a deep compartment of aged suede-like leather, holding a few coins. The metal frame shows a dark patina from age and use. Despite decades of wear, the purse appears sturdy and functional, with a well-loved, heirloom quality.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 9

This one does have the slots oriented into the fold.

Inside of a wallet showing the card slots.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 9

After more than two decades, I'm going to have to learn how to live with a new wallet. My old one is coming apart. 😕 I doubt the new one will last that long. It's pretty, though. I just wish it didn't have a useless coin pocket that just adds a superfluous zipper. #Habit

Two wallets rest side by side on a light purple ribbed placemat. On the left is a well-worn black leather wallet with a flap and silver buckle closure, its softened leather showing decades of use. On the right is a newer wallet decorated with an intricate mandala-like pattern in blues, teals, purples, and hints of red and gold.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 9

Screaming into the void. #TuxedoCats #CatsOfBluesky

A tuxedo cat sits upright on the arm of a weathered blue Adirondack-style chair on a wooden deck, caught mid-yawn with her mouth stretched wide open, showing teeth, black-mottled palate, and pink tongue. Behind her are numerous flowering potted plants and a backdrop of dark evergreen trees. A second tuxedo cat sleeps curled up on the colorful cushions of the chair below.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 9

Jasper had his checkup today. I got out the carrier and went upstairs to change. When I came down, Jasper had already packed himself up. No doubt he felt betrayed when I shut the door and carried him to the car. 😂 #GingerCats #OrangeCats #Veterinarian

Ginger tabby cat sitting calmly inside an open gray plastic pet carrier labeled "PET TAXI." The cat faces the camera with wide, curious eyes and relaxed ears while resting on a gray pad patterned with small bones. The carrier sits on a colorful storage ottoman decorated with vintage license plate graphics, with a kitchen visible in the background.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 8

I'm reasonably sure this is a dog. 😂 #Dogs #Awkward

A tan-and-white dog sleeps upside down inside a covered pet bed, folded into an improbable tangle of legs. Her head is tucked down into the bedding, with only the corner of her mouth visible near a red rubber toy, while all four paws point in different directions. The dog appears to be occupying the bed in a manner that ignores both anatomy and common sense.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 8

Bumblebee on a globe amaranth flower. #BloomScrolling #Bees #Garden

Close-up photograph of a fuzzy bumble bee clinging to a vivid magenta globe amaranth (gomphrena) flower. The bright flower fills most of the frame, contrasting with the bee's black-and-cream hairs. The background is softly blurred in shades of green and gold.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 6

Bruno had his follow-up and his eye is all healed. Now he's passed out on my lap from the gabapentin. Meanwhile, when we got home, my temporary crown popped off. My dentist won't be in the office until tomorrow. I'm going to sit here supporting my cat and reading #Discworld. #TuxedoCats #Dentist

Bruno, a large tuxedo cat, sleeps sprawled across my lap atop a gray crash pillow. His white paws are tucked under his chin in complete relaxation. Beside him rests a well-worn paperback copy of Jingo, its creased spine and softened pages showing extensive use.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 6

Your moment of #Zen Little brown bat #Bats #GardeningForWildlife #Pond

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 6

Your moment of #Zen #Birds #BirdWatching #GardeningForWildlife #Pond #Waterfall

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 6

I woke up this morning deep into #PTSD. I was feeling angry and vicious and I wanted to destroy a piece of junk furniture with a lump hammer, but I don't have a suitable piece. So, I took it out on this pieris japonica. I think it came out well. I'm showered and cool now. #CPTSD #Garden #Therapy

A mature pieris japonica fills most of the frame, growing in a mulched bed beside a lawn. The shrub forms a dense, rounded mass of glossy dark-green foliage with little visible interior structure. Sunlight strikes the outer leaves while the center appears heavily shaded. A few pale dead branches and twiggy growth are partially visible deep inside the canopy, but most of the plant's trunks and branch framework are obscured by the thick foliage, and the dense canopy casts a broad, dark shadow onto the mulch below.

The same pieris japonica after selective pruning. The overall size and shape remain largely intact, but the interior is noticeably more open. Several trunks and major branches are now visible through gaps in the foliage, creating a layered, airy appearance. Deadwood and inward-growing branches have been removed, allowing sunlight to penetrate deeper into the shrub. The shadow beneath the plant is lighter and more dappled, with patches of sun reaching the mulch. The plant retains a full, healthy outline while revealing its underlying structure and creating open space beneath and within the canopy.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 5

Firefly Petunia Firefly Petunias are genetically engineered petunias that glow faintly green in the dark using bioluminescence genes borrowed from glowing mushrooms. No artificial light was used for this photo. #BloomScrolling #Bioluminescence

A cluster of white petunias glows softly in the darkness. Bright green bioluminescent light shines from the throats and bases of many flowers, creating scattered points of emerald light throughout the plant. The petals themselves remain pale and ghostly against the dark background, while the glowing centers give the hanging basket an otherworldly appearance.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 5

This is unexpected. One of my usually methods of sedum propagation is to cut off the stems that spill out of the pot to plant elsewhere. This sedum oregana has rooted into the carved features of the elephant and doesn't want to let go. 😂 #Sedum #Succulents #PlantPropagation #Gardening #NativePlants

An ornate elephant-shaped planter sits on a metal plant stand on a deck. A dense planting of trailing Oregon stonecrop spills over the elephant's back and sides, with thick reddish stems and small succulent rosettes cascading down. Numerous roots have attached themselves to the carved details of the elephant's body, making the plant appear fused to the sculpture. A wicker sofa with striped cushions and other potted plants are visible in the background.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 5

A crab spider who apparently has no truck with camouflage. #Spider #BloomScrolling #GardeningForWildlife

A white crab spider sits on the upper petal of a deep magenta-purple petunia bloom. The spider's front legs are extended sideways in the characteristic crab-like posture. The flower fills most of the frame, with green foliage and a softly blurred meadow in the background.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 4

Albino bristlenose plecostomus Her name is Hemulen, and she's 13 years old. #Aquarium #Plecostomus

An albino bristlenose plecostomus clings to a decorative rock structure inside a freshwater aquarium. The fish is pale yellow-gold with a broad sucker mouth, armored scales, and prominent spines along the top of its head and face. Green aquatic plants surround the scene, with turquoise gravel covering the bottom of the tank. A blackskirt tetra is partially visible among the plants in the background.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 4

There's a bumblebee nest under the porch, and every chance she gets, Pooka goes out to hunt them. She likes spicy sky raisins. #Dogs

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 4

This geranium, Karen Wouters, is doing very well. It's an acquisition from two years ago. #HardyGeranium #BloomScrolling #Flowers #Summer

A vigorous clump of hardy geranium 'Karen Wouters' on a whitewooden bench. Numerous saucer-shaped lavender-purple flowers with dark purple veins face in different directions among bright-green lobed foliage. Some blooms are freshly open while others are fading or forming seed pods. The flowers stand out against a background of deck pots, greenery, and mossy garden textures.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 4

Here's a cute little banana slug. All grown up, she'll be 8-10 inches long.

Close-up of a small juvenile banana slug resting on a weathered piece of wood held by the photographer. The slug is translucent golden-yellow with dark mottled patches and a pale amber body. Softly blurred yellow petunia flowers glow in the background.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 3

Coming back from the dead, the recovery of potted jade plants (Crassula ovata). I left these two on a windowsill all winter and forgot about them. I put them outside about two weeks ago rather than composting them, and they've decided they're still alive. #JadePlant

Two small jade plants sit in matching brown-and-cream ceramic pots on a dark patio table. Both appear severely dehydrated, with wrinkled trunks and shriveled, reddish-brown leaves curled inward.

One of the same jade plants is shown two weeks later on a white porch railing. Many leaves have rehydrated and turned green again, though some remain brown and papery. Fresh new shoots are emerging from the stems and near the base of the trunk.

A close-up of the other jade plant reveals healthy new growth. The distinctive tubular leaves of the 'Gollum' jade cultivar are firm, green, and expanding from branch tips. The plant still bears signs of past stress in its woody trunk and sparse branching, but it is clearly growing vigorously again.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 3

Your moment of #Zen Chickadee Wilson's warbler Brown creeper #Birds #BirdWatching #Pond #Waterfall #GardeningForWildlife

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 3

Here you go.

Close-up of the patch of moss growing on the Queen's nebari.

The Garden Hermit@gardenhermit· Jul 3

Bruno and I have both been under the weather this week. Bruno had to go to the emergency vet on Sunday because he got a scratch on his eye. Then I came down with some sort of stomach bug. We're comforting each other, although he gets mad at me when I put drops in his eye. #TuxedoCats