iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 10/09/2026

🌱 🍅 Lemon Boy Plus tomato Incredible - like eating a dessert. Great for converting the tomato skeptics. My favorite this year. This variety is bred for disease resistance. Early to mature and it’s starting to slow down for me (some rude critters snapped branches)

Lemon Boy Plus tomatoes are bright yellow, indeterminate, 75 days to maturity. 5-8 oz, 3”-4” flattened round shape. Great slicer with a mild sweet and tangy flavor.

2222

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 10/09/2026

🌱 🍅 Purple Bumble Bee Tomato Super sweet and rich and very pretty. A larger cherry that also won’t stop producing. Easy to slice and snack on. I’m curious about the other bumble bees out there but I don’t know if I can skip growing this one next year!

Purple Bumble Bee tomato. Indeterminate, 70 days, 0.5oz or 1” round shape. A snacking or salad tomato with a umami rich taste.

1183

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 10/09/2026

🌱 🍅 Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato Delicious juice bombs, like perfect little grapes - but they’re tomatoes! Fast, wild, and free. Thin skin requires snapping the fruits at the stem so you don’t ruin them. Great raw and for roasting. An easy and flavorful cherry.

Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato. Text reads: indeterminate, 60 days, 0.1 oz, 1/2” round currant sized. Snacking and salad tomato with a sweet bold taste.

1101

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 10/09/2026

🌱 🍅 Green Zebra Tomato I’ve read mixed reviews online - but I love them. Great texture and flavor, prolific but slower to mature for me. I pick them as soon as I see some yellow underneath the green stripes. Firm and no splitting or scarring.

Green Zebra Tomato, picture of it cut in half and whole on a white background. Text reads: indeterminate, 80 days, 2-5 oz, 2-3” round. Salad and snacking with a bright acidic taste.

1131

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 10/09/2026

🌱 🍅 Japanese Black Trifele Tomato (Original name: yaponskiy trufel chernyi) Prolific and delicious slicer - popular amongst tomato fans and tomato haters alike. My first black tomato I’ve grown, so I can’t compare to others.

Japanese Black Trifele Tomato: shown sliced and whole on a white background. Text reads: Indeterminate, 60 days to maturity, 2-6 oz, 2-3” diameter, pear and plum shaped. Good slicer, canner and paste tomato, with a smokey sweet taste.

171

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/08/2026

2026 Tomato line up: Japanese Black Trifele Green Zebra Lemon Boy Plus Matt’s Wild Cherry Purple Bumble Bee 🌱 🍅

The 5 tomato cultivars in a basket, labeled.

0233

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 11/08/2026

A few new flowers this year but it pales in comparison to last summer as we grieve our garden dog. 🌱 🦮 🐈‍⬛

A top-down view of a black cat sniffing some pretty zinnias.

0190

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 11/08/2026

My #cannabis is still doing great, and I continue to get cute visitors. A fuzzy bee from this morning (not sure which type) and an assassin bug from a few weeks ago. I haven’t and wont treat my plants with anything - bugs are my friends. 🌱

An assassin bug perches on the tip of a cannabis leaf.

0180

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 08/07/2026

First time growing #cannabis. I have them set up outdoors in 7 gallon grow bags and they’ve been looking great. Enjoy this Oregon native butterfly (grey hairstreak). 🌱 🦋

Amid the leaves of a cannabis plant, rests a grey hairstreak butterfly.

4582

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 26/06/2026

It saddens me that I’ve robbed my own kitties of this quintessential experience. But *ndoor cats can still feel the magic in the air during twilight - from open windows!

A fluffy cat sitting in a window, flipping the viewer off with a raised middle toe, a simple illustration.

010

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 08/05/2026

Looks tropical - but it’s native to Oregon! Lewisia cotyledon or Siskiyou lewisia, given to me by my grandma a couple years ago. Shes kept these native plants thriving in pots, but it’s the first time I’ve gotten them to bloom. 🌱 #nativeplants #bloomscrolling

Lewisia cotyledon, or commonly known as Siskiyou lewisia, flowers. The flowers by themselves almost look tropical because they are so vibrant - 7 to 13 succulent looking petals on each flower, deliciously hot pink with white icing along the edges and a hint of yellow. They’re a native plant to Oregon, blooming once a year.

0294

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 29/04/2026

The native ladybugs are back. Idk if they overwintered in my yard or what - but they’re all over the place! #gardening #nativeplants 🐞🌱

A western polished lady beetle (Cycloneda polita) shines in the sun on a leaf of lettuce. This ladybug is native to this Oregon garden, it is extra small and a solid red with no spots.

0312

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 26/10/2025

sPoOkY scabiosas 🌱

More spooky looking scabiosa flowers and buds - they are reaching upwards toward a gloomy overcast sky.

180

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 26/10/2025

Spooky Scabiosas Still blooming through this awful weather

A picture showing mostly an overcast sky, light is barely filtering through the gloomy clouds. The very bottom of the frame you can see plants and flowers reaching up - very tendril like. The main focus is showing a scabiosa flower, one open in bloom, the other is a closed blossom. The scabiosas are a new variety called dark vino, and are so dark and rich in color they look black! In this image, it looks like a silhouette. A crow is flying overhead, a bit blurry as it’s in motion - but overall, super spooky flower garden! Grown in Portland Oregon, in an urban yard zone 8/9

1190

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/09/2025

Another game changer in the garden: improved egress. No more dead ends and wider paths (~2’ wide) I accepted nothing will grow along the shadow zone parallel to the fence and turned it into a path. I’m generally working with a 12’x15’ zone, last year I packed things too tight

Another garden path along a fence, this space is constantly shaded.

000

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/09/2025

Fortunately we anticipated the backlash to the sticks. Strategically placed grain and grass cover crops provided daily enrichment. This guy loves to graze.

The golden retriever is chilling in the garden, sitting on a nice path between two young garden beds full of cover crops and sunflowers.

100

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/09/2025

This year the paths along the garden bed were just layered cardboard and paper grocery bags. Very pleasant to walk on. Kept paws tidy! 2024 we had straw paths and a straw covered dog. #gardeningreport

The golden retriever patrols his garden in the peak hours of the day.

100

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/09/2025

2025 GARDEN REVIEW: A garden path is the single most important part of a garden! It’s a defining characteristic of ANY space AND it is one that ALL creatures innately understand if it works or not. This year, the paths were deemed impeccable by our judge… #gardeningreport 🌱

A sweet golden retriever steps tenderly down the garden path. This garden path is made of layers of paper grocery bags.

1203

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 17/09/2025

Who wants to CYBERBULLY this FREAK of a tomato a SUCKER on the LEAF STEM?! 🍅 🌱

A mutant cherry tomato with suckers growing off the leaf stem (rachis).

1151

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 15/09/2025

THE 2025 GARDEN REVIEW IS IN!!! 🌱 📈 Although the season is still going strong, our esteemed reviewer has provided us with an in-depth and nuanced report. This report helps us uphold the quality and functionality of the garden. Stay tuned as we release these assessments this week! #gardeningreport

A chipper golden retriever walking down a garden path made of paper grocery bags. This gentleman has finally released his 2025 gardening report, which we will be sharing with you throughout the week.

Urban garden in zone 8b, Pacific Northwest.

1200

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 14/09/2025

Comparing 2025 (left) and 2024 (right) sunflowers Photos taken beginning of June I went overboard with the crimson clover in 2025 because 2024 I felt like my soil was too dry. Did it help? Maybe. More rain and regrading the garden this year could contribute as well

2025 beginning of June: sunflowers are barely peaking out of the crimson clover that covers the bed. Currently blooming in this photo (cause I think it’s pretty), a nice green mulch - some might think it’s too much.

2024 beginning of June: comparing the sunflower growth, you can make out more seedlings because the crimson clover is in a neat row in the bed (as opposed to covering completely).

020

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 14/09/2025

2025 sunflowers so far Not the perfect comparison to 2024 sunflowers (different angle and layout, different types, different bloom times), but same 2 months documented #gardening #bloomscrolling

0100

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 14/09/2025

The native ladybugs were everywhere this year. Lots of bug diversity this year, lots of predators. 3 years ago this urban yard had none. #gardening #nativeplants

A polished lady beetle (Cycloneda polita I think) hanging out in the lacy looking, bolted cilantro. It’s a smaller ladybug, spotless, a solid red body, and it’s white markings look like eyes. A very cute and native bug in the Pacific Northwest, found in my urban garden. Photo taken in late July.

1192

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 31/08/2025

‘Sparky Vino’ Scabiosa In the direct sunshine it’s a nice red wine color - at any other moment it is a dark black flower that makes all other flowers POP. Perfect for the gothic gardeners. Here you can see how to flower opens up. #bloomscrolling #gardening

Scabiosa, or pincushion flower. ‘Sparky vino’ is a new cultivar and claims to be the darkest color yet. Nearly black, but when held in the direct sunlight, as shown in this photo, it’s a deep red wine color. Grown from seed from the Frank Morton at Wild Garden Seed. I started these plants indoors in March, before transplanting in my urban garden in Portland Oregon. Zone 8/9.

070

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 31/08/2025

Scabiosa, or pincushion flowers, are new for me this year - and will become a regular. Highly productive with strong stems and a long vase life. #bloomscrolling #gardening

090

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 31/08/2025

Today and yesterdays harvest This year I’m plucking my tomatoes off earlier due to an influx of #squirrelcrimes 🌱 🌼 🍅 🫑 🥒

A metal basket in the garden full of tomatoes, peppers and one cucumber. Grown in my urban garden, zone 8a, in Portland Oregon. PNW gardening is like cheating!

A metal basket in the garden full of tomatoes and peppers, and a cup full of zinnias, scabiosas and dill flowers. Grown in my urban garden, zone 8a, in Portland Oregon. PNW gardening is like cheating!

6541

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/08/2025

‘whirligig’ zinnia ‘sparky vino’ scabiosa

020

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 23/08/2025

‘whirligig’ zinnia 🌱

3495

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 22/08/2025

My daughter appreciates flowers 🐈‍⬛

A photo of a calico cat holding her paw to her mouth, water droplets hang off the tips of her toes. She’s enjoying the flower infused water from the floral arrangements open vessel.
The flowers are native wild type clarkia and cultivated mountain garland (or Diamond) clarkias. Early summer blooming flowers that are native plants to the west coast. Great cut flower and loved by pollinators. Zone 8b Portland Urban Gardening.

110

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 15/08/2025

Quick flower harvest before the rain! 🌱

A bunch of zinnias (pink, white, and yellow), scabiosas (dark almost black in color, a new strain called “vino”) and a few green tomatoes in a basket. Harvested from my urban garden in Portland Oregon.

0323

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 25/07/2025

THE BIGGEST BUMBLE BEE I EVER DID SEE! The Nevada Bumble Bee I believe… was visiting my sweet peas the other morning 🐝 #bees #pdxgardens #gardening

A Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis) feeding on an heirloom sweet pea flower. Found in an urban garden in Portland, Oregon. This native bee is extremely adorable, large, fuzzy, stylish with a black dot on its yellow thorax.

070

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 18/06/2025

Can you spy the handiwork of the leaf cutter bee? A true artisan. 🐝 Mountain Garland Clarkia / Clarkia unguiculata #bloomscrolling

Clarkia unguiculata, or Mountain Garland Clarkia or Diamond Clarkia - a native plant that flowers in early summer. Perfect cutouts in the leafs of the flower indicate a leaf cutter bee came by. Grown in Portland Oregon, in an urban garden, zone 8/9.

0150

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 05/06/2025

I’ll check that podcast out! It’s been fascinating, they move around so fast despite being so small - I’ve never observed them so young. They are basically the same size as aphids at this stage

A close up photo showing a yarrow stem with a lady beetle larva - the larva is “1st instar”, maybe a day or two old at most. It is so small, about the size of an aphid - which they eat - and all black. As it grows it will get color.

110

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

#nativeplants #gardening Year 2 with the native yarrow in my yard and this year it’s covered in the native western polished lady beetle. Surrounding the plant is other natives and ornamentals, including calendula planted there as a “trap crop” - covered in aphids for these guys to feed on.

The tiny native lady beetle sitting on the flower head of western white yarrow. Providing both native plants and other strategically planted flowers, like calendulas, can help establish habitat for predators bugs. Grown in an urban garden in Portland Oregon.

050

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

On the left, freshly hatched ladybug larva. Super small! On the right, an older larva - crossing my fingers it’s the native species but not sure how to identify it.

Freshly hatched ladybug larva - they look so tiny, are all black, on top of their now empty, white eggs.

A larger, more developed ladybug larva with its classic black, white and yellow pattern. Climbing all over the native yarrow.

110

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

REALLY hoping the eggs I’ve been watching hatch are the native ladybugs - I did find a few invasive ones. But I’ve found dozens more of the native kind… we will watch as they grow up! TW: blurry bug pictures

Ladybug eggs underneath a native western yarrow leaf. The eggs are orangish yellow. In Portland oregon, native flower garden. Hopefully the western polished lady beetle

Ladybug eggs under a native western yarrow leaf - the eggs changed color, are now half black and the orange/yellow - about to pop!!!

130

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

The west coast native plant, Globe Gilia, is a beautiful cut flower. Lasting at least a week in the vase, but stays beautiful as it fades. The blue color dwindles from the petals, and the blue pollen collects at the tips. Overall it’s very neat and drops almost no pollen or petals #nativeplants

A photo of a single flower head, globe gilia. A poofball of petals, formerly blue but now white after sitting in a vase for a week. Blue pollen sits at the tips of the petals in an incredibly satisfying way.

A native plant great for cut flower displays, grown in and urban garden in Portland Oregon.

010

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

Here is what it looks like before blooming. I’m obsessed with the geometry.

A photo of the native plant, Globe Gilia before it blooms. Like spikey green balls, soon to turn into blue poofs. Native the west coast, grown in Portland Oregon. A native bee favorite.

000

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

#bloomscrolling #nativeplants #gardening An underrated cut flower, it looks beautiful before blooming and even more beautiful as it dies in a vase! Most importantly, it’s cat friendly.

Globe gilia at the end of its vase life, the petals fade to white and on the tips of the petals are blue dots - looking otherworldly! The blue dots I believe are pollen that can be brushed off. But overall it’s a very “neat” cut flower, dropping very little pollen and keeping its shape.

150

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

#bloomscrolling #nativeplants #gardening It’s established that Globe Gilia is great for the bees - but it’s also great for me: It’s a wonderful filler in the garden, spreads easily by self seeding, very pretty leafs. It handles dog piss no problem!!!

A photo of a native flower patch, pink Diamond clarkias, globe gilia, and common madia. From an urban garden in Portland Oregon, zone 8b / zone 9a.

080

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

#nativeplants #bees I BEElieve this is a metallic green sweat bee enjoying a globe gilia from last summer 🐝🪻

A picture of a native metallic green sweat bee on a the native globe gilia flower. Located in an urban garden in Portland Oregon.

030

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

In fact - you could say this native plant is one of the most popular flowers for native bees! The following diagram is from @extension.oregonstate.edu extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/...

A diagram created by Oregon State Extension office, from the following website: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9363-native-plant-picks-bees

Globe Gilia, a native plant to Oregon and the west coast, supports a huge diversity of bees!

111

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 04/06/2025

#bloomscrolling #nativeplants #gardening Globe Gilia - one of the first flowers blooming in my Portland garden this year and one of my favorites for many reasons!

Globe Gilia, a native plant to the west coast / pacific coast. Also known as Blue Head or Blue Field Gilia. It looks like a blue poof, often with multiple flower heads. Shown in this picture is a globe gilia starting to flower in Portland Oregon, zone 8b / zone 9a. Native pollinator favorite

160

Alexa @irlalexa.com · 25/05/2025

Big News: We have an established native ladybug population in the urban garden! The western polished lady beetles are all over our native yarrow. 🌱 #gardening #nativeplants

A Western Polished Ladybug, or the Western Blood-red Lady Beetle (Cycloneda polita) sitting in a western yarrow plant (Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis). Located in an urban garden in Portland, Oregon.

This yarrow was specifically sought out and planted from seed a year ago. The Pacific Northwest native yarrow was surprisingly tricky to source, as many market any old white yarrow as a “western yarrow” - always double check the scientific name!!!

2502