Clik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Mixing things up
I participated in a lovely Zoom meeting with a half dozen of the IAVOM contributors on Sunday morning Pacific time. It was great to see everyone, if only virtually.It was on the cool side on Sunday,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fall color comes in various forms
With cooler temperatures, we've finally seen a bit of colorful foliage in my part of coastal Southern California. My garden is still mostly green but I appreciate the bright touches where I find them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Variations on a theme
I've been happy to see that the lisianthus plants I happened upon at my local garden center six-plus weeks ago have started to bloom, even if I've yet to see blooms on any of the plants that were...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Week of Flowers 2024: Day 4
I'm belatedly joining Cathy at Words and Herbs midway through her fifth annual floral celebration. To quote Cathy, it's purpose is to "remind us of the beauty our gardens and nature offer us in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Week of Flowers: Day 5
It's Day Five of Cathy's 'A Week of Flowers' at Words and Herbs and I'm joining in again with my second post. Absent a glitch in my schedule, I'm planning to hang on through Day Seven. Cathy's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Week of Flowers: Day 6
I've got another post today for 'A Week of Flowers', hosted by Cathy at Words and Herbs. I'm still focused on spring, which in coastal Southern California rears up in full force in March. I had a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Week of Flowers - Day 7
I've had fun with 'A Week of Flowers' and I want to thank Cathy at Words and Herbs for inviting bloggers to participate once again this year. I remembered that I'd joined in last year on an ad hoc...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Keeping it simple
I'm prone to stuffing my vases. Once I cut stems for an arrangement, I'm reluctant to discard any of them. Restraint isn't one of my strong suits. However, with the volume of flowers significantly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mutant Agave 'Blue Glow'
In late November, I announced that I planned to limit my blog posts to twice a week through the holiday season but, with the exception of skipping one post, I seem to have slid into my regular routine....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bloom Day - December 2024 (Early Edition)
For the record, I'm two days ahead of schedule for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted on the 15th of each month by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. This month the outlook in my garden is very pink.My...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: The Lisianthus are showing off
The lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) I found by happenstance in my local garden center a couple of months ago are blooming with some vigor now and I couldn't ignore them when it came time to put...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stocking Up on Succulents
In late November, following our annual tree pruning process, I started a major cleanup of the moderate front slope in the southwest corner of my garden. Although collateral damage in that area was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Holiday puttering
I've made stabs at tackling my still hefty list of garden chores this week but I've tended to drift from one project to another without crossing any off in their entirety. The biggest project, a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: The garden's gifts
Both of last week's floral arrangements are still in good shape. I edited them a little, gave them fresh water, and shuffled them into new positions. I didn't expect to find much I could use this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Front Slope: A work in progress
I've been working on the moderate slope on the southwest corner of our garden off and on since late November. Once our annual tree pruning exercise was complete, it was time to clean up and clear out...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Let's get the new year started!
I've already cleared most of the spare decorations I set up to celebrate Christmas this year. With those tucked away, I was more than ready to cut flowers to add color to the house. It's been cold...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2024: The Year in Review
2024 was a rough year in many respects. The misery and strife so many people in various parts of the world continue to face on a daily basis and the hideous political climate in the US trouble me...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wide Shots - January 2025
My quarterly wide shot posts sometimes sneak up on me. That's particularly true in January as I'm shaking off the holiday season and wondering when I may see the early signs of spring blooms. At...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Looking for something different
I've been stuck in a rut when it comes to selecting materials to fill a vase. While I've spotted some new buds developing here and there, it's going to be a while yet before those buds become blooms....
View ArticleClik here to view.
When the bird feeders are full
I've been leaving my bird feeders empty for much of the year; however, I feel compelled to fill them during the winter months. Granted, what passes for winter in my climate poses far fewer challenges...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pruning or butchery?
I've tackled several pruning tasks during the past week. Some of these were on my list, while others were handled on the fly. With pruning tools in hand, I'm easily distracted. I always think...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase On Monday: Can we hope for better this week?
Last week was an emotional roller coaster. With two major fires burning in Los Angeles County Tuesday evening, we got very nervous when our house was permeated with smoke and we heard fire engines...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bloom Day - January 2025
Under current circumstances, with a fire emergency ongoing in Los Angeles County, I might be expected to skip blog posts but frankly I need something to divert my attention from TV newscasts and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Succulent pot rehab
I'm still spending limited time in the garden, or outside in general. While two sites I initially consulted, AirNow and AQMD, suggested that our air quality was good-to-moderate, the one my husband...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: A diversion on a gloomy day
Between the fires that have decimated large sections of Los Angeles County over the past two weeks and the looming changes in the political leadership of the US, it's been hard to avoid feelings of...
View Article