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Wide Shots - The Dry Garden
This month I'm using my wide shots post to take a closer look at my dry garden, which sits on the northeast side of the house. Although I hadn't placed a priority on this area, by happenstance it was...
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In a Vase on Monday: Anonymous Rose Makes the Grade
I headed out into the garden with the intention of cutting stems of Barleria obtusa to use in this week's arrangement for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. I...
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Wednesday Vignette: It's the little things
For this week's Wednesday Vignette, the meme hosted by Anna at Flutter & Hum, I have a miscellaneous trio of photos taken within the last few weeks of some of the little things that make the garden...
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Racing El Niño
In late September, we had our remaining lawn, a long strip in the back averaging 8 feet in width and a section along the street in front, removed. Although the service provider assured me he and his...
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In a Vase on Monday: A Bouquet for Cathy
Cathy of Rambling in the Garden celebrates the second anniversary of her popular "In a Vase on Monday" feature with today's post. While I prepared vases in connection with a couple of other blogger's...
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Wednesday Vignette: A golden sunrise
My cat, Pipig, hasn't adjusted to standard time. She's up early and, when she wants her breakfast, she can be very persistent. She jumps on the bed, sits on my pillow, and licks my face until I...
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Raccoon Picnic
The raccoons have put me back on their visitation schedule, stopping by several times a week. I know they've been here because they leave their usual calling card at the fountain, picking up the...
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Bloom Day - November 2015
This Bloom Day arrives at a difficult time. I suspect that, like me, you're sick at heart over the news out of Paris. After 9/11, I hoped that we'd find a way to end the hatred and inhumanity that...
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In a Vase on Monday: Nothing fancy
There's nothing like hard work in the garden to keep dismay and sadness at bay so I spent most of the weekend there. When it came time to create an arrangement for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme...
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Foliage Follow-up - November 2015
I was late getting my Foliage Follow-up post together. On my first pass through my garden I had a hard time getting excited about anything. Then I decided that had more to do with my mental state...
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In a Vase on Monday: Camellias at last
Despite another spike in our daytime temperatures and Santa Ana winds that made the air so dry I've felt as though I was undergoing mummification, the blooms on my Camellia sasanqua were finally...
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Lawn Removal Progress Report
In late September, we had our remaining sod removed. Afterwards, my husband and I began what turned out to be a longer and more difficult project than our prior projects removing the lawn on the north...
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In a Vase on Monday: Yet more succulents
Camellia sasanqua and Tagetes lemmonii are still blooming in my garden and there are other odds and ends flowering as well but I decided to create another succulent arrangement this week for "In a Vase...
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Wide Shots - December 2015
I had the devil of a time getting half-way decent photos of the garden for this month's wide shots post. It seemed that, whether I took photos in the morning or the afternoon, I had problems with sun...
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Wednesday Vignette: A visitor's piercing gaze
I was eating lunch when a winged visitor swooped by the living room window, landing in the mimosa tree adjacent to our backyard patio. I ran into my office to grab my point-and-click camera, sure that...
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In a Vase on Monday: Faux orchids and blobby things
No, I didn't create a vase using silk or plastic flowers. The "faux orchids" of the title refer to the flowers of Bauhinia x blakeana, also known as the Hong Kong orchid tree. Despite a warm blast...
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Wednesday Vignette: Modern Day Monsters & Alien Bugs
We woke up to fog this morning - not at our house but covering the harbor below like a blanket. It gave the harbor a surreal aspect.To my fanciful mind, the tops of the shipping cranes rising above...
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Slow but steady progress
Late last month I provided an update on my progress with my lawn removal and replacement project. Work continues and, while I'm making progress, it's slow. With my former garden, a postage-stamp...
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In a Vase on Monday: Floral Flotsam
There are only a few plants in my garden producing flowers in significant numbers but, for this week's "In a Vase on Monday" post, I decided to use bits and pieces that haven't received much attention...
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Bloom Day - December 2015
December in coastal Southern California is generally a lot warmer than elsewhere in the US but this year despite the Northeast getting record enjoying record warm temperatures, we're experiencing a...
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