Clik here to view.
January Favorites
After 4 inches of rain on Sunday, the sun reappeared on Monday, offering an opportunity to give the garden a thorough once over. With heavy rains at intervals over the past 2 months, the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a (New) Vase on Monday
A friend and I took off on an excursion to our favorite Orange County garden center on Saturday. This particular garden center has a wide selection of indoor decor, which I usually steer clear of,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: When is a rock not a rock?
In addition to the weeds attempting to take over my garden following our December and January rain, there's also been a noticeable increase in fungi. I came across one specimen on January 1st and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Plants & Opportunistic Raccoons
I hustled to plant several new acquisitions earlier this week in advance of the rainstorm predicted for Friday. I managed to get everything planted, even though this involved removal of dead shrubs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Fussing with flowers
My first vase was arranged and photographed but things that nominally bothered me when I completed the arrangement bothered me even more when I reviewed my photos. As has been my tendency of late, I'd...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Ring of Fire
You may know the "ring of fire" as the portion of the Pacific Ocean basin responsible for a significant proportion of the world's largest earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Or you may know it as a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring's Promise
It's raining again this afternoon and there's more rain predicted for late next week. The long-range forecasts suggest that rain may continue at intervals through April, which, after 5 years of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Valentine's Day Blooms
There's a healthy supply of red and pink flowers in my garden at the moment and, in celebration of Valentine's Day tomorrow, I took advantage of them to create today's arrangements for "In a Vase on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bloom Day - February 2017
Here in the frost-free area of coastal Southern California the lines between winter and spring can be fuzzy. Winter is our rainy season and, since December, we've had a lot of it - not as much as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Foliage Follow-up - Highlights of my Garden Stroll
With what's reputed to be the most powerful storm of the season to hit Los Angeles in the offing, I took a spin through the garden to see if there were any tasks I should take care of before it...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Conjuring Spring
If I were Cathy at Rambling in the Garden, our host for "In a Vase on Monday," my post title would be properly illustrated with a wizard's wand and maybe a top hat. Unfortunately, I don't have Cathy's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Early Spring Miscellany
There were a few items in the grab bag of photos I'd set aside for the Wednesday Vignette meme hosted by Anna of Flutter & Hum. I couldn't decide which of these to post this week so I'm presenting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Who got busted?
Squirrels aren't visitors to my garden - they're residents. Ever since we moved in and I put up my bird feeders, we've been at loggerheads. I've gradually replaced my "squirrel resistant" feeders...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Almost Forgotten February Favorites
On the last Friday of the month, Loree of danger garden presents the plants currently garnering her favor and invites other bloggers to give a shout out about theirs as well. I usually join in but...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In a Vase on Monday: Alstroemeria sets the scene but does Freesia steal the...
The garden may already be waking up to celebrate spring but it's been really cold here. Not as cold as many of you reading this may be used to in late February but cold by local standards. Our...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wednesday Vignette: Clouds, natural and not
Last week, in the early morning under gray skies, I noticed some odd cloud formations and immediately grabbed my camera. As I framed my photo, I realized that these weren't clouds at all but rather...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The garden through a cat's eyes
I've been feeling guilty about not giving my cat, Pipig, any time to roam outside. Concern about her ambushing an unsuspecting bird is part of that, although she's never shown herself to be a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In (yet another new) Vase on Monday
I met a friend for lunch on Saturday and afterwards we walked off our heavy meal strolling shops in a recently refurbished mall. We checked out a place specializing in luxury home furnishings and I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A trip around the neighborhood
I haven't walked my neighborhood in quite a while so, late one afternoon last week, I decided to take a stroll to see what changes all the rain we had this winter might have brought. The short answer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A broader view
Last week, after walking my own neighborhood, I decided to hike up the main road to take a look at the harbor from a higher vantage point. I frequently see people, some obviously tourists, stopping at...
View Article