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A damp day of plant shopping
When my friend and I scheduled a plant shopping trip to Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties for late April the last thing we expected was rain. But the further north we drove, the darker the sky got....
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In a Vase on Monday: Late Arrivals
This week I was able to cut both foxgloves and sweet peas for my Monday vases. My impression was that both flowers are late in blooming this year but, after a bit of sleuthing through my records, the...
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Tell the Truth Thursday (Late Edition): Lipstick on a pig
This post poses the question: Can an ugly truth hide behind a pretty exterior? My garden contains plenty of support for the contention that it certainly can. My north side garden is looking pretty in...
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The garden show in a mall
While Southern California supports numerous Spring garden tours, we don't have much in the way of garden shows. We have "home and garden" shows but their focus is most definitely on homes rather than...
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In a Vase on Monday: Pick me, pick me!
I could never have been a high school drama teacher. Not only do I have none of the acting or directing skills probably required for the job but I'd also find it impossible to ignore all those eager...
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Wednesday Vignette: Magical Moments
There are no underlying messages in my Wednesday Vignette this week. I'm just sharing a few moments of peace, beauty and tranquility I captured on camera recently.This shot and the next two were taken...
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Scoping out neighborhood slopes
I'm used to gardening on flat plots of land. Until we moved to our current property almost eight and a half years ago, I'd never dealt with uneven terrain. While the level changes associated with our...
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In a Vase on Monday: From Spicy Hot to Serenely Cool
As we begin to pack up half the house in preparation for our upcoming remodel, I already feel as though I'm surrounded by chaos. Preparing flower arrangements for "In a Vase on Monday," the meme...
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Bloom Day - May 2019
This month, to provide a different perspective, I decided to match up wide shots of my garden with close-ups of selected flowers. I thought it might also help me trim down the sheer number of photos...
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It's not all about the flowers
My May Bloom Day post was a little over the top, even for me. I took my camera outside to seek out foliage stars that could compete with all the flowers currently dominating my garden. While it was...
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In a Vase on Monday: The Blues Have It
Sunday morning was beautiful but wet. We got rain for the second time within a week. In mid-May! I already had in mind what I wanted to cut for "In a Vase On Monday" so I quickly got to it. There...
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Succulent Surprise
If you read my blog posts even occasionally, you probably know I have a LOT of succulents. They do very well here in general and, as our summers grow hotter and our problems with drought persist, I've...
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New Arrivals
I'm embracing my inner flower floozie and posting an addendum to my lengthy mid-May Bloom Day post with photos of flowers that have made an appearance since that date. Some of these may still be here...
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In a Vase on Monday: Warm & Cool
While the Midwestern US has been turned upside down by a plague of tornadoes and the Southeastern US has been hit with a major heatwave, coastal Southern California has continued to be pleasantly cool...
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Wednesday Vignette: That face!
A friend and I visited Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar on Saturday morning. I'll post more of the photos I took during that excursion later but this photo, taken in the Tropical Conservatory, will...
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Another Visit to Sherman Gardens
I've visited Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar several times. It's a very pretty and relatively small "horticultural retreat," just over 2 acres in size but jam-packed with lovely plants and lots and...
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In a Vase on Monday: Wild in more ways than one
Ever since the Matilija poppies (Romneya coulteri) produced their first blooms a few weeks ago, I've been thinking of cutting some for a Monday vase. However, with so many flowers still clamoring for...
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Wednesday Vignette: Patience
I've been told - repeatedly - that patience is a virtue. I can't claim that it's one I possess to any great degree but I'm working on it. Some plants in my garden test my patience, like the peonies...
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My Burgeoning xMangave Collection
I don't collect many things other than plants. Well, and garden books. Once I find myself under the spell of a particular plant, I tend to gravitate to others in the same genus. That's how I ended...
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In a Vase On Monday: In Remembrance
My first vase was originally inspired by the flowers of a Hebe I've been admiring for weeks.Yet Pelargonium 'Rembrandt' and Cistus 'Sunset' took over the front of the vaseAnd Digitalis purpurea grabbed...
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