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Wednesday Vignette: A bird's eye view of the garden
Last Wednesday we had an unexpected visitor. We'd heard him, or one of his kin, kicking up a fuss, several days before but we didn't see him and, when he was silent for several days, we figured he'd...
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Projects, big and small
Well, actually most of the projects I've addressed in the past ten days or so have been relatively small. The biggest project in my household was launched by my husband: removing the weeds growing...
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In a Vase on Monday: Spoiled for choice
Despite heatwaves in late April and early May, I still have a supply of what are considered cool-season blooms here even as my summer bloomers have begun to appear. Overwhelmed with choices, I tend to...
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Wednesday Vignette: Some chores have to be put off
While my garden came through the heatwaves in late April and early May relatively unscathed overall, a few plants didn't fare well at all. Those in the latter category included the two Leptospermum...
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My latest project
After we removed our front lawn in 2014, I elected to cover the area underneath our Magnolia tree with mulch rather than place plants there to compete with the tree's extensive root system.Photo taken...
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In a Vase on Monday: Gifts from the garden - and others
The last couple of months have been surreal. The US reached the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 deaths last week even as restrictions on the population's movements and activities are being...
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Tell the Truth Tuesday (Late Edition): A Pacific Aster Takes Over
"Tell the Truth Tuesday" was promoted by Alison of Bonney Lassie as an opportunity for garden bloggers to come clean about the less-than-perfect aspects of their gardens. Like proud parents, we want...
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Neighborhood Views
A good friend visited last Friday. Other than a couple of brief drive-bys, that was the first time since our stay-at-home order took effect on March 19th that I've had a friend spend time here. We...
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In a Vase on Monday: Simpler is better (at least this week)
After several weeks of dodging the top-heavy hanging branches of the Leucadenron 'Pisa' growing next to our backyard patio, I decided it was time to get out my pruning shears. I took off more than I'd...
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Wednesday Vignette: Fleeting Beauty
I had a different post in mind for today but that required time in the garden and it's scorching hot out there. I also had a trip to my local garden center in mind but it's even too scorching hot for...
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A final inspection?
Almost exactly a month ago, a mature male peacock made an unexpected visit to my garden. In fact, he toured it twice in the same day. While there are plenty of peacocks on our peninsula, there have...
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In a Vase on Monday on Bloom Day - June 20202
My two favorite blog memes, "In a Vase on Monday" and "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day," collide once again this month. I considered separate posts on the same or different days but decided once again to...
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Little garden jobs
I haven't tackled any big jobs in the garden of late but I've taken care of a number of little ones, some planned, some not. After stretch of hot weather ended last week, we've enjoyed the return of...
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In a Vase on Monday: Adjusting the color palette
Once again on Sunday my garden worked its magic. With my cool season flowers now gone and the warm season flowers far from ready to take off, I was at a loss as to what I could put together, other...
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Wednesday Vignette: That's NOT a dog!
Every morning, I pop out the back door and swing around the corner of the house to enter the screened enclosure attached to its south side to clean my cat's litter box. Pipig usually follows me,...
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After three months away...
Back in March I was still actively serving as a docent at South Coast Botanic Garden and involved, along with two other docents, in a project to resurrect the dahlia garden there. When all volunteers...
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In a Vase on Monday: Picking flowers in the rain
It rained on Sunday morning. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I get very excited about rain. We get a lot less of it than many of you do, and rain in summer is particularly...
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Let's visit the hidden bromeliad bed!
Inspired by the Coronavirus Tourism posters created by Jennifer Baer, this is the third of my virtual tours of areas of my garden that get relatively little attention. (You can find the first two...
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Wide Shots - July 2020
When we had our first real heatwaves in late April and early May, I feared we were heading toward a nasty summer season. We didn't get our "May Gray"marine layer at all that I can recall but June was...
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In a Vase on Monday: Simpler
Summer is a time for simple pleasures and I chose to keep my vases simple as well this week. As my cutting garden has nothing new to offer yet, I selected plants I've used before this season but I...
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