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A lower profile
Five years ago, after removing the last of our lawn, I planted the area on the east side of our back patio with small succulents, including two 6-packs (12 plugs) of Aeonium haworthii 'Kiwi Verde'....
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Barrels of Fun
A couple of weeks ago my husband asked me what I'd like for my birthday. He reminded me that I'd mentioned a new set of everyday dishes following our 2019 home renovation but I had zero interest in...
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In a Vase on Monday: Under gray skies
As much of the northeastern and mid-Atlantic areas of the US experienced scorching heat this weekend, coastal Southern California was comfortably cool, thanks to our seasonal "June Gloom."Â The gray...
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Stepping back in time: The evolution of the back garden
We moved into our current house in mid-December 2010. I started making small changes almost immediately but family concerns prevented me from taking on any major projects well into 2013. I didn't...
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As spring transitions into summer: Another spin through South Coast Botanic...
A friend and I took a spin through South Coast Botanic Garden this week. With summer heat expected to move into the area soon, I suspect I may not be making more trips there until fall. Frankly, the...
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In a Vase on Monday: Sprinting into summer
If weather reports are accurate, Southern California and a large portion of the US Southwest are going to get toasted this week. Up to this point our usual June Gloom along the coast has prevented...
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Bloom Day - June 2021
I did a quick scan of the last six years of June Bloom Day posts and confirmed my guess that I'd featured either Agapanthus or Achillea 'Moonshine' as the headliner in every case. So I'm going to...
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Another step back in time: The north side garden
I recently took a look back at the evolution of my backyard borders. In what may become a periodic exercise focusing on different areas of the garden, this week I took a look at my north side garden...
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In a Vase on Monday: Funky and Frilly
I wasn't at all sure my first arrangement was going to look like much but earlier this week, when I nearly tripped over the single 'Purple 'Romagna' artichoke in my back border, I decided I "needed" to...
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What happened here?
As we transition from spring to summer, I've done a round of general clean-up in the garden. Not that gardens here are ever really prepared for what summer's going to throw at them but I felt mine was...
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A neighbor's viewpoint on my garden
Chickadee Garden's "Facility Manager" recently presented his favorite picks among the late spring blooms in the garden he shares with his spouse. That reminded me that I hadn't asked for my husband's...
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In a Vase on Monday: We've been lucky
The Northwest US and Western Canada were hit with record-breaking heat this past weekend and the pattern is expected to continue into Monday before tapering off. Portland, Oregon could reach 115F...
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Wednesday Vignette: Captivated by clouds
A week ago today, the weather was perfect. The temperature was the very definition of comfortable, not too hot and not too cold - Goldilocks would have approved. The air was clear (not an especially...
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Wide Shots - July 2021
A very dry winter was followed by a very dry spring. Thanks to regular irrigation, the wide shots of my garden don't show any severe impact of the pathetically low rainfall but, as our drought...
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In a Vase on Monday: My own kind of fireworks
We celebrated Independence Day in the US on Sunday. Fireworks are a hallmark of the holiday but, over the years, exploding personal fireworks from June well into August has become an obsession in our...
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Ravenous rabbits and reckless raccoons
A couple of days ago, as I was picking up Magnolia leaves littering the front garden for the third time that day, I saw something odd out of the corner of my eye.This plant was so disfigured, I didn't...
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July foliage highlights
As temperatures rise, my cool season flowers have mostly disappeared while most of my "warm" season flowers have yet to take the stage. As dry as we've been, I'm not at all sure what kind of show I'm...
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In a Vase on Monday: I've got lilies!
The truth is, I don't know much about lilies, except that they have a reputation for being short-lived in Southern California. Last year, in a fit of pandemic-related frustration with my limited...
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Wednesday Vignette: Every drop counts
We got an unexpected rainstorm yesterday - for five minutes. My husband said the rain came down hard while it lasted but it wasn't loud enough to wake me (or the cat) and, by the time I got up, it was...
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Bloom Day - July 2021
Despite the horrible heat many areas of California and the western US are facing (not to speak of the large number of wildfires already burning), my area along the coast has enjoyed a relatively mild...
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