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In a Vase on Monday: Different spins on the same old flowers
I returned to my old standbys for flowers this week as there's nothing new in the garden to share. It's been colder than usual by our standards for the last couple of weeks with temperatures seldom...
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Filling bird feeders energizes the garden
Early in 2022, in response to an epidemic of salmonellosis that was killing wild birds, I decided to leave my bird feeders empty because I wasn't confident I could keep them clean enough. With spring...
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Bloom Day - December 2022 (Late Edition)
Scanning my garden, my perception is that it's low on flowers but, when I check all its nooks and crannies, there's actually quite a lot out there. The large splashes of color characteristic of spring...
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In a Vase on Monday: Gift flowers - and a hand-made wreath
With Christmas a week away, time is short and flowers are few. A friend stopped by on Saturday for a pre-Christmas get-together and gift exchange. She brought flowers so those went into a vase for...
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The trees get spiffed up
Years ago, blogger friend Denise of A Growing Obsession said that my recently pruned trees looked as if they'd had a trip to the beauty parlor. That image stuck with me. Our trees got their annual...
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Happy Holidays!
The surge in Covid, flu and RSV in Los Angeles County led us to cancel our plans for a pre-Christmas celebration with friends before it entirely got off the ground. I'm frustrated that, despite...
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In a Vase on Monday: The last dahlia
I put together two quick arrangements Saturday morning, knowing that wouldn't be possible on Sunday or Monday. The first centers around the last dahlia. It's time to give that tuber the rest it...
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Wildlife sightings
I see hawks flying over the harbor on a daily basis. On occasion since I refilled our bird feeders, I've also seen them swoop overhead, although I've never seen one actually snatch a bird - or a...
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Tenth Blogiversary
I find it hard to believe I've been blogging for ten years. I wasn't sure if I was going to acknowledge this anniversary, or how I should do so if I did. But one of the benefits of blogging for that...
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In a Vase on Monday: A bright start to the new year
The new year started with a relative deluge of rain. We got nearly an inch and a half of rain on Saturday before the clock tolled midnight. People attempting to launch fireworks probably weren't...
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The rain keeps coming
I had plans to get a lot done in the garden this week. Yes, we expected rain on and off but, given our history, I thought it would be mostly off.  While my backyard was relatively sunny on Friday,...
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Wide Shots - January 2023
I took advantage of a morning lull in the rain on January 2nd to take photos of my garden for my quarterly wide shots post. The garden is well-saturated and, at present, the longer-term forecasts...
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In a Vase on Monday: New arrivals
The rain - or maybe just the progress of time - has brought a few new arrivals to the garden and I've taken advantage of some of them this week. More rain is on the horizon. Three more storms, the...
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Be careful what you wish for
Anyone who's read more than three of my posts is probably aware of my obsession with water and rain. Even before California was officially declared to be in severe drought, I was concerned about our...
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Bloom Day - January 2023 (Early Edition)
After seven rain storms in close succession (and with two more on the way), my garden has had its deepest soak in years but flowers are still on the light side this month. I took this month's photos...
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In a Vase on Monday: Soggy
Our ninth storm in a row arrived late yesterday afternoon. The breaks between them have been brief and sometimes all but nonexistent. That may be something many of you are used to but it's unusual...
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New year pruning projects
My husband gave me a new pair of pruners for Christmas and I almost immediately put them to work on one project after another (mostly) between rainstorms. I took my pruning of the three Agonis...
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Winter Foliage Highlights
Rain, especially heavy rain played on repeat over weeks, does a lot to freshen a garden in drought-afflicted Southern California. With the rain now done for the foreseeable future (i.e. at least two...
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In a Vase on Monday: A mix of sunshine and the blues
Although the rain let up last week and sunshine returned, it was a difficult week for other reasons. My 15 year old cat, Pipig, suddenly showed signs of severe medical distress Tuesday night. When...
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Seeking Inspiration
Even in coastal Southern California, January is not a particularly exciting time of year in the garden. I've got holes to fill all over my garden. While I've ideas in mind for at least some areas, I...
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