January - 2019

Bird’s-eyes Gilia first blooms

Ah, one of my favorite California natives, the Bird’s-eyes Gilia Gilia tricolor. They are so lovely with lavender edged petals and bright, almost turquoise blue anthers. I originally purchased several of these plants as seedlings from Annies Annuals two years ago. They immediately became one of my favorites, so delicate with feathery leaves. When it is breezy, as it usually is where we live, these Gilias seem to gracefully dance. And bees are crazy for the nectar of these lov

What's for lunch?

It's so wonderful to see in the garden several plants blooming almost throughout the year, providing nourishment and habitat for the pollinators. My ultimate goal is to plant native plants that bloom during different seasons to guarantee food at all times, and so far we seem to have a promising start. The Ray Hartman ceanothus must be the easiest California shrub to grow. It never needs to be fertilized, is so drought tolerant that it doesn't need water in the summer and grow

Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee pollinating the Sunshine Blueberries

Between the rainstorms this yellow-faced bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii has been busy pollinating our sunshine blueberry blossoms. I couldn't get a good shot of the bee because it was constantly in motion, flying from blossom to blossom. You would think it wouldn't be so hard to get a better shot since these bumble bees are quite large, therefore slower than other bees. But you can still see how fuzzy these bees are from the yellow hairs on its face. After spending some time

The Angelica tomentosa returns

Look who's back! Last year I planted two Angelica tomentosa "Wooly Angelica" seedlings in one of the patio plant beds. I tended to them, watering carefully several times a week during the dry season. Alas, they perished. Early this month, one of them reappeared sprouting a tiny branch with leaves And this week a second little branch appeared. This is very exciting for me, because the Wooly Angelica is a native California habitat plant that attracts many kinds of beneficial na

Lavender is a great nectar source for the pollinators

If you want a guaranteed nectar source all year-round, plant lavender shrubs. Here is a honey bee feeding on nectar from one of our lavender shrubs in the front yard during a break between winter rainstorms. Note the orange pollen on its leg. Our lavender shrubs aren't very big, but as long I keep pruning dead branches and deadhead the spent flowers, the shrubs keep producing new flowers. The winter rains work wonders on these plants. There is so much new growth on them, and

Black Phoebe sitting on a crab apple branch

The Northern Black Phoebes visit our yard throughout the year. I like to observe them perched on a branch or TV cable above the front yard, scanning the area for insects. They chirp as they sit there, and quickly fly up in the air to catch insects. And then they land right back on the branch or TV cable, to scan again. They are plump, sparrow-sized birds, with large heads that have a slight peak to the rear of the crown. They are very dark gray, almost black, with white belli

Winter showers bring the flowers

We are currently experiencing a severe winter storm, a result of the atmospheric stream with its long moisture plume. While this weather wreaks havoc with flooding, high winds, and steady heavy rain, which sometimes pours down as if the sky is a giant bucket of water, we badly need the water. Of course it would be nice if we just had steady rain, not too heavy, for several weeks. But I just am so relieved that we are getting all of this rain. Last weekend I took the photo abo

Winter blooms on the Ray Hartman Ceanothus

It's so nice to see the Ray Hartman ceanothus shrub producing blossoms throughout the winter. When we lived at a lower elevation in Alameda County, our Ray Hartman ceanothus didn't bloom year-round, only from Spring through Fall. This ceanothus shrub has been blooming throughout the year, and gradually producing more and more blossoms. It is providing nectar for the pollinators, including hummingbirds and occasional bees. And the brown-eyed bushtits seem to be finding spiders

bees in the bay breeze

For years I have been sharing ideas, gardening tips and recipes with family, friends and colleagues.

And now I'd like to share them with you!

bees in the bay breeze

bees in the bay breeze is a blog that features musings about nature,

organic gardening and food for a changing planet

Bird’s-eyes Gilia first blooms

What's for lunch?

Well hello there, honey bee

Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee pollinating the Sunshine Blueberries

The Angelica tomentosa returns

Lavender is a great nectar source for the pollinators

Black Phoebe sitting on a crab apple branch

Winter showers bring the flowers

Winter blooms on the Ray Hartman Ceanothus

First ladybird of the year

bees in the bay breeze

Tag Cloud

Follow Me

Leaf Cutting Bee and the Echinacea blossom

First sighting of a Summer Long-Horned Bee

They're here!

Interesting Sunset

California Towhee fledgling visiting

Acmon Blue laying eggs on buckwheat plant

Anise Swallowtail, what a survivor

Monarch Butterfly laying Eggs on Milkweed

Colorful native blooms

The Root Children

You too can participate in The Monarch Ultra

Insects and a sprig of rosemary

Brown eyed Bushtit fledgling

Let's celebrate some of our hardest working pollinators today, World Bee Day

The adorable umber skipper

Sleeping bees

Brown-eyed Bushtits on the Abutilon

Lambs ears are starting to bloom

Bee visitors today