Angelica tomentosa producing another stem
The Angelica tomentosa "Wooly Angelica" is still doing well, growing slowly but surely. You can see a new stem growing at the base of the plant, about to unfurl another set of leaves. It is growing in a partially shaded area in one of the patio beds. This California native can grow up to three to five feet tall. The flowers that bloom in summer months provide habitat for many native beneficial insects. The main reason why I planted it is because the leaves provide food for th
Ooh, the Apricot Blush Hellebore is thriving
I am so thrilled that the Apricot Blush Hellebore is doing well in the garden bed. It is one of our few ornamental plants growing among California natives. This is the very first Hellebore we ever planted, and it was an experiment, because you just never know if a plant will be happy where it's growing. We've had it for a year now, and it looks like the cold temperatures and plentiful rain is just what the plant likes. The large blossom has been blooming for weeks, and the ot
More plants!
It's that time of year to plant...more plants! I needed to replace a blue sapphire salvia in the front yard because it just wasn't doing well at all, no matter how much care I tried to give it. We went to Annies Annuals to buy "a few" plants for a replacement for the salvia, as well as some annuals, and ended up with twenty four plants. Yes, you know how that happens, and it can especially happen at a nursery like Annies'. Here is one of the purchases, a replacement salvia pl
Cuphea 'Minnie Mouse' flourishing
This wonderful Cuphea plant produces cute little red blossoms with brownish "Mouse Ears". We have two of these shrubs growing in one of the patio plant beds. And they seem to be growing in just the right kind of light and soil, in bright shade with good soil. I fertilize the soil around the shrubs throughout the spring, summer and fall, with eggshells, banana peels and used teabags. These plants are native to Mexico and South America and produce blossoms throughout the year.
Yellow-rumped Warbler visiting
I was observing through a window the American robins feasting on ivy berries in the backyard. And look who suddenly flew in the yard to take in the warmth of the sun, a female yellow-rumped warbler. She landed on a tomato cage, where there are some old tomato plants still growing (well, sort of). I had no option but to take the photos through the window glass, because she would certainly have flown away if I had gone out to the patio with the camera. She appears to be a young
Golden-crowned sparrow in the ivy
The golden-crowned sparrows seem to have found a nice winter home around our garden. I look forward every winter to seeing these cute little visitors. They seem to always find food in the patio garden beds and the yard. And when the robins take a break from their ivy berry meals, these sparrows like to just soak in the warmth of the sun between rainstorms. This sparrow spent at least fifteen minutes just relaxing on the ivy vines. At the onset of summer, these sparrows head f
Sunshine Blueberries in the Rain
All those rain showers bring the flowers, and look at these lovely Sunshine Blueberry blossoms. Today, since we had some sunshine and no rain, the yellow-faced bumble bee was back pollinating these blossoms. It looks like we should have a lot of berries, but they probably will be gobbled up by the birds. And that's okay with us. We like to provide native wildlife and pollinators with food. I think I just like to grow things, especially native plants.
Pandora poppies on the patio
The Papaver rhoeas 'Pandora' poppies are getting a lot of rain, which is great because they thrive in the cool temperatures and winter rains we have been experiencing. A year ago in the spring, I planted a couple of these as seedlings in one of the patio garden beds. They did well for a few months, producing a couple of lovely blooms, but they didn't produce much foliage or grow very tall. Eventually they shriveled up and perished. Last autumn I planted two Pandora poppy seed
... and more raindrops on the Hellebore
Ah, the lovely Helleborus orientalis 'Double Peach Blush' blossom. I am so happy to see this plant blooming. It was purchased from Annies Annuals as a seedling last year. Although most of the plants in the garden are California natives, planted specifically for the pollinators, now and then I do plant something just because it's so lovely, especially when it blooms in the winter. It definitely isn't a shade of peach or apricot, but very delicate in color. I had my doubts abou
Raindrops on roses...
It's that time of year when raindrops cling to new blossoms, looking like jewels until the sun dries the drops or they fly off in the wind. Here is a China rose slowly opening in the brisk temperatures. It is a Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis' plant that we purchased on a whim from Annies Annuals last autumn. These lovely blossoms first are orange buds, opening to a shade of yellow, and finally turn magenta. This blossom is currently in shades of salmon and magenta. These roses hav
