Our first California poppy of the year
Poppies have always had such a special place in my heart, ever since I first saw fields of red poppies. I was a little girl at the time,...
Ray Hartman ceanothus in bloom
It's always such a treat to witness the Ray Hartman ceanothus blooming overnight. Okay, the blossoms were buds for several days. Then...
Overwintering in the Delta Sunflower
A California Delta Sunflower that grew to six feet tall several years ago still stands in our native patch. After noticing birds using...
The promise of Spring
Last autumn I strew California poppy seeds around the native patches in our yard. After the atmospheric rains this is the result, lush...
Bushtit and Abutilon blossoms
This bushtit was determined to snack on the sepals of an abutilon blossom. It perched on the branch of the California figwort as it eyed...
Winter visitors
They are all out there in the garden. I hear them in the trees and shrubs, foraging in the garden, or in the bird bath. But when it comes...
White-crowned sparrows finding treasures in the rain
During a day of steady, soft rainfall, birds were out and about foraging in the nature patch of the garden. I observed twelve...
Don't cut down those dead stems of native plants!
The Hummingbird Hill Native Plant Nursery took these photos with a macro lens to show how important it is to leave native plants standing...
Ah, bees
It's so good to still see many pollinators around, including bees and butterflies. Here is a Yellow-Face bumble bee Bombus vosnesenskii...
Northern Mockingbird and the Black Jack Fig
We have a Black Jack Fig tree growing in a large container on our patio, next to the Meyer lemon tree. This variety of fig tree is a...
