Why I am grateful for every insect that I see in our garden
This article about the massive decline in the insect population is a reminder why we all need to do our part. More habitats should be...
Still finding monarch caterpillars
Now that we have released the last of our monarch butterflies, raised from eggs or tiny caterpillars, it's so surprising to still find a...
Look who decided to rest on a nasturtium leaf
What an unusual sight - this plump little monarch caterpillar was resting on the leaf of a small nasturtium plant growing next to the...
Anna's hummingbird and the Abutilon shrub
There is a section of the garden beds on the patio where the plants are specifically for our local hummingbirds. The Abutilon "Red...
Yellow-faced bumble bee moving pollen
Last weekend while I was checking out the native plants, something suddenly plopped down in front of me. It was this Yellow-Faced Bumble...
Climbing Carolina Aster in bloom
And just like clockwork, the Climbing Carolina Aster Ampelaster carolinianus is starting to bloom again. This nonnative perennial vine...
As long as there is nectar
Even though a lot of plants are going dormant, we still have bees and butterfly visitors in the garden every day. As long as there are...
Well that didn't take long
When we went to Annies Annuals last weekend to buy "a few plants", I couldn't resist a Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis' China Rose plant. I...
Gardening is always a learning process
I planted the Ribes sanguineum 'King Edward VII' as a 4" small seedling in early Spring of last year. As a California native, it would...
Hello Painted Lady
This afternoon I was resting after adding grapeseed compost around some of our shrubs in the patio plant beds. And from the corner of my...
