12. June 2017
Today's vase was made up in a glass for a refreshing afternoon. From one side...
23. April 2017
As temperatures have moved upward during the month of April, flowering has shifted to emphasize the more exotic plants. This is not to say that the standard garden fare is unavailable, but the borders are punctuated just now by some of the more unusual native and subtropical varieties. A month that began with the last few narcissus flowers...
16. January 2017
The weather has been perfect so far this January, and the plants are relishing it. While I feel that I need to improve my selections for wintertime bloom (it is, after all, a prime season in the desert), the showing for this month is quite cheering.
10. January 2017
Chuparosa (Justicia californica) is one of the most casual plants in my garden, unsure whether it ought to stand up or sprawl over the ground, but on the whole much preferring the latter. So far it does not grow dense enough to keep weeds down either, only provides some shelter for them. For all that it is a special plant in its way, not least because it came through last summer utterly unfazed. Also, its blooms are among the favorites of our resident hummingbirds. I have plans for moving it as...
16. November 2016
It is the middle of the month now, the middle of November at that! Time for a look at what is blooming in the garden with Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens. This is a lush season here in the desert, as temperatures are quite comfortable. It might be even lusher if we could get some rain, but so far that hasn't happened. Perhaps a little later... Meantime, here is what the garden is doing. This month I divided the plants according to seasonality, only to find that...
08. November 2016
The lantana is full of butterflies now. Monarchs (Danaus plexippus)...
08. November 2016
This week we are celebrating the third anniversary of the "In a Vase on Monday" theme with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. For the occasion she set a theme of "three". I decided to combine three sets of three flowers, based on color and, more loosely, type. Earlier I had ambitions of creating three separate vases, but I decided that was a bit beyond my energy level as I'm still getting over the flu. So today's arrangement is a threefold celebration, but in one vase. First of all, there are the...
24. October 2016
After last Monday's pink roses, I had plans for an all white arrangement today. But The Alnwick Rose is now in full bloom.
17. October 2016
For me, yesterday's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day coincided with a chance to visit Summerwinds Nursery, an opportunity which unabashedly ousted my Bloom Day post till today. After all, this is the start of planting season here and the tables were loaded. Every minute I could spare today went to planting, and there is still plenty left to do! Meantime, I didn't want to miss my Bloom Day post altogether. So out I went with camera in hand, only to find my flower photography preempted by an even more...