They say, “Cute as a June bug,” but let me tell you, there is nothing cute about June bugs. They bombard the screen all night and you have to sweep them away in the morning. June is typically the month of fog known as June gloom, following May grey. The fog persists so much thatContinue reading “JUNE”
Tag Archives: garden
SPRING FLOWERS
I noticed a hummingbird looking for a place to nest. She was checking out the trees in my front yard which looks especially appealing right now. The Clivias are blooming and one is a slightly lighter orange than I have ever seen. You can see the two shades below. They are putting on such aContinue reading “SPRING FLOWERS”
MARCH AS SPRUNG FORTH
It’s March and the rains are still coming, but much lighter than the storms of February. Still we hope to have a March miracle. We turned the clocks forward and for the first time, I felt like I truly sprung into spring. I noticed blooms on my apricot tree. I am hoping the strong wingsContinue reading “MARCH AS SPRUNG FORTH”
FEBRUARY RAINS
The rains arrived in February, gently as first and then heavier downpours. In between the two storms we had, the wrens where absolutely singing the loudest songs I have every heard. They seemed filled with joy. My staghorn plant which looked close to death from the hot dry winds we had in November, December, andContinue reading “FEBRUARY RAINS”
DRY JANUARY TAKES A WHOLE NEW MEANING
January arrived with strong winds and super low humidity. Actually, the winds started in November and burned through the foothills of our town and the farm area behind us. We lost a lot of houses in that fire, but nothing could have prepared us for the fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena. I’ve lived inContinue reading “DRY JANUARY TAKES A WHOLE NEW MEANING”
SLOW JANUARY
The new year started with bright sunny weather. I needed to walk by the ocean to welcome the new year in. I was thinking to myself as I walked the harbor that I needed to slow down. Stop planning ahead and just do. Slow as molasses in January. I planted a 4 x 4 gardenContinue reading “SLOW JANUARY”
AUTUMN GLORY
In California, the first true sign of fall are the Santa Ana winds. This morning we had a rush a wind. Very brief and very strong, almost like a dust devil, and then it was calm. I was sitting at my desk when it started raining down leaves that had fallen on our roof fromContinue reading “AUTUMN GLORY”
AUTUMN IS UPON IS
Harvest time is here. I picked my slim wine grape crop the other day. Most of the grapes had developed a fungus and turned black. The abundant rain we had this year, followed by a very cool spring, encouraged the fungal growth. Due to my broken knee, I was unable to get in the vineyardContinue reading “AUTUMN IS UPON IS”
A TALE OF TWO VISITORS
Two fat little sparrows are sitting outside my window on a trellis staring at my ripening grapes. I’ve already lost a lot of the muscat grapes to the birds. They seem to feed on them in the very early morning hours or perhaps the evening. I only know when I go outside in the morningContinue reading “A TALE OF TWO VISITORS”
NAKED LADIES HAVE ARRIVED!
In the past week, Naked Ladies, also known as Amarylilis belladonna from the Colchicaceae family, have begun popping up everywhere in my yard. Earlier in spring they put out long green leaves which die back at the beginning of summer. Than as summer wanes, the long snake-like necks of the flower appear and finally theContinue reading “NAKED LADIES HAVE ARRIVED!”
Reflections Outside My Window 