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Some Colorful California Native Summer Bloomers
This post could have been titled: "But won't it be all brown and desert-like in the summer?"The article I shared in my last post, about replacing lawns with native plant gardens, also addressed a...
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A Magical Day at the Arboreturm
The week before the garden tour, I decided to throw caution to the wind and spend the day in San Francisco with a friend. Surely, the garden clean-up could wait?And it was truly a wonder day - with a...
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Tale of Four Penstemons
(FYI - This is a Town Mouse post)California natives, beloved for being drought tolerant and pollinator friendly, do not have a reputation for being showy. Because of that, I'm always working on adding...
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GGNRA propagation nursery for local restoration. Now THAT'S a proper...
In the Presidio of San Francisco near Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco,nestled among the former military housing, sits an amazing restoration nursery. You can see its shade house on the right.It...
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Wildflowers of the Los Padres National Forest
I very much enjoy visiting Tassajara, a monastery in a deep canyon in the Los Padres National Forest. In the summer, Tassajara has a guest season, and the paying guests - which support the monastery...
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"Confetti gardens" - pros and cons
I have posts waiting (greenhouses of Golden Gate National Recreation Area nursery, trip to the arboretum at Golden Gate Park) but today I'm moved to write about confetti gardening, which has been my...
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GGNRA propagation nursery with Betty Young - part II
In my first post about the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, Â I wrote about the seed preparation and fern propagation areas we saw on our tour with director Betty Young. Now we go into the greenhouse and...
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Can I clear the table now?
With the strange weather we've been having, the plants have been behaving a bit oddly. Case in point is Salvia apiana. One of the focal points of the front garden, the flower stalks of this beautiful...
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The Real Summer Bloomers of the Summer Dry Garden
OK, I admit it. When asked about summer blooming California natives, I might wax poetically about salvias, monkey flower, penstemon, yarrow, and other beauties just like the rest of the devotees of our...
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Fifty Shades of Green
I admit a temporary temptation for a post titled "Fifty Shades of Grey". And really, some plants of the California summer garden do offer a credible semblance of grey - just look at the Salvia...
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My dry summer garden California Native bloomers
Honey moon view from our homeA the joys of summer! Alternating between periods of frantic busy-ness and delicious idleness. Oh that moon was amazing!Yes, it's me, Country Mouse posting again finally!...
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A Harvest Festival of Feasting Finches
Summer is lazy around the garden. I water a little here and there. I weed a little. Mostly I'm enjoying the plants, and watching the wildlife enjoy the plants.Today I enjoyed the house finches feasting...
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A Well Watered Paradise
Mr. Mouse and I just returned from a wonderful trip to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. While some parts of that region are comparatively dry (17 inches of rain per year) others are quite wet...
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Flowers in the High Country
The premise of my recent trip to the Pacific Northwest was that our group was to see a different ecosystem every day - and the trip leaders did not disappoint! Our second day was spent hiking along...
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Now That's a Restoration Project!
As part of our Pacific Northwest trip, Mr. Mouse and I had the great pleasure of learning more about the removal of the Elwah dam and the associated restoration project.This dam removal project -...
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Morning fog and drought
Pseudognaphalium ramosissimum - Pink everlastingI've been gone from the blog for a while. My thanks to Town Mouse, who has kept the summer time posts flowing.When I got back from a trip to the U.K. I...
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Extra Dry
It's been in the news, and for one, they aren't exaggerating: we're in a drought, and things are extra dry. Above, a photo I took several weeks ago on a hike in the Los Padres National Forest. Yes,...
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Mandala
David George Haskell's book The Forest Unseen: a year's watch in nature is a favorite of mine. He picked a yard-square spot (his "mandala") in an old growth forest of Tennessee and wrote short natural...
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Dry Garden in Early Fall
All things considered, the garden this fall is quite attractive. Shown above, Erigoneum arborescens in the foreground, Arctostaphylos pajaroensis in the mid-distance on the right and the strong green...
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Piece of Paradise
I had very much hoped to stay home for the rest of the year, but when I was sent to Bellevue, Washington, I decided to take the opportunity. And, imaging my delight when I found out that my hotel, on...
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