A Winter Walk

Song - Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by B.J. Thomas

After a good rain storm and spending way too much time indoors, 

I took a little walk around my garden today.

The creek in our backyard was roaring.

The lettuce in the vegatable garden was happy.

The Alyssum growing on the rock walls surrounding the vegetable garden smelled wonderful 

and is bright and cheerful. 

 

The Narcissus are ready to open!

My wild Violets are a little bug eaten but blooming. 

  My Mother Ferns are unfurling and......

...growning baby ferns!!! 

The Camellia's are outdoing themselves this year! 

Even our woodpile is growing!  Maybe some Rainbow Bracket Fungus?

Buds on the Flowering Quince

 And the biggest shock is that my brown lawn (ugg!) has turned green (sigh!)

The Spring Snowflakes are budding

And I have several blooms on my Sea Foam Rose!

After my garden walk, Mika and I came indoors and lit the fire and curled up with a cup of tea.


"We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming.  We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are.  They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.  But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives."
 --Gary Zukav

A Winter's Day

Song - I am a Rock by Simon & Garfunkel


Painting and prepping for Christmas has kept me indoors for the last few weeks.  But today I needed to drain some water from the swimming pool due to the amount of rain we have had lately in California!  On my way out to the pool I passed a few beauties....

Even though it is Winter, there is still activity in the garden this time of year.

My Sweet Pea's have begun to climb......

And fragrant Alyssum is growing everywhere!

Camellia's are budding and flowering.  I had just picked three beautiful flowers from this bush which is one of the few remaining plants from the previous owners.  Thank you Nancy!

There is one last leaf left on our Callery Pear trees.

The Rosemary is blooming.......

Mother Ferns are still growing baby ferns......

Lemons are ready for picking.......

The roses are making one final attempt....

My large urns of Salvia are beautiful this time of year......

The Primroses return year after year.....

My Daphne bush is ready to scent the entire garden!

Sweet little Forget Me Not's are blooming everywhere! Little darlin' - I won't forget you!

A few lingering Hydrangea blossoms....

A hopeful Geranium bud......

Time for some tea and garden lemons.....


I know you will find some beauty in your winter day today!

"Every gardener knows under the cloak of winter lies a miracle...a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dreams."
 -- Barbara Winkler

A Little Garden in the Woods

Song - Ain't No Sunshine by Aaron Neville

On Sunday Mr. B had his baseball draft at our home.

This is his presentation of the condiments.

This is his Wild Venison Chili (served with Wild Boar Sausages) Mmmm....

This is Mr. B calmly studying his baseball stats before the crowd arrives

 because his party was kept simple.

This is my presentation.

Silver, 

linen tablecloth, 

bouquets, 

candles, 

handwritten place cards, 

games for the kids

and

clean bathrooms!

This is my "keep it simple" meal.

(This is just the ice water and the dessert....I am always too busy to snap a shot of the meal!)

You won't find a photo of me calmly doing anything prior to a party 

because it never turns out simple!  

I wonder why? 

But afterwards I'll be in a horizontal position on the couch with a glass of wine!

So on Sunday I left the men-folk to their important business of drafting a fantasy baseball team, while I headed down to the Santa Cruz cabin to do a little gardening. Mika came along as my assistant.

 

I replanted the large ferns next to the cabin where we had transplanted them about 6 months ago to do some work on the cabin.

Mom's Five-Finger Ferns are doing beautifully.

I put in three new Mother Ferns and transplanted several Spider Plants in between. 

 

Then I planted Foam Flowers (which love the shade) along with some Begonias 

in front of the living room window. 

 I planted 3 six-packs of Mckana Giant Columbines along a semi-sunny side of the cabin. They grow those beautiful long-spurred blooms and will reseed for next year. 


 

Wax Leaf Begonia which can grow in sun or shade.

Mika and I had a wonderful day in Santa Cruz and Mr. B's party was a big success.

Now it has stormed for the last two days.  I hope my little flowers don't get washed away.....

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." -- John Barrymore