Updates and New Things to Click On!

Well aren't I just full of news today?  Not only did Idora HQ experience the first Monarch sighting in the front garden (seen here sucking on a Malacothamnus flower), but the website's been updated with pretty new pictures and Facebook folks can now visit a brand new spiffy Facebook page.  (You can also "like" any of the posts you see here with the button dealie at the bottom.)

I forgot how big Monarchs are!  Hopefully this one will enjoy the puny Asclepias fascicularis I planted a few months ago.  An exciting start to the morning and motivation to get all those plants and bulbs in the ground that I've accumulated over the past two months! 

Best Aphid Control Ever

I've been working in the shop of late on a new trellis design, but I had to share the magical experience of standing on the front porch yesterday afternoon.  Soaking in the late afternoon sun and dusting off errant flecks of redwood, I observed in wonder a gang of Bushtits who one by one zipped to the Malacothamnus and delicately picked off the aphids that had taken up residence.  I reveled in their happy chirps, transfixed by their tiny black legs and twig-like feet wrapped around the stems.  Then one, two, three...  four, five... and six alighted to the protection of the climbing rose across the street.  With a contented sigh I returned to my work, still surprised by the life my garden has taken on.

A Breath of Fresh... Fog

Saturday presented a magical day in the garden; a fine and unexpected mist gradually descended on the leaves, on me, on the sidewalk of which a fresh rain scent refracted back in thanks.  I'm not the first to note (by "note" I mean complain bitterly) the erratic weather patterns of this year (I found it oddly fitting to tear out the last of the still-blooming sweet peas on the first of September), but I must say that this shot of beachy fog created a wonderland.

Drops of jewels clung to unfurling leaves, grateful for a little moisture, while inconspicuous spider webs became encrusted with bling.

The gray foliage, if you can call it foliage, of the Lessingia filanginifolia 'Silver Carpet' became magnified with contrast, carrying its browned globes triumphantly above white stems.

The stone mulch in a blink of an eye lost its chalky cast to a glimmery sheen.  The Dudleya threw its arms upward in celebration.

While still not fully recovered from its Clarkia party, the garden steams ahead with contrasting colors- whites, grays, greens, blacks/purples and reds.  This moment in the mist, fussing and exploring I could stand back and revel in the process.  When worry, regret and dissatisfaction over this small square of land overcome me, it is this kind of moment I am so grateful for.

St Pat's Day, California style

Quick, it's St. Patrick's Day!  We need greenery!  How about a nice little corsage to wear throughout the day to prevent would-be pinchers?  One leaf of Eriogonum grande rubescens, one baby Malocothamnus leaf and a couple blades of Muhlenbergia rigens.  Add a ribbon, a pin and a small puncture wound from adhering it and you've got yourself instant California-Irish style.

 Picture from Wikipedia user Heptazane

As for plant of the week, how could I choose anything other than Redwood Sorrel or Oxalis oregana.  However, I have no experience growing this cutie- Redwood forest-like conditions?  Feel free to add your planting tips in the comments below. 

I'd love to do a proper corned beef and cabbage dinner tonight, but I'll probably just have a beer and make Irish Soda Bread to celebrate my 1/8th Scotch-Irish DNA.  Does that make me 1/16th Irish? 

Whatever your background, I wish you all a happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Stealing a Peek at the Garden Between Raindrops

A brief respite from driving rain got me skipping outside to breathe the cold air and inspect the garden.  And... surprise!  A little Brodaiea coccinea has decided to join us above-ground and one of the Manzanitas is budding up.  (Hopefully it will flower as well, but I might have pruned it at the wrong time). 

The Dudleya hassei plants that have made the best of it are sending up little rosettes that I suppose will become lovely hummingbird coveted flower stalks.

It's also the perfect time to go to battle against the Oxalis, too as the ground is squishy.  And, of course the Malacothamnus fasciculatus is blooming forth, pretending she's basking in spring sunshine. 

So enjoy the rain today and all the promises it brings!

Plant of the Week: Fairy Cups

Malacothamnus fasciculatus doesn't have a common name, so I've decided to give it one.  This seems like the ultimate tea party plant as she gives the garden a kind of kid glove and ribbons appeal.  Why do I not see this more often?!  Malacothamnus is a shrubby evergreen (gray) that can become quite hedgy at about 8' high.  Her gray leaves provide an excellent foil against the house or greener plantings (mine's behind a Manzanita) and she will host many a butterfly and hummingbird.  I think I'll experiment with pruning mine and make two open and airy and use another for screening. 

Soil:  well drained to clay, doesn't seem too picky
Sun:  full sun to part shade.  This lady is from So Cal, so make sure she gets her suntan
Plant:  when, you ask?  Well, right now would be a good time!  Be careful when transplanting, the roots seem of the fragile variety
Buy it:  I got mine from a wholesale nursery, but you can certainly ask your local nursery to stock them for you.  I've seen some at Cactus Jungle. 
Good for:  wildlife, a backdrop for tea parties, adding a touch of gray to your garden, creating a hedge between you and your noisy neighbors.