I'd Do It Again

I've bought pretty cinerarias before of course, who can resist their cheery brightness in the middle of winter, but I've never put them in the ground. I always buy them and slip them into decorative pots on the porch or deck where they bloom for months and then get abandoned into the compost pile when their days of glory are over. This year I actually put one in the ground at the front of a flower bed that is the home of mostly roses and iris that are pretty bare during the cool months. It was planted in the beginning of January and it is still amazing today and I expect it to hold on to that bloom for a few more weeks. It is an eye catcher in an otherwise green vista this time of year. I kind of doubt it will over-summer and handle the dry season, but I have no problem replacing it if needed next winter. It is a shade plant but seems to flourish in our mild winter sun but probably would stand a better chance in a shadier spot in the garden.

A Peachy Gift

Last month we had a big party for many friends, neighbors and coworkers. As usual many guests brought us hostess gifts as a thank you for being included. Most of them brought wine, which is always thoughtful and appreciated. Others bring flowers, either cut or flowering potted plants, also always appreciated. But one couple went way out of their way to find something special and brought us a peach tree! It was in a 5 gallon pot and no easy feat to lug it down the block I'm sure. What a special and thoughtful gift! It is already in the ground and acclimating to the garden along side our other fruit trees. I'm touched!

Please

Remind me to plant more daffodils in my SJC garden next fall!

The Leftovers

My sweet granddaughter is always eager to wander the gardens with me, even if it is freezing and she needs a heavy coat. Her favorite thing to do there is to harvest whatever is ready in the vegetable garden, but this time the pickings were slim due to the hungry rabbits that have been visiting. The only things they don't touch are the lemons (naturally, too high), the onions, and...

...evidently they aren't fond of bok choy! Project for this spring? Install some attractive and effective fencing!

The Big Lawn

The front lawn is often called the "play" lawn at our house. It is used almost daily for wearing out our young energetic dogs. The grandkids play all kinds of ball games here when they visit as well as navigating the DG tricycle track that surrounds the lawn . Here is my brother-in-law to-be a couple weeks ago playing a fierce game of croquet. Another favorite is bocce ball. It is probably the most peaceful garden on the SJC property as it is the home of the Moonlight Garden with only white flowers and all kinds of shades of green foliage. It has shady spots and sunny areas that evolve as the sun moves overhead. There are a number of different seating areas that allow the observer to see the gardens from different angles. Although it is a large lawn it is drought tolerant (as lawns go) and entirely organic and a very important part of our home, as any lawns should be these days.

Sweet Fairy Primroses

I have a hard time deciding which primroses are my favorites, but Fairy Primroses (primula malcoides) seem to be edging out the more showy ones for my affection, at least this year. They are often referred to as perennials, but they perform like annuals in my garden, rarely living through the summers. They do like it cool and damp with dappled sunshine which works just fine for these white ones that are occupying the faux bois birdbath in the Moonlight Garden. They put on a nice show for most of the cooler months as long as they are planted in rich soil. They are small and can get lost in a large bed, but they are perfect for containers or as sweet little accents grouped together among some ferns along a shady path. So sweet.

Persistence

Unusually cold weather and excessive rain have not deterred all of the abutilon in my garden from blooming profusely this month. It is sometimes called 'Flowering Maple' because of the charming maple leaf shaped foliage as well as the 'Chinese Lantern' plant because of the paper-like blooms that hang daintily from the stems. If that is not enough to make you love this shrub, it is a big hummingbird magnet too! Like most of us, it prefers partial or dappled shade. In my garden it blooms for most of the winter and spring. Lovely!

See You In March

Taking off for a couple weeks, but looking forward to coming back with spring right around the corner!

A Charming Reminder

Last May I attended a fundraiser for a non-profit organization that I support. For a centerpiece on the table was this little square dish of polished rocks with three echeveria in the center. I purchased the centerpiece and brought it home and as I was bringing it into the house from the car I got distracted and placed in on the bench by the front door. It has lived in that same spot for eight months now and has grown three or four times as large and even bloomed. What a charming and carefree reminder of the event I attended.

Welcome Home

See this little lemon tree? It is right in front of where I park my car and I must tell you how happy it makes me feel when I pull into my parking spot and see those little lemons ripening! This pot was there when we moved in and in it was a sad little palm tree that was a bit neglected. Not exactly the welcoming scene I wanted when I returned home every day. I relocated the palm into the ground where it will be much happier and replaced it with this enthusiastic little dwarf lemon tree. It is growing like crazy and I even used a lemon from it the other night! It should bloom soon which will scent the air with that lovely aroma of citrus blooms. Delightful!