A Garden Grows in California

7 Jan '08 6:23 am

If things proceed the way they do with my plant, the leaves will begin to yellow from the bottom up and drop off. Then, from the growing tip, three new growing tips will emerge and grow out in opposite directions, but I can't remember when in the year this happens. Later flowers will appear above the rossette of leaves on each new stalk and turn to seed heads. Then the leaves will yellow from the bottom up on each stalk and the process will repeat. You have to be carefull when the new growing tips emerge as it is easy to detach them by brushing against them.

Wigandia is from South and/or Central America I believe. Bulbinella is from Jack's neck of the woods.

I was surprised when you told me Joey also had camera issues. Here you have these hyper alpha dogs with this little secret in their closet. Silly boys.

7 Jan '08 4:21 pm

Thanks for the info. about the tree and bulb, Mark. and I guess even dogs have skeletons in their closets!! Smile

Cheers!
gordonf

p.s. - I picked some berries from that Sorbus tree I was telling you about today. Forgot the camera though - drat!!

14 Jan '08 6:58 am

More photos from about the garden taken yesterday, Saturday January 12, 2008. We had our first sunny and much warmer day in a while. So I went out to work in the garden with the few hours I had before Lia and I needed to leave to go see her dad. However I saw things I wanted to photograph and that kept me busy until there was just time to walk the dogs before we had to go. I swear my camera has been the tool I've used most this Winter. I may have to quit checking gardening as my favorite hobby and start checking photography instead if this keeps up. Oh, today I also used a ladder .. to help me get better views to photograph.

14 Jan '08 12:38 pm

Hi,Mark - I, like you, liked that first picture's view of the garden a lot! It sure is great to see some pictures of a garden in sunshine and obviously WARM - while not raining (yet), there is a very cold wind building up here this afternoon. The sky is angry-looking, with lower clouds streaming across at great speed below the higher roof oF grey. I think we're in for a bit of a blow tonight!

I did a lot of cleaning up in my garden yesterday, cutting off dead stems of perennials and pruning some of the smaller trees. I noticed that one of my primulas has fresh flower buds emerging from the bottom, so I moved some of the potted primulas onto the deck to afford them more sunshine, whenever we get some! I also spotted some snow crocuses peeking through the ground out back. No buds yet, but there's hope at least! I discovered the dead stem of a canna that I missed during the earlier clean-up. I wonder whether or not it will make it through the winter??

I planted the seeds of that pink-berried mountain ash that I collected last week and left them outdoors to get the cold and rain. I hope at least some of them grow!

That's it from here for now. All the best.

gordonf

15 Jan '08 4:28 pm

So the ladder is your secret, Mark. You really have posted some lovely high-vantage shots of late!

I thought Wigandia was local, but I checked and it IS from tropical America. It always looked very exotic to me. Some have obviously escaped into the sub-tropical scrub near Tzaneen, causing my confusion. I'm intrigued to see tree dahlias flowering this late. With me they put up a brilliant show in late autumn, flowering with the yellow of the tulip trees' autumn colour. Then they exit spectacularly with the first frost - some years BEFORE flowering!

16 Jan '08 4:28 am

Hi Mark, I am glad to see that you and the garden are surviving the strange weather that has been plagueing all of California, but particularly the north, for the last few weeks. I do envy you the winter foliage and flowers that your milder climate allows. People think that the weather in the lower south means gardening is possible throughout the year. For the most part that is true, but we do suffer some extreme temperature shifts from day to day that can wreak havouc on plants. This time of year still looks pretty bleak, except for the emerging bulbs and all the winter weeds that are coming on strong.

We certainly don't mind that your main focus has been on photographs rather than active gardening lately. We get to enjoy the outcome when you post those love pictures. Keep it up.

16 Jan '08 2:33 pm

Boy, a lot of help you are. You should make me feel guilty for neglecting the garden. Kidding, at least I feel a little useful.

You're right I do tend to think you also have a mild winter. While you do I guess its all a matter of degree and constancy like you say. Having the kind of lazy winter I am I find myself envious of those who get 2 or 3 months off without guilt, but I wouldn't trade it.

Nice to hear from you too. This year has been a bear at school so I haven't been as active either in the garden or on the web.

Jack, you have nice changes in elevation that allow people to view your garden from above naturally. On a flat lot I have to cheat.

25 Jan '08 7:24 am

Oh, Mark!!! What sort of Winter do you have!!! Your babies are so happy!! They look so healthy and beautiful!Your captures have, again, that smart light I love so much, and which characterizes your garden !! That Pond Reflections and the African Beauties are SO gorgeous captures!! Again your ...Winter sun, and your magical light... I think in Greece was like THAT, but everybody there, takes the wintery well being for...granted..Like...you!!! Lucky gardening ....teacher!!

27 Jan '08 3:28 am

Having just viewed your post about all the work in your gardens, I see you really didn't need any encouragement from me or anyone else.

27 Jan '08 7:23 pm

I'd been kicking myself in the pants for a while now to get started. I seem finally to have hit the right spot.

A Garden Grows in California

Good looking seedlings.

This is Winter

A bit of catch-up

Winter gardening in California

Hi yah, Faith.

Wow, Wow!!! Wintering in ...Splendour!!

Lazy gardening?

Well,