More Adorable Topiary

I noticed some dolphin topiary a few weeks ago. Now I am noticing it in more places. Here are two horned, four legged animals--goats perhaps?

Make Lemonade

Local gardeners enter their produce at the OC Fair. This BIG lemon won the honor of being the largest lemon. A pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade would be nice.

Drum Kit is the New Terra Cotta Pot

If you are wondering what to do with the drum kit which gets left behind when your teenage sons finally leave home, the Orange County Fair had an answer. The fair's theme this year is "The Beat Goes On" so this is a very appropriate display.

Small Pumpkin: A Delicious Treat

Wondering what to do with the harvest of small pumpkins this fall?
My husband's birthday was last week and we celebrated at a Chinese restaurant in Pasadena. The dessert course was incredible. A small pumpkin was baked with sticky rice, raisins, dried fruits and nuts and a gooey sugary sauce. The presentation was beautiful. It was served in slices on our plates (this pumpkin served seven of us). I enjoyed the dense baked pumpkin taste and texture with the gooey rice.

Dolphins in My Neighborhood

Dolphins on Shore--We love them in the ocean so much we finds way to bring these lovely creatures ashore.

Whimsical dolphin topiary greet visitors to Corona del Mar. (Note--the topiary wore red, white and blue sashes for the Fourth of July!)
Golden dolphin statues glisten in the sun.
Girl in the Curl surf shop uses the dolphin in it's logo.
Clever configuration of rocks create a dolphin's tail.A gentle reminder not to pollute our oceans through the street drains.

Compost This!

When you stop for your daily coffee drink from Starbucks, look for bagged coffee grounds. These can be added to your composter. Here is a little additional information about coffee grounds and using them in your garden.
Starbucks

Staking a Newly Planted Tree

Two Stakes Help Tree Acclimate Better than One Stake

(Example of proper tree staking)
I had three trees installed in a garden renovation a few years ago. Two of them have done well and have become nicely established in the garden. One, however, has failed to thrive. When trying to remove the stake which the landscapers left to help it get established, I discovered it is top heavy and lists to one side.

After doing a little research, I discovered that current convention is to use two stakes with webbing configured as a figure 8 to secure the tree. The idea is to get the wind to rustle through the canopy, the tree to sway in the wind with tree growing stong.

I think this might be part of my tree's problem. I also think the landscapers might not have released the roots when they planted it. We are going to try to excavate a little to see if we can determine if the roots are just circling around instead of spreading out.

Charming Little Shade Lover

Bergenia cordifolia
I'm always on the lookout for shade loving plants. I found this plant in a landscape near some retail shops. It likes partial to full shade with medium water. The leaves turn purple in the fall.

Mounding, Compact Lavender

Perfect mounding, compact lavender plant for a border in my backyard. It's lavandula latifolia "silver frost." It's supposed to be drought and heat tolerant which is wonderful for a water-wise planting. Also the blue flowers attract butterflies!

Bark of the Palm Trees in Near My House

I've been taking my camera with me when walking this week. Noticed that the bark on the palms is very interesting.

Weather Predicting Stick

This is a clever little stick I purchased a few years ago. It predicts the weather in terms of moisture. So mostly the stick is in the dry position 9 months of the year here in Southern California. But when it is very moist such as during June when we have the heavy marine layer creep inland or like today when it is actually misting enough to consider it a misty rain, it dips downward.

Daylilies

Daylilies are blooming in California. I found two beautiful specimens. I love the ruffles and frills of the orange bloom and the tailored crispness of the yellow one.