Classic Colors--Classic Design

I snapped a photo of this great garden from a Ralph Lauren ad.  This garden design is brilliant at pulling in classic green/blue tones using potted boxwoods (classic) and umbrella.  The teak wood is a nice warm color which is echoed in the terra cotta pots. 

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

I always find tree bark incredibly interesting.  As I was leaving a building yesterday, I noticed this great palm tree with it's furry-looking bark. 

Clivia in Bloom

It's that time of year for the clivia to start blooming.  They are so striking with their deep green leaves and trumpet shaped blooms welcoming the of brighter, longer daytime hours.

Lovely Lettuce from the Winter Garden

Upside Down Hanging Basket Protects Tender Young Plants from Rabbits.  Chives are growing nearby.

I've been enjoying lettuce for the garden for six or seven weeks.  I like buying cell-pack plants with a variety of lettuces.  It gives me a wonderful selection of lettuces for salads.  I've planted twice after the original planting to continue to be able to enjoy lettuce through this season.  It's a good thing as I have already seen two of the lettuce plants getting ready to bolt.

The last planting is only butter lettuce.  Always a favorite.

Bright and Blooming--Keep Bees Zooming

Look who stopped by!

The tree mallow (lavatera maritima) is loving the sun and winter rain.  Lots of beautiful blooms. #bloomsforbees

Seeds, Onions and Beans

Last fall when I was cleaning up the garden, I found some beans, which had not been harvested, now withered on the vine.  I decided to harvest the seeds and store for future use. 

About ten days ago, I was rummaging through my seed drawer looking for some garden string and saw the container of seeds.  I remembered my most prolific bean plant.  It was a volunteer which started growing in the winter and produced beans all spring and summer.  Could this phenomena be duplicated with my planting of the seeds?  I grabbed six or eight seeds and tucked them around some onion plants already growing.  I chose this location as I knew the drip irrigation system was set to water this area.

Well, look what popped up.  About six beans have sprouted.  If we have some cold weather, my experiment might seem fruitless.  BUT so far we have had warm to hot weather.  Now, it's wait and watch.

Voltage--African Daisy

This plant loves the winter rains and the bright sun we've had this winter.  While it has a low water requirement, it allows has abundant blooms in the winter when the rains have come.  This plant was started when a stem broke off from another plant in the garden.  I stuck it in the dirt and this is what has grown.  Here is some information about this plant.