Altar

I came across this little altar during my hike the other morning.  As I leaned over to stretch at the top of the hill, a feather caught my eye.  Walking up to it, I saw all of these beautiful objects lovingly placed -- I wonder over time or all at once, by adult or by child?  I'll bring my offering next time.

ABQ Thanksgiving

Traveled to see my family in Albuquerque this past week, and took a hike around the Three Sisters.  The textures of the rocks, grasses, and cacti combined with the open sky above set the scene for a glorious post-feast walk.

Arroyo Seco Walk

I've been horrible lately about posting here, and miss having the outlet for things I find lovely/fascinating.  It's so easy to get swept up in the rest of life and forget the little meditative things we do, which for me includes this blog.   And walking.  I did manage to go for a really nice walk with a good friend and fellow classmate of mine, Kate Osgood, this past weekend.  She took me to a park that was practically around the block from me, that I have never explored (embarrassing!), right along the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena.  It's an easy walk, sometimes shared with horses, and this weekend shared with art installations.  Oh, and an archery course (watch out for stray arrows)!  The concrete creek runs beside you, and large estates loom on either side of the small canyon.  It's a little gem that I can't wait to explore more.

They've done a nice job planting natives along the banks, and I snapped these pics of two of my new favorite plants: a blue Penstemon (whose Latin name I am still trying to find) and Salvia spathacea (Hummingbird sage). 

The importance of natives

A friend of mine just shared this article with me, and it pretty well sums up why I care about plants:

Just Because It'll Grow in Your Yard Doesn't Mean You Should Plant It, by Lisa Novik. 


Photo from If Nature Could Talk

Jacarandas

Testing out some more film in the Roland. 

Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden

Just a couple pictures from this weekend's class at RSABG.  Fields of douglasiana, heuchera, and dudleya and trees full of life, including this petite hummingbird nest. 

Open the windows

This has been happening all over LA this week and making me smile every time I notice another tree in bloom.  The bees are loving it too.  Did you hear about the study of bees and caffeine?  Apparently they get a boost like we do despite caffeine being toxic to other bugs.  I was also surprised to read that citrus flowers contain caffeine.

My desk, mantel, and dining room table all now have sprigs of lemon and peach tree on them, bringing just a little bit of spring inside. 

Found via Even*Cleveland.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be driving my friend Janelle from MN around town, and we spotted this wonder.  The jasmine was growing up up up through the post, and tumbling out in all its glory.  I'd seen this happen before with crab grass, and exclaimed about its wretched tenacity, but never imagined another plant performing the same feat.  It smelled like heaven.

Fall Back

I was thankful to wake up to a sunny house this morning, especially when I saw how the light was catching my anniversary flowers. 

Flowers from Clementine, arranged by me.  There's nothing more beautiful than the gift of an armload of flowers wrapped in brown paper. 

Palm Desert

A study in contrasts between the tamed and wild of Palm Desert -- the amount of sprinklers going off in the middle of the day made my blood pressure rise.  But a tour of The Living Desert opened my eyes to the sculptural treasures of the desert.  While some are used to great effect in town, lush green grass is definitely king here. 

I left Palm Desert via HW 74, the Palms to Pines Highway, and as I climbed the landscape changed every few miles.  I made it to Idyllwild, an hour by car, but a world of difference, and will post pictures of that landscape next.

Evolution

If only we knew the origins of this beast.

Desert Fare

My beautiful and talented sister in law wrote a piece for the latest issue of Wilder Quarterly on growing shallots in the desert.  I'm hoping to start my crop this fall, with her help. 

The garden, last spring

I just got a roll of film developed from over a year ago.  What a nice surprise to see my old garden in all of its glory last spring (must've been March or April judging from the bright spots of poppies).  It has since fallen into summer dormancy and some disrepair since we moved away from it.  I've got big plans for it this winter though -- new plantings, some hard pruning and lots of mulch.

This is how I feel sometimes.


Photo by Christoffer Relander, found via This is Colossal.

Hedge Cubes

A simple yet effective use of plant manipulation in Paris.  I don't mind a clipped hedge like this, despite my previous rants.  If you're going to force a plant into a particular shape, make it count! 

Photo and more info from Historical Gardens.

Ellsworth Kelly Plant Drawings

Wishing I was in NYC to see this at the Met.  Thanks for the heads up, Jean.

Just a little oleander from my backyard for you.

Hollywood celebrates its namesake

While the Bird of Paradise is still the official flower of Los Angeles (despite its South African origins), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) is now being recognized as the official plant of the city.

Photo above by Miguel Vieira/Flickr.

Vega-Tables

Not me.  Yet.

Often when I mention to people that I love to garden, they immediately start talking about their tomato plants or vertical lettuce gardens.  These are areas I have minimal experience in, as I have tended to lean more towards aesthetic or wildlife gardening - flowers, bugs and birds.  I have dabbled in vegetable gardening, even worked on an organic farm in Wisconsin for a summer, but am still daunted by the idea of nurturing a successful, food-producing garden. 

We happen to have a peach tree in our backyard (it really belongs to my landlord).  The birds often get to the peaches before we do, and I asked a gardener friend recently how to save a few peaches for myself.  He had elaborate schemes to keep birds away from the tree, and out of the yard entirely.  I love the birds!  I plant certain things just for the birds!  In fact, the past month or so a family of phoebes has been dining out back every evening.  I don't want them to go away for the sake of a few peaches!  When most gardeners find a tomato worm on their plants, they toss it over the fence.  I cheer it on and tell it how pretty it is. 

But I do love being able to step out back, pick a tomato and toss it into the skillet. Or to chop some young lettuce and drop it in my salad bowl.  There is a sense of freedom that goes along with sustaining yourself from your own backyard.   So this year I have planted a handful of food-bearing plants, and hope that through a little practice and some luck I can eke out some lovely food, and hopefully develop a symbiotic relationship with my wilder neighbors.

Here are some links to some helpful articles on various urban farming practices:

Best tomato cages

Creating a no-dig garden (I've been wanting to try this low-water method for years.  Still haven't.)

Inspiration 

More inspiration

Or just go to a Farmer's Market


Photo above by Gardener's Supply Co.

U.S. Botanical Garden

I was sent to Washington, D.C. last week for a work conference, and squeezed in a quick hour at the Botanical Garden on the mall on my last day.

As soon as I walked into the misty glass house, my blood pressure dropped and my olfactory senses perked up.  Slowly meandering through the exhibits of Jungle, Desert, Rare Orchids and Medicinal Plants, I made notes of plants I already knew, and those I'd like to get to know better. 

Outside, the gardens celebrated the wild, with paths leading through native plantings, bioswales and creative paving.