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Chinese Lantern in Bloom
Warm weather (77F / 25C), crisp blue skies and varigated Chinese Lanterns (Abutilon) blooming above the courtyard bench equal a spectacular Monday.
You got your Rosemary in my Lantana
My neighbor's rosemary creeped down my slope and my lantana creeped up hers. Somewhere in the middle the met and now they're both in bloom. They complement each other quite nicely.
Video: 40 Seconds of Silence
Some mornings the world seems to have stopped. It rained a bit last night, but the morning brought clear blue skies, sun and near silence save for a few birds.
February Friday Sunset
A painted sunset on a mid-February Friday evening looking due west. Spectacular colors courtesy of high clouds over the Pacific Ocean (about 10 miles away).
Garden Hack: DIY Water Bottle Drip Watering System
Garden Hack: Make a simple DIY drip watering system for potted plants & seedlings with just a water bottle. Instructions and video included in the article.
First Tomato of the Season
I have a friendly competition with my neighbor to see who can grow the first ripe tomatoes of the season. I usually lose. This time I sowed seed back in early December and, despite losing all but one plant (a Tigerella), I spotted my first baby green fruit this weekend.
Sansevieria Picture Window
I made some planters from the flower stalk of a giant agave, and put Sansevieria in them. The view from our picture window into the shade garden now has a Jurassic jungle feel.
Found a new friend this weekend
A broken pipe in my house's crawlspace made it rain in the living room. I came face to face with this guy looking for the pipe. I'm a bad man, so naturally I sent my wife up the ladder to "look at the pipe."
Avian Crime Scene
Riley the Rooster investigates the site of a confrontation between a Eurasian collared dove and a Cooper's hawk moments ago. There's no question who won.
Keyhole Garden Mid-Winter Maintenance
Mid-winter is rough on vegetables, even the ones in the keyhole garden. The secret to keeping the bed productive is a happy compost bin in the middle. Today we checked on how the compost was doing.
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