Friday, February 29, 2008

Looks like Spring

Isn't it nice when plants you like reseed or naturalize? Below are some flowers I'm enjoying that I planted a few years ago. And yes, I'm finally emerging from hibernation mode. It's totally mental because I live in northern California. All of a sudden, flowering quince, Japanese camellias, wild lupine, saucer magnolias and daffodils have exploded into color and that's just something you can't ignore.

I've even started torturing my teenage son on the drive to school by offering him twenty bucks to name neighborhood flowering trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. One of these days, I'm going to have to pay up... because he's starting to remember the names.

On the pizza front, I'm making my first batch of homemade dough tonight using King Arthur's Sir Lancelot flour. Wish me luck. Or, rather, wish my son and his friends luck. They're my culinary guinea pigs.





10 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:59 PM

    I was just going to send the posse out to find you...miss your blog - figured you were out like me, PULLING WEEDS! My daffs are winding down, Toyo Nishiki quince puttering along (I'm not impressed with this must-have). Malcomia maritima is lovely now (I love this spring bloomer).
    The Papaver setigerum from Annie's a couple years ago continues to reseed and is blooming now (get some!), as is cerinthe, alonsoa meridonalis. Oooh - been smelling the daphne for a couple of days :-)))
    Had to water the baby wildflowers yesterday - too hot! Northern Sonoma County is quite green (read: weeds allover..)
    I love spring!

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  2. Thanks for noticing my absence from the blogosphere. Um.. you know... life...

    I am like you, cloverann, in that I see green everywhere and much of that green is weeds. The only difference between us is that I am merely thinking about pulling weeds, but haven't done much of it yet. I need me a weed-pulling posse! If I don't do it this weekend, I'm gonna have a situation on my hands.

    I haven't had to water my beds yet. I did give the first little splash to a few of my smaller pots. Also stuck some cuttings in pots after cutting back my cigar plant and calandrinia. Calandrinia seems to root pretty easily. Haven't tried the Cuphea (Cigar plant) before. They're both two of my new faves.

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  3. Anonymous7:05 PM

    Send the weeding posse my way when you're done with them! Oh - prune the calandrinias! I noticed them yesterday (the dried flower stalks, peeking over the weeds..). What was your method for succesful rooting?
    I'm so behind on pruning. MUST, really, MUST embrace low maintenance plants. And mulching! I know about mulching & weed suppression. But do I religiously do it? no. And so I pull weeds...
    This is the time of year I gaze longingly at houses in town on tidy lots and wish I lived on, oh, maybe 1/4 acre, instead of 3+. All this weeding makes me feel old...oh wait - I AM old ;-OOO

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  4. The weather has everyone shifting gears...but as I was told at Clancy's today...it is still only February. Although that is a leap year fluke and tomorrow is March and spring is in March! I hope your pizza is yummy and you'll be ready to do the whole thing in a few months when those tomatoes start up.

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  5. Angela,

    My flowering quinces are popping as are my Japanese Maples, oh what a beautiful sight, hope you enjoyed the great weather today... ugg weeds, don't remind me! : )

    Sean

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  6. Wow those flowers are amazing.

    Jessica
    http://www.jlmaerogarden.blogspot.com/

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  7. It never ceases to amaze me how money can motivate kids a number of years ago to encourage my daughter with her grades I made big mistake of matching Grades to rewards and her grades have been great ever since.

    It can get even worse when she started University she informed me as the courses would be much harder an A should be at least worth $150 so like a sucker as per all parents I said Yes thinking she would not get A's HA Fat Chance

    Steve From
    The Power Gardeners Guide

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  8. Anonymous7:09 AM

    I just stumbled upon your fun blog! I will be visiting more often only I won't be stumbling upon you anymore since I bookmarked you. My up coming visits will be intentional!

    I lived up your way several years ago and that is where my passion for gardening was born. We lived in Shingle Springs on an acre. Loved it there, but the jobs were here in San Jose. So here I am planted for the time bing anyway.

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  9. I'm glad your nasturtium have naturalized. Mine are so scraggly it's pathetic. At least I can enjoy yours.

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  10. Anonymous12:11 PM

    Your description of the spring flowers in Northern California made me homesick. I moved to Florida a few years ago and long for some rolling hills of poppies and lupine....send some more photos.Pleeeese:)
    Rees Cowden
    www.greensideupblog.com

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