Linaria triornithophora... a.k.a. "Three Birds Flying"

Linaria triornithophora
"Three Birds Flying"


This was one of my impulse purchases at the Annie's Annuals booth at the 2007 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. I stuck it in a pot and it's just beginning to bloom. Isn't it amazing? At this stage, it looks more like Two Birds Sleeping and Two Birds About to Fly, but I'll keep looking for the three flying birds. Maybe it's like one of those optical illusion drawings that you have to stare at for a long time without blinking, when all-of-a-sudden dolphins appear. Now that I think about it, who cares about three birds flying. I'm going for the hidden dolphins!

Osteospermum 'Sunny Sheila'

Have you seen this new offering from Proven Winners? Hubba hubba!

Osteospermum 'Sunny Sheila'

(Photo from Proven Winners website)

I indulged in a single one-gallon specimen this afternoon. Yes, it's just an African daisy... but what a daisy. Coppery... irridescent... pinky... hints of yellow. It's catch-your-breath gorgeous, especially when lit by late afternoon sun.

Light Brown Apple Moth discovered in Bay Area

(Photos from the California Department of Food & Agriculture website)

Here's a snippet from the CDFA profile:

Background

This moth is originally from Australia, and has become established in New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii and the British Isles. Its discovery in California is a new North American record.

Hosts

LBAM has been recorded from over 200 plants in 120 plant genera in 50 families. Some notable trees are apple, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, citrus, persimmon, cherry, almond, avocado, oak, willow, walnut, poplar, cottonwood, coast redwood, pine, and eucalyptus. Some common shrub and herbaceous hosts are grape, kiwifruit, strawberry, berries (blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, raspberry), corn, pepper, tomato, pumpkin, beans, cabbage, carrot, alfalfa, rose, camellia, jasmine, chrysanthemum, clover, and plantain.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/pdep/lbam_main.htm

If you see this moth, contact your local County Agriculture Commissioner's Office.

Chinese Ground orchids (Bletilla striata) in bloom

For "Snappy" (David) to show to his potted Bletilla babies.

Help the bees

Sunset mag tells you how: http://www.sunset.com/sunset/garden/article/0,20633,1038908,00.html

Rainy Day Daze

I'm forcing myself to get back on a good sleep schedule, so today I am in a good-for-nothing daze, desperately wanting a nap but knowing that if I do, I'll be up late again and the vicious cycle continues. Luckily, garden blogging isn't brain surgery; one can blog and take pictures drowsily and no one gets hurt.

This sleepy, grey day did feel perfect for delving into my signed copy of Anne Lamott's new book, Grace (Eventually). I had the pleasure of attending her discussion and book signing at Borders Books on Monday evening. She was fabulous and hilarious and thoughtful and profound. I thought she'd be mostly serious, but she got more laughs than most stand-up comedians on a good night. Her brand of black humor comes through in her writing and it definitely comes through in person. Also impressive was the fact that she was nearing the end of her book tour yet nothing she said seemed recycled or rehearsed. She's the real deal.

A few snaps from today...

Chinese ground orchid (Bletilla striata) about to bloom. In my top 10 favorite garden flowers. You can't see how beautiful this orchid will be, but it perfectly reflects how I feel about today... so full of potential but the timing is a little off.

Queen's tears (Billbergia nutans)... also in my top 10.

'Paul's Scarlet' English hawthorn

Red field poppy. I sprinkled seeds in a lot of my pots and they came up!

Baby lime

Purple columbine... one I got from Annie's. Can't remember which species or cultivar.

Delphinium, which I only grow as a hanging plant now because it's proven so snailolicious in the past.

Happy Easter, 2007

California bush anemone (Carpenteria californica) buds
This is one of my fall-planted natives receiving no supplemental water yet doing great.

Sedum

Santa Barbara daisies (Erigeron karvinskianus)

Dan sees a squirrel

Dan "hides" in the grass

Annie, too, is "invisible".

A springtime romp in the yard.

Chinese ground orchids... See, Snappy? These are about to bloom. The ones in cans behind the magenta ones are somewhat exotic yellow and white varieties and so far only the white has bloomed. Will report on any yellow blooms.

Viola cuteness

'Apricot Chiffon' California poppy

tricolor sage

Wallflower

Ceanothus, a very fast grower and very drought tolerant

One of the Annie's plants I bought at the S.F. Flower & Garden show this year. It's a glad! I think it's a drought tolerant native species... well, not a Calif. native, but native to somewhere. Will report back when I find the tag.

Some o' my pots on the back patio

Back from Mendo

Back from another Mendo getaway. As always-- ate too much, didn't exercise enough, didn't take enough pictures, had lots of laughs... and can't wait to go back.

I saw lots of trillium blooming at Fern Canyon at Russian Gulch State Park. If you go to Mendo, this paved bike ride/hike to a waterfall is a must. It's spectacular... very Land of the Lost.

Camping, Angela style...

We had wi-fi at the house... for awhile. After losing access, I couldn't even get a dial-up connection. Nooooooooooooooo! Thank God there's an internet cafe in the village.

My mom made quiche. Take that, tent campers.

I love it when fog rolls through town. It's thick and fast-moving. Every day was sunny, which made the fog an extra special treat.

Heed these words, unless you want to be the meat in a car sandwich.

Here's a little something for dog-loving purse fanatics.

Catch the peace sign on the front railing? You'll see a lot of peace signs in Mendo. My kind of town.




I stopped by Ingridd's Potter's Studio to take a few pics in her front garden. There's always something interesting nestled in the flowers.

I love the rugged bluffs of Mendocino. Sandy beaches aren't as accessible as in Southern California and the ocean waters can be rough on ships, but that obviously has something to do with the fact that Mendo still offers much in the way of pristine wilderness.

Despite the abundance of natural beauty, you'll still spot the occasional dorky tourist...

Dinner at the Moosse Cafe. I had the halibut with fingerling potatoes and veggies. Whoops, I also sampled the honey and lavender crème brulee for dessert. Delish.