“It is apparent that no lifetime is long enough in which to explore the resources of a few square yards of ground.”
– Alice M. Coats
1/3/18:
Happy New Year!
It's raining today. This is the first precipitation since a bit of showers on Dec. 20th. I do hope we get a lot of rain this winter, or the reservoirs and lakes will be worryingly low in spring and summer. There were decent water levels in 2017 after a few dry years; too early to tell if we're headed for a drought once more.
I'd delayed watering all the outdoor plants in anticipation of this storm. I was in San Francisco over the weekend anyway, for a New Year's Eve concert and some shopping. The weather was chilly but mostly sunny. On Sunday morning, Steve and I wandered from our hotel to a small green space that turned out to be Yerba Buena Gardens. It's more of a city park with a few pretty plants around the lawn than a true Garden, but I found some flowers to photograph, and the arrangement of paths along the concrete waterfall structures made for a nice stroll. There were mainly common landscaping plants such as azaleas, cyclamen, bacopa and primroses. But I also noticed the striking purple of sea holly (Eryngium), tiny rose-like tea tree blossoms (Leptospermum scoparium), and feathery papyrus reeds (Cyperus papyrus) dancing slightly in the breeze.
It's raining today. This is the first precipitation since a bit of showers on Dec. 20th. I do hope we get a lot of rain this winter, or the reservoirs and lakes will be worryingly low in spring and summer. There were decent water levels in 2017 after a few dry years; too early to tell if we're headed for a drought once more.
I'd delayed watering all the outdoor plants in anticipation of this storm. I was in San Francisco over the weekend anyway, for a New Year's Eve concert and some shopping. The weather was chilly but mostly sunny. On Sunday morning, Steve and I wandered from our hotel to a small green space that turned out to be Yerba Buena Gardens. It's more of a city park with a few pretty plants around the lawn than a true Garden, but I found some flowers to photograph, and the arrangement of paths along the concrete waterfall structures made for a nice stroll. There were mainly common landscaping plants such as azaleas, cyclamen, bacopa and primroses. But I also noticed the striking purple of sea holly (Eryngium), tiny rose-like tea tree blossoms (Leptospermum scoparium), and feathery papyrus reeds (Cyperus papyrus) dancing slightly in the breeze.
Clicking on the cropped images below will show the full image in a new window.
Sea Holly.
Papyrus.
Tea Tree.
I'm looking forward to getting out in the yard after the rain. I've been imagining different ways of arranging the pots around the front of the house. And I want to see where I can fit new vertically-oriented structures. I love the trellis arrangement Steve and I put together this summer; it would be great to have other places plants can climb. Also, I want to sow lettuce seeds, cilantro and peas in planter boxes that have recently been filled with compost-enriched soil. I'll get a start on these tasks during the daylight hours when I'm at home over the next few days.
While stuck inside, I can certainly do some gardening research. One topic that's been at the back of my mind for a while is incorporating natural wood and stone elements to a greater degree, and recycling a lot of the plastic materials. Often I discover articles and slideshows showing what other clever gardeners have made by hand or re-purposed through Pinterest, (such as 15+ Amazing DIY wooden planter box ideas and designs and More Easy Garden Projects with Stones).
Another goal is to attend gardening events during 2018, and learn more about how people grow things out here. I have a couple of friends in the area who are passionate about plants like I am, but it would be so enlightening to hear other stories and see nearby gardens.
While stuck inside, I can certainly do some gardening research. One topic that's been at the back of my mind for a while is incorporating natural wood and stone elements to a greater degree, and recycling a lot of the plastic materials. Often I discover articles and slideshows showing what other clever gardeners have made by hand or re-purposed through Pinterest, (such as 15+ Amazing DIY wooden planter box ideas and designs and More Easy Garden Projects with Stones).
Another goal is to attend gardening events during 2018, and learn more about how people grow things out here. I have a couple of friends in the area who are passionate about plants like I am, but it would be so enlightening to hear other stories and see nearby gardens.