08-02-2016—Flower du Jour

Summer is in full force. Silphium terebinthinaceum flower buds have opened. They're at about 6.5 feet tall this year.

07-15-2016—Summer Wildflowers

Ratibida pinnata I planted 500 seeds in the winter and only one plant came up, smack in the middle of Gaillardia, which is actually fortuitous as it holds the long stem upright.

I didn't plant any cosmos, but here it is. Probably a stowaway in some other seed mix.

Helianthus annuus from seed collected on roadside.

Not a wildflower, but wanted to throw in photo of Lilium lancifolium (tiger lily), one of my favorite bulbs for shade

06-18-2016—The Despotic Whims of My Pruning Shears

CA poppies are in that awkward stage where plants are scraggly but seeds are still maturing. Not sure how long I can wait before chopping.

05-01-2016

Collected Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia (common fiddleneck) seeds from soccer park. The plants had dropped most of their seeds already. Next year need to go earlier.

04-27-2016

Clarkia unguiculata

Rains evenly spaced and relatively frequent this winter = wildflowers' nirvana.

04-02-2016

Visit to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden



Wildflower meadow near entrance

Redwood section

Keep octopus on leash (although if your octupus is on land, leash should be least of your concerns)

Baccharis pilularis maze

Fence around tea house garden

Ferns in southern CA are pleasantly startling.

03-26-2016

Phacelias (sp. tanacetifolia) are crowding out my Baja fairy duster. 

Also pictured are Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia (common fiddleneck), Eschschoizia californica, and Rhus integrifolia (lemonade berry).

Problem solved.

06-01-2013

Delphinium cardinale (scarlet larkspur), Santa Monica Mountains