A flower walk before the storm

Tropical system Beryl was headed back this way after visiting us in an earlier life.  Before the rains came in large drops and then soft and steady patterns, I took advantage of the cloudy skies to do a quick walkabout and shoot some of my flowers.                                                                                                                    


The small violet flowers of clover, so hard to pull up!

Yellow and Orange Lillies and white Foxglove, a bumblebee fav!

Hollyhock in pink and a multi-colored
hydrangea!

Sunflower! an automatic in my garden
and black eyed Susan ready to go. Another one I couldn't pull.  I like flowers with my vegies.

Arugula and bees

Arugula has been so successful that we throw seed in the edges of the property and let them go.  This patch today is full of the white cross blooms and also full of bees.  I managed to catch one in this shot.

Iris are beginning to bloom, the peach and apricot trees are well into blooming.  Blueberries are starting to form buds.

What a warm March.  I watched several large gulls try to scare up a coot from a raft that showed up last week.  Coots raft up (float close together) to prevent predator attacks.  A kingfisher pair has been busy back and forth.  A nearby bank is a prime nesting spot.   And our osprey pair is still bringing a stick or two to finalize the nest.

Update: to the recent Anonymous commenter on an old post about the Arugula.  I have not moved Arugula as whole plants but I think you might be able to do it if you get the roots and soil together.  Cutting is not going to work.  If the Arugula is flowering, you can let it go to seed and then you will have plenty of seed to sow.  Identification of the seed pod is required.  If you know what a radish pod looks like you will have no problem.  Look for a green very slender pod that appears after the flowering, let it grow until it turns brown and even opens and then collect the pods/seeds.  The seeds sow easily, but be aware that finches love the peppery seed and will open the pods themselves and eat away!    

Just some Zinnias

While waiting for some of the regular crowd to show up in the afternoon garden (the hummers, chickadees, wrens and cardinals), the zinnias were front and center.

Little bit of Spring

Spring flowers in the garden provide splashes of color against all the new green. The tulips are remnants of a long ago bed. The irises love it here and they multiply easily. These are divisions from two years ago.

Fall is Here

True evidence of the newest season are these Fall Crocus. Around 6 inches they are a giant next to the typical spring crocus flowers.
My ospreys are gone, hummers are gone, migrant summer nesters long gone and cicadas are quiet. We have been enjoying the fall warblers and I spotted two tiny diving ducks on the causeway today. It has been raining for days and more expected ... but it's still nice and warm. The Fall Crocus knows better though and we can expect cooler weather soon.

Aperire

Aperire is Latin meaning "to open." These Night Blooming Cereus cactus flowers are there, ready to open and probably tonight as I sleep! I have three blooms on my cactus plants. I had to show you how they come off the leaf, it's so unusual. The open bloom is wonderful and large and perfumy. Last year the plants bloomed in late August. Maybe the early heat has pushed them this year.

Rose No. 168

This is an old wild Rose. We rescued a piece of this beauty from the widening of Highway 168 way back when. I later saw another doing the same and hopefully she lives in many places now. This year with all the winter water she is big and bloomy and taking ownership of her corner of the yard.

Tiffany Tea

The Tiffany Rose is my favorite tea. The color is wonderful and the fragance is fine as French Perfume. It's a bit more difficult to grow than others and roses are generally a tough go here. Wind is a big factor plus I'm not big on spraying. Wish you could smell it!

Baby Doll Iris

One of my treasures, the Baby Doll Iris bloom is less than half the size of a typical Iris. A gift from a special person, sharing from her garden. I look forward to the blooms every year.

Muscari

One of my favorites, this bulb gets you low on the ground to enjoy it's urn shaped flowers, the ruffled rims in white.

Snow Fountain

My ornamental weeping cherry is near peak flowering. Hope this latest storm doesn't strip it of the blooms.

Daffodils

The sunshine and warmer temps have pushed the daffodils to start opening.

Spring Snowflakes

The tiny blooms of this dainty flower are just starting to open. The fine detail of the green dot on each petal is worthy of closer look.

Green headed Daffodils

What a wind last night! Looks like we are drying out this morning. My green headed daffodils are just starting to open. They are sturdy enough to take the wind.

Honeysuckle

Today's chill is a contrast to yesterday's warmth. Wild honeysuckle is blooming! Even my forsythia bush has been tricked into producing a few flowers.

Count your Blooms

This tropical Turk's Cap bush is loaded down with red flowers; little Spanish dancers on a green stage. A frost will kill it to the ground, so we feel lucky to have the blooms in late November. The plant will come back next year from the roots.
I read that it is also known as the sleeping hibiscus, as the flower petals do not open.

Magnolia pod

I love the detail and the color in the magnolia pod.

Wildflower and Skipper

A skipper butterfly samples a roadside wildflower.

Beautyberry

This is a native shrub, and true to it's name the berries are a fantastic color.