Iris in the rain, a sure sign of Spring

Iris planted up the hillside and in two patches in the garden

Since Iris is the Greek goddess for the Messenger of Love, her sacred flower is considered the symbol of communication and messages. Greek men would often plant an iris on the graves of their beloved women as a tribute to the goddess Iris, whose duty it was to take the souls of women to the Elysian fields. - Hana No Monogatari: The Stories of Flowers

Iris was the first flower we planted in the garden and now Bearded Irises abound. They keep the hillside in place, gophers don't bother them and they naturalized as easy as birds to a feeder.

Long view of the garden 

Big view of little lady roses

Small cluster of Lady Banks' Roses

Here is a close up of the lady banks' rose; pretty, delicate and profuse.

Walking under soft puffs of yellow

Lady Banks' Roses on the Garden entrance pergola

I'll admit it. I am rose crazy. How can a sane person not be crazy about roses? They are everything a flower aspires to be; dramatic, fragrant, colorful and individual. From mini's to hybrid teas, from floribundas to climbing roses, I can never decide my favorite. I do love them all. If anything negative can be said about roses, it must be their thorns. I always wanted a pergola covered with roses, but balked at the idea of brushing next to thorns. Wouldn't you know that the rose world offers the perfect rose; Land Banks' Rose.Two Lady Banks' roses were planted 12 years ago, along side the pergola that leads into the casual country garden. They found the perfect home. "Lutea" are evergreen climbers, with scentless, double yellow flowers. They are early bloomers and sometimes they will bloom twice a season. I have changed the plants that cover their feet, and this winter I planted spotted begonias. So far, so good. They are thriving and will be in shade before the summer sun hits.So today, the garden is a palette of Easter color; the soft yellow of the lady banks' with the contrast of the wisteria, purple mums, African daisy and the delicate pink of breath of heaven.

The Wisteria that I grew from seed

Wisteria is considered a symbol of welcome. This arbor faces the street.

Wisteria blooms, why can't they be forever...in bloom. 

The dual french doors of the house open to the garden

If you were sitting on the bench by the koi pond, this would be your view this week.
You are looking back to the house, with the arbor in full bloom. The dual french doors of the living room lead directly to the garden. The air is perfumed with wisteria. It's truly incredible and nobody has seen it but me. Enjoy. I want to share this so much.

Rest a spell under the wisteria arbor 

Look up and smell the ceiling

Under the arbor
The arbor is made of redwood and the wisteria hangs thru.
The arbor add space as an outdoor room.
Have you ever sat beneath a wisteria ceiling?

Big Blooms of Wisteria

Wisteriamania

I wish, I wish, I knew how to show all the great photos I have of the Wisteria.
It is truly breathtaking.

"The Calla Lilies are in bloom !"

Common Calla Lily in the rain

"The Calla Lilies are in bloom." Wasn't that a Katharine Hepburn line?
It's an early word assocation of mine that I had with this flower.
Anything Katharine Hepburn said, did or wore was class.
I don't know why these beautiful creatures are refered to as common.
To me they are anything but common, other than they are easy to grow and always come back.

I have a good size patch right next to the fish pond. It's been there for a few years.

Cut Calla Lilies look great in a black vase; just as great as Kate looked in a little black dress.

A bunny of a different color 

Easter Rabbits in the neighborhood

At dusk yesterday, as I was driving home and turn into my neighborhood, I noticed that the pretty yellow house with the big lawn, had a dozen rabbits on it. Cute Easter Bunnies, big white ones, just munching away on the lawn. I had to stop and look to see if they were real. Not plastic decorations. They very real and sorta surreal. It was a good moment. Wish I had the camera.

What a hoot! Can it get more Eastery than that. I heard these neighbors raised rabbits. I just never saw so many in front of their house. I wonder if they left colored eggs. I think I will take Daisy Mae out for a walk this morning to see.

Crown of Thorns

It's Good Friday and I wanted to relate a plant story that goes back to my Midwestern childhood. We had a Crown of Thorns in the kitchen window of our little Detroit home. It is not an attractive plant, downright dangerous for curious children. The thorns do prick.

But I believed this plant had magical or at least spiritual powers. My mother told me that on Good Friday the plant blooms. Tiny red flowers to symbolize the blood of Christ. He wore a crown of thorns. I have no idea if his crown was this exact species, Euphorbia, E.milii.

To my memory, every Good Friday this plant did bloom. Not a day earlier or later. Considering that the exact date of Easter changes, mid March to early April, how did the plant know to bloom?

Now of course, I have a Crown of Thorns. Who wouldn't want a magical plant? In my California greenhouse, the plant is often in bloom. I went to the greenhouse to look and yes, there seems to be new flowers today.

Miss Daisy Mae hanging out in the garden 

Daisy Mae hangs out in the garden

Finally, today the sun shines. It's been raining since Monday.

Daisy Mae like to do what all dogs like to do, lie in the sun.
I envy her becasue she takes the time to smell the flowers.

Why do we live busy lives?
My office overlooks my garden and to many days pass and I don't go outside.
So I am stepping away from this computer and I am going outside.
See what Daisy Mae is up to and to smell the wonderful wisteria and weed.
Always have to do a little work.

Bird of Paradise  

Bird in Flight 

Welcome to the Twilight ZONE of gardening

To some folks this gardentalk or garden speak sounds like you just entered the twilight zone.
You are hearing English but what are they saying?

I am not talking about the Latin, the scientific name ( genus and species).The Latin terms are way beyond me. They can be very helpful when you head is buried in a good horticulture book.
But when your hands are buried in dirt, common name work just fine and all you really need to know is the zone you are in and the range of zones for the seeds or plant you plan to plant.

I have made my fair share of mistakes. I have tried bulbs that they were selling out of planting season. Heck, you can buy Tulip bulbs in May at KMart or Target.

Plant in the zone. I live in Zone 9 on the United States Zone Map. But on the West's 24 climate zones, I really live in Zone 16.

May I brag, according to Sunset Garden Book, Zone 16 is " One of Northern California's finest horticultural climates. It consists of thermal belts in the coastal climate area, which is dominated by ocean weather about 85 percent of the time and by inland weather about 15 percent. This zone gets more heat in the summer than Zone 17 and has warmer winters than Zone 15. That's a happy combination for gardening." Yes, it is still really great for subtropicals like ginger lily and Bird of Paradise.

I will be moving to Zone 7. I look forward to the change and challenge. I will get to plant tulips with out putting them in the fridge for six weeks and have massive lilac bushes.

The Bird of Paradise stays here. It was given to us by a former neighbor in San Mateo, before we bought this house. It was potted and doing poorly. We kept it potted and it continues to do poorly for another year, till we figured out where we wanted it. We finally planted it in the ground, next to the fence and it is now spectacular. It really looks like a bird in flight. It just opened this past week end and I expect ten blooms this year.

Columbine; Fairy in the shade 

Whimsy on parade; my fairy in the shade

Columbine is whimsy on parade. It is a selfless perennial with deep colors , often with sepals and petals in contrasting colors. The nectar bearing spurs attract hummingbirds, giving it a perfect purpose in life.

I have three or four patches of it in the garden; a patch underneath the tea tree, a patch underneath the small plum tree and a mixing of plants in the garden box in front of the greenhouse. Wherever I can find dappled filtered shade, I scoop of the fledgling seedlings and transplant them. I harvest the seeds and scattered them where I wish. I think I have control over columbine. Ha! Keep me laughing columbine, the hummingbirds enjoy your jokes too.

Self Portrait 

Tea Tree in full bloom 

Can Trees Dance?

Tea Tree in full bloom; The Wow Factor!

As of today, this tea tree in not in bloom. The photo is from April 2004. It's a little teaser for what is in store for the very near future. This year I suspect that the tree will bloom early; early April rather than late April. The tea tree is the most spectacular feature of the garden. I don't take credit for it, since it was already here when we bought the house in 1991. I believe it may be 30 years or older. They don't grow fast.

What captures my mind is the two entwining limbs. They look like they are caressing, slow dancing. Two entities rather than one. The vivid fuchsia flowers make an impressionistic evocation of Tina Turner, with her shocking hair and fantastic legs. At 60 plus, Tina is still dancing and every Spring this tree dances for me.

Lady Banks' Roses in bloom and it looks like Easter

I'll admit it. I am rose crazy. How can a sane person not be crazy about roses? They are everything a flower aspires to be; dramatic, fragrant, colorful and individual. From mini's to hybrid teas, from floribundas to climbing roses, I can never decide my favorite. I do love them all. If anything negative can be said about roses, it must be their thorns. I always wanted a pergola covered with roses, but balked at the idea of brushing next to thorns. Wouldn't you know that the rose world offers the perfect rose; Land Banks' Rose.
Two Lady Banks' roses were planted 12 years ago, along side the pergola that leads into the casual country garden. They found the perfect home. "Lutea" are evergreen climbers, with scentless, double yellow flowers. They are early bloomers and sometimes they will bloom twice a season. I have changed the plants that cover their feet, and this winter I planted spotted begonias. So far, so good. They are thriving and will be in shade before the summer sun hits.
So today, the garden is a palette of Easter color; the soft yellow of the lady banks' with the contrast of the wisteria, purple mums, African daisy and the delicate pink of breath of heaven.

Last Day of Winter and my Wisteria is in full bloom.

My garden has two distinctive features; a pergola dripping with wisteria and an arbor blanketed with wisteria hanging thru the redwood frame.

The pergola is technically not in the garden, but streetside as a welcoming entrance way to the garden. I planted this wisteria from seed. My father in law sent me some seed from Florida.
Once the seedling was strong enough, I potted it up and it sat for four years, till my husband built the pergola over the front gate. Along the way, I learned that it may take seven years for wisteria to bloom. I questioned the color, white or lavender. I would be happy with either, but wished for lavender. My wish came true and last year was the first bloom, beautiful, fragrant, lavender blooms. This year it covers a quarter of the pergola and drips with sweet scent.

My husband built the arbor ten or twelve years ago, to provide shade and add the feeling of an outdoor room. We bought a three years old wisteria vine from the local nursery. We waited for at least four years till our first bloom. The wait was worth it. There is something wonderful about delayed gratification. Simply said, gardening brings unexpected joy to life.

The wisteria has entangled itself thru out the arbor, it covers 85% of the arbor with intoxicating lavender flowers. We placed our chaise lounge below the arbor . Relaxation is a vacation.
I am not sure of exact species of wisteria, but I believe both are Chinese Wisteria (W.Sinensis).
More information can be found in Sunset Western Garden book, page 524, 1995 edition.

Some people say that wisteria is messy. I am sure they are the same people that say sex, picnics and pet hair is messy. They don't frequent my garden.

I will miss the wisteria the most, along with the tea tree and rose gardens. The wisteria is early this year, at least three weeks. I am going out into the garden to enjoy it's short season. I took photos last Monday of the garden and plan to take more today. As soon as I learn how, I will post them on this blog. I wish you could see the garden for yourself, take a moment and rest your eyes and smell the blooms. Maybe next year you will.

My Garden, My Love , will soon be for sale

How do you sell a garden? Why would you sell a garden?
I thought of a blog. With photos and news of what is in bloom.

With updated notes of what I did; weeding, planting, pruning.
With detailed notes of what is in the garden.
With musings of why I planted roses with famous people's names.
Yes, I have Mr. Lincoln, JFK, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth

This is going to be a two or three month process. Spring into summer.
The best time for my garden and when it will be the hardest to leave it.

That is why I want someone who loves to garden to be the person who buys it.
I just don't want it to fall into neglectful hands.