Just came in from the garden,…perfect day to be out there, especially with my camera. There was really nice, even lighting. Come see what I’m doing in the garden and what is blooming now in June.

Ivy growing rampantly after two mild winters

I’ve been trimming the lower branches off oaks and manzanita, …I’ll pull all that ivy, (from 1 4″ pot!) as I do each year so it doesn’t go wild.

In the garden, blooming…

Hooker’s Evening Primrose Oenothera elata hookeri, blooming now

Sadly, I ‘weeded’ many of these out, (live and learn) thinking they were Dandelions or something…they came to my garden in a wildflower mix and are native to California The seedlings lay flat to the ground, then they shoot up three feet and bloom from the bottom bud to the top, as you can see here.

They bloom in early mornings, close at mid day and open again in the evening….a true ‘moon garden’ flower. Easily grown from seed and best at the back or center of a flower bed.

Cleveland sage

This is Cleveland sage,…how I love it. I cleared out really bad weeds from this natural meadow area of my lower property, that below the garden that’s watered on drip.

Then I planted three of these, found at Intermountain Nursery, I hand watered them through the first couple years, nne last year and still they thrive and bloom!
Love this plant so much. They also smell WONDERFUL!

Clarkia amoena ssp. amoena or Farewell to Spring

If you’ve sown native wildflowers in your garden, you may have this beauty blooming now! Clarkia amoena ssp. amoena or Farewell to Spring or Godetia is showier than the roadside Farewell to Spring (Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera) and may be included in native California seed mixes you find.

A good source for seeds, if you can not find them at Western Sierra Nursery, is Wildflower Farms which has a “Western Wildflower Mix” I’ve ordered this mix before and it’s wonderful!

Along the roadsides in June…

Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera or ‘Four spot’

I hope you’ve noticed our ‘Farewell to Spring’ blooming all over the roadsides now in the foothills! Named after Captain Clark of the Corps of Discovery Expedition, the best ID I have been able to find is that they are Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera or ;Four spot.’

We call them ‘Farewell to Spring,’ though and they DO herald the end of Spring, always in peak bloom around the first week of June.

 

Elderberry, with creamy white umbrels, umbrella shaped blooms

Have you seen Elderberries along the roadsides for the last few weeks? You may have wondered what these tall shrubs with the umbrella shaped flowers were. Now the flowers will be turning blue,…into berries! Watch for them!

Sambucus mexicana, Elderberry berries will come next!

 

I continue puttering…

Yesterday, I was raking all the paths, amazing what that little will do to spiff up the garden…

Tomato progress, planted mid April

Watering the veg garden,…tomatoes doing well about two feet high now. I have peppers and strawberries out there too and a huge kale that lived over. It’s a survivor!

Favorite sitting area

I hosed off the double lawn chair, wooden, old, but wonderful,…with a little table between, you know the kind… Hosed all the earwigs and spiderwebs off so we can sit of an afternoon.

I’m committed to trimming ‘on time’ more,…doing a bit of ‘crowd control when plants get to overlapping.

 

Young woodpeckers

So delightful to see the new, young woodpeckers, enjoying a cool drink at the clean birdbath. So clumsy and awkward. Young Blue jays, too.

Yes, just a real nice gardening day.