December Dahlias

Santa Cruz Mountains

As unlikely as it seems, in rare years a giant dahlia blooms in my yard in December. Its frail pink color is decidedly un-winterish.

Hues of a Dry November

Santa Cruz Mountains

Autumn rain nourishes the garden. But lack of autumn rain prolongs blossoming, as plants make more seeds. This coreopsis blooms nearly year round in fair weather.

October Cheer

Santa Cruz Mountains

As October commences, so does chrysanthemum season. Newly minted spider mums change from burgundy to purple as the month rolls along.

17-Mile Anniversary Drive

Monterey County, CA

On our anniversary we approach Monterey’s 17-Mile Drive, looking back towards home. From Pacific Grove, the Santa Cruz Mountains loom dreamlike in the distance.

Fragrant Four O’Clocks

Santa Cruz Mountains

  

 

 

A strange plant appeared in my garden, uninvited but not unwelcomed. The flowers only open on warm and windless late summer afternoons. 

Central Coast Cruisin'

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara is a dreamy summer place: misty in the morning, hot and sunny in the afternoon. Majestic mountains frame the town and its seaside strolling path.

Rocky Mountain June High

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

 

Late May snow in Denver hint that  we’d find snowy slopes in the mountains in June. As we begin our hike, Longs Peak is displays snow as we’d anticipated.

Superbloom! The Close-up View

Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA

In my last post, California Goldfields blankets huge swaths of land with yellow. And yet they are tiny flowers. Some say the Golden State was named for great springtime blooms of Goldfields throughout California.

Superbloom! The Big Picture

Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA

In certain rainy years like 2019, the remote Carrizo Plain National Monument bursts into a wildflower “superbloom” for just a few short weeks in March or April.

The Waters of March

Uvas Canyon County Park, CA

 

California winter rains cause creeks to swell and sing, their waters rushing down all possible paths through the stream bed.

Before the Renovation

San Rafael, CA

Back in the 1980s, interior designers often applied an open-air indoor-outdoor theme, both for homes and public buildings. Natural light, plants, and water features abounded. 

Wintry World

Lake Tahoe, CA

Even a land-locked lake like Tahoe can produce significant surf in winter when the wind is up.