April in the Arboretum

University of California Santa Cruz Arboretum

A chilly overcast April day suits photography just as Santa Cruz climate befits the Southern Hemisphere plants thriving at the Arboretum. This Rose Coneflower will bloom for weeks.

Boardwalk Beach in January

Santa Cruz, CA

Once again our neighborhood received mandatory evacuation orders. Where else to go but Casablanca Inn? They happily accommodated our SIP evacuation.

November Leaves

Santa Cruz Mountains

Not all November days are bleak. Sometimes bright sunshine plays on the leaves, making multicolored patterns upon patterns upon patterns.

Rosy Shelter in Place May

Santa Cruz Mountains

 

Roses and May are always good companions in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Every May, no matter the weather, in sun or shade, it’s peak time for rose blossoms.

Shelter in Place April

Santa Cruz Mountains

More sheltering in place. This day lily has been with me for over 30 years. I rescued it from a hillside being bulldozed at Cabrillo College to add a new building.

Shelter in Place March

Santa Cruz Mountains

While we’re sheltering in place, nature is carrying on as usual. The flowering quince in my yard flourishes as always in March, oblivious to human activity.

January’s Rainbow

Santa Cruz Mountains

If only a photograph could exude the delightful fragrance of an early narcissus. The smell wafts all throughout our neighborhood.

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.

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. 

July Whites

Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

Easter lilies are not really a spring plant. Pure white and deeply scented, they’re symbolic of springtime resurrection. And yet, left to their own devices they prefer summer blooming.

Dogwood Days

Santa Cruz Mountains

It’s an exceptional year for dogwood in the Santa Cruz mountains. Our tree, gracing us with April blossoms, is more prolific than ever this year.

November Leaves

Santa Cruz Mountains, California

It’s been said that California has no discernible seasons, but our dogwood tree thinks otherwise. Its festive springtime blossoms become ripe seeds as its bronze foliage suddenly turns multicolored.

Life of a Gerbera Daisy

Santa Cruz Mountains

Gerbera daisies are the most elegant kind, though I love all varieties of daisies. Brightly colored and many-petaled, these warm weather harbingers add a color pop to the yard throughout the summer.

Love-in-a-Mist Magic

Santa Cruz Mountains

Magic, Miracle, or simply Mother Nature brings Nigella, or Love-in-a-Mist, back to the garden every spring. Very lucky years bring surprising hybrids.

Daffodils, Icons of Spring

Santa Cruz Mountains

 

During the last weeks of winter, the daffodil seems to pop up from nowhere. A sunny spot in the bleak and chilly landscape, it foretells of spring.

Signs of Spring in Winter

Santa Cruz Mountains

After weeks of winter rains, plum blossoms burst into being. Thus begins a new annual cycle.

Last Harvest

Santa Cruz Mountains

End of the growing season and rose blooms are gone. Yet their fruits, the rose hips, linger and ripen in a blaze of color. High in vitamin C, clever cooks harvest these for jelly.

Autumn Abundance

Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Of all the autumn flowers, the chrysanthemum has the widest range of colors and forms. From simple daisy-like whites and purples through multi-petaled riots of sunset hues. Every color imaginable.

Spending the Night Away from Home

Santa Cruz Mountains, California

Who can say why bees chooses to spend nights away from the hive during hot summer months? Do they like variety? Are they outcasts from society? Did they lose their way home?