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.

May Roses

Santa Cruz Mountains

May in a rose garden is magical. Though I longed to visit UC Botanical Gardens' heirloom rose bed, my work schedule kept me at home in my own rather unkempt garden.

Spring Snow = Summer Water

Lake Tahoe and Surrounds

After six years of drought and sadly deficient Sierra snow pack, who would have dreamed we’d see fresh snow in the mountains in April?

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.

Winter Light Show: Lumination

Gilroy Gardens, California

Lumination: Chinese Culture Celebrated in a Whole New Light. A breathtaking if chilly lighted outdoor exhibition. These photos honor Chinese New Year (Rooster), January 28, 2017.

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.