Snapshots of the Season - My L.A. in Bloom

"Oh where, oh where, has that darn blogger gone now?"  

You might wonder as my absences from this page sometimes prolong themselves........

Well it does have something to do with the season, to which a gardener must always be subject.

After a harsh endless summer and drought of 2016.....followed by five months of almost

constant rain.  My recent cool stretch of L.A. spring has been very precious and demanding.

For planting and maintenance.   It's meant

a lot of work to replant, restore and reinvigorate much of my garden.

And there has been a fair amount of happy (or not) weed pulling, bug spraying, and leaf corralling.   

Oh yes, and then there's been this one, who has required a great deal of supervision.  Because her time outdoors always involve plans.  That seem to involve exits!  I have titled this post "My L.A. in Bloom" but it might just as well have been called:  "Elvis Has Left the Room."

And that's just nature.  And the season.  For better or worse.   So you'll excuse me?  I can make no promises about the little furry one.  But me, so far, I'll keep coming back.  

HAVE A LOVELY LOVELY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FIRST OF MAY WEEKEND!

The View From Up Here: The SkyGarden at 20 Fenchurch Street

Yes.  20 Fenchurch Street is that hulking form that you'll see rising above you

like someone's bad sci-fi dream as you gaze across the Thames from the Tate Modern

or Hay's Galleria at London Bridge.  It makes "the Shard" (across the river) look positively inspired, artistically speaking.

20 Fenchurch Street is otherwise known in London as the "Walkie-Talkie" or, the "Cheesegrater".

You can use your imagination (or click here).  Thankfully, there is the SkyGarden.  Free admittance.

Glorious views of changing London.  The Natwest Tower - at left - in the 80's and the "Gherkin" - at right - in the 90's once dominated the skyline.  But the City is astoundingly different now, with no signs of construction - and thus change - stopping, if one is judging by the building crane count.

Some liken the SkyGarden to an airport lounge.  But that IS a tiny bit excessive and unkind.

It's quite a pleasant place.  If you love light, greenery, clean air, open views and.....cakes.  (Plus two bars and two restaurants.)

Sadly.  Despite the compelling visuals, the 3-color cake at center left did not pass the discriminating 

Paradis palate test.  It was artificial tasting and too sweet and otherwise flavorless and expensive.  So you're forewarned.

There is a viewing platform outside.  Very cute seating inside also includes Stark bubble sofas and blankets for chilly days.

You must book your visit in advance.  Do NOT though, think that it will be an inexpensive outing with the kids and bring your own food (like my parents would have done).  THEY WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.  

If you don't buy them some of those cakes!!!!!!!!!! Hello???!!!!!

The Green and Pleasant Land That Loves Its Flowers

Leaving L.A. in Spring is hard as you might imagine - missing our epic wildflower bloom......

as well as developments in my own garden.

But missing Spring in England is hard, too.

Let's face it, there only so many numbers of Springs in any person's life......

And when the English do it so well in truly c-u-l-t-iv-a-t-e-d

ways.  It's such a gift.  That asks nothing back.

Only that you stop and linger for a moment, or several.

Inhale.  And celebrate.

Honor Mother Earth and your own time on the planet.

And make a promise to yourself

to buy some bulbs next fall.  

Happy Christmas. All The Best for 2016

Wishing you Good Cheer!

(Petersham Nurseries link here)

And all Good Things for the Coming Year

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H a p p y  C h r i s t m a s  ! ! !

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Food and Fruit on a Summer Garden Theme

I might have mentioned it before.....

With a long drought ongoing in the American West, and watering restrictions almost statewide

in California, it has been hard to garden.

I've learned (sometimes the hard way) what CAN grow with little water, and that has surprisingly, 

has included quite a few tropical things.  (Who would've thunk it? - I did not!)  

Loquat trees from my neighbor's garden were so full of fruit that the long branches sunk down over our fence and landed festoons of leaf and fruit into my yard for a couple of weeks until I picked them clean and cut them back.  Mr. P. then made a delicious jam with them (- we had to quick because they don't keep!)  It was perfumey and light, tasting half like apples, half like apricots.  We have many Middle Eastern, Chinese and Phillipino neighbors who've planted or enjoy loquat trees so they are quite common.  Many others don't know what to do with the large seeded fruit and just let the loquats fall and rot.  I am here to tell you officially: Jam is the answer!

It's been a summer of long anticipation for the passion fruit - which we planted almost two years ago.  Mr. P. was certain it would not bear for him.  He was happily wrong - though I felt I had to help the bees pollinate by fluffing the flower pistils and stamen with a long soft paintbrush every couple of days through most of May and June.

A terribly neglected pineapple plant in a pot (Second pic, above) seemed impervious to drought and sent up a perky little orb with lavender flowers bursting off of it in early August.  I watered and fed it last Thursday to keep its spirits up.  We'll see how big it gets - happy as it seems to be.

A non-garden discovery (top pic) that kept my spirits up through a sometimes difficult summer was my new favorite breakfast of:  shredded wheat'n'bran, blueberries (- frozen are prettier, no?) - toasted hazelnuts, chia, and sliced bananas (not shown here).  OH MAN!  So good.

(SERIOUSLY!)

And finally.......the pomegranates have arrived.  I can forgive the raccoons and skunks and possums for marauding about in my yard, when I contemplate all these lovely gifts of nature in my kitchen and on my dining table!  

So all in all, a successful season.  Can't wait to do it all again next year.  

And now the rest of you?  Any fruit bragging you'd like to do?  Before the winter weather arrives?

Good Bye Summer, 2016 - I'll Miss You

Even though you went by way too fast and there wasn't nearly enough

(via Handpicked - also fith picture down)

beach time with ponies taking place during your months.

You were generous with your sweet peas.

And somehow you gave me time to mostly finish painting this "ceanothus".

The most escaping I did was via Ben Pentreath's "Inspiration" blog.

It was so hot, I did feel always thirsty.

I ate alot of watermelon to combat the temperature.

(Royal Norfolk Show)

I made plans for NEXT summer.

L.A.'s only summer storms took place far away, on the water.  That's right.  We had NO RAIN.

I dreamed of a tidier, greener, summer garden.  Not a brown drought garden.

I discovered a new painter:  Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida (gorgeous light!) 

(Junkaholique)

And I spent a lot of time thinking of cake.  And eating some every chance I got.

It was a summer of expensive encounters.  Raccoon and skunk removal doesn't come cheap.  (They were digging up all my plants - I mean digging a tunnel to China.  O.K., same thing!)  My friends advised me to just "GET A BIG DOG!"

I discovered this sweet little cottage in my neighborhood.  When the expenses and responsibilities just got too much, I was tempted to run away to it!  It looked so carefree. 

Now it's September.  And Labor Day.  How did that happen?!  Dear old Summer, where have you gone?  There are so many other things we could have done together.................

.........Yours was far too brief a stay!

Happy Labor Day to all of you savoring your last summery hours.

Late June Lagniappe

Little lovelies piling up in my photo files........

(Ben Pentreath Inspiration)

that I hope will put

(new Amsterdam map from Famille Summerbelle)

as big a smile on your faces as they put

(this and the following two pics via Tahitian Vanilla or Bohemian Wornest)

on mine.

It's hard to overstate the blood-pressure lowering effects

of furry things

(the Chelsea Flower Show source unknown)

and flowery things

(Bungalow Classic)

and furry things.

Including our "new" girl - still impossibly cute.



Hope it was a good weekend!
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