California Backyards

SW you are certainly getting more acquainted and better with that new camera of yours as the days go by. I always enjoy your "view" on the world around you.

DITTO!

DOUBLE DITTO !!!

Hey you wonderful southern neighbors, I am heading to Hawaii at 5am in the morning. But I got such great photos this afternoon of a mother teaching her fledglings how to fly. I was out in the courtyard and she was very upset., I could not figure out why because the babies had already fledged. As I have been taught, I stood very still and she settled down and went right to the hanging branch of the climbing fig. I have numerous hanging branches because I will not allow the maintenance crew get near the fig vine until I know all the hummingbirds have fledged. I was so cool, I thought. I had my new Canon Rebel whatever and my new big lens. Well I was on the upper front patio and had a perfect view. Well mother decided to attack me or just say 'HELLO'. What ever, she got my attention. I may have got many great shots but it was crazy when she was in my face so I backed off. This is a hummingbird. Imagine if it was a Tiger. I would have been out of the country. It was scary because she was not happy. But I was so excited you would have though I won a million dollar lottery. "Got to buy a ticket". Love you all and Aloha from Hawaii tomorrow...

Aloha!
Take great photos to share when you get back!
Mama hummer was driving you off. The Indians respected them and called them the little warriors. So I am not surprised she was protecting her nest. She still has babies. : )
Thanks Ima, for the help with turning off the camera sound. I have spotted hummers, but they didn't show up til my battery died.
It's okay, because I have some to share that I haven't yet.
This is also growing in my front yard, but am thrilled and have to share it. It's called Mexican Sage. Look at those pretty flowers. This poor bush has survived for two years so far. That means it's going to be okay. Usually takes two years before I know if a bush will survive and die or thrive. This is a drought tolerant plant. I drip irrigate a couple of times a week for a couple of hours at a time. I wanted a bushy plant along the walkway to keep people (and dogs) out of the garden. The Mexican Heather which is lower growing also survives but isn't thriving due to lack of water. (emitters in wrong place.) It is in partial shade most of the day. Except during the middle of the day and til late afternoon anyway. Then it gets a lot of sun. Hard to find something pretty that will thrive out here, with minimal care.

I think Ima gave me this canna and I've been waiting to see what it would do. What a sweet surprise!

This is one of my pink naked lady Amaryllis blooming. I guess these guys have been here longer than me. I wonder if that makes them heirlooms?
WIB!
SW

This amaryllis is a little further along in it's bloom cycle. I think that the faint tinge of yellow green on the tips of the blooms is a nice contrast.

I was really proud of the clarity of this four O'clock.

mixed yellow and magenta. Not quite open yet.

A pretty yellow 4 O'clock.

i liked this grouping of three, but was really amused to see one of my hairs snuck in there.
WIB,
SW

I'll take credit for the canna (Pretoria), but someone else told you to turn your camera's sound off, m'dear. Your photos are getting better all the time! I'm hoping that before too much longer I'll be struggling with a new digital SLR...then you can give me pointers!

Well, I got the gifter right this time, at least of the canna (Pretoria), she is so beautiful.
That would be kind of circular, the student teaching the teacher. If I can figure out how, I'm always happy to share. Okay, you know who you are! Thanks for the info on how to turn off the noise, and my apologies for forgetting your name. Still have that brain glitch. Repetition helps.
Ima, had no idea how much I'd come to love the cannas you gave me. The red ones are rocketing to the sky, they really love that leaky faucet! LOL!
The others aren't sending up flowers, but they are spreading. They seem happy so I'm waiting to see what they do.
I don't know what I'm doing most of the time, but I have figured out the best settings for a couple of places where I sit often to take photos, now I have to learn how to have them preset! AAACCCK!
So for now what you see is what you get. I am amazed at how on some settings it really makes all the difference in the world to hold the camera button halfway down until it autofocus' then depress the shutter the rest of the way. This guy was a hundred feet away from me up high in the tree. Same bird as the other day, but this one is cropped and you can see more detail.
Wait till you see some of the ones I've been getting today.
Got to go for now, but I'll be back with more photos soon.
WIB!
SW

DH took this photo of progress on the Snickleway (Yorkshire-speak for a sort of alleyway) flagstones. Not a great photo, as I have the camera and he used his cell phone camera. He threw up the shelving so he can get the other junk up off the ground and put more flagstones down. We're very happy with the process. Lately we've been watching some home programs on UK t.v. and keep seeing flagstones everywhere. Makes him happy that ours have a similar look, just not weathered.

He's also put in a worktable for me with an extension so I can pound on clay out there. It's been a great place to work the last couple of weeks, because the breeze comes through and it's very refreshing on hot days.

Lookin' GOOD!!

WHOA !!! Muy Bueno !!!

Great job on the Snickleway John!! What a nice team mate to have, huh Kathleen?

This is a honey bee that I found crawling around in my yard. I think it must have been a queen that was at the end of her life. She's easily twice as long and half again as wide as a worker. She was very docile and seemed to not want to leave my hand when I offered her a tree to crawl on. I sat on the porch for half an hour or more with her on my hand. I finally needed to do something that required both hands and had to "make" her get on the tree. She still resisted. Maybe she was just enjoying the body heat.

This is a Daisy that was stolen from my front bed. They took the Verbena as well.

At least I got to enjoy it for a few months and I got several (two dozen or more) cut flowers from it.

Stolen?!!?!?!? Some people are just plain silly.

Randy, that is a real shame on the loss of that beautiful plant. Some people are just so rude.
I don't mind the bees too much while they are buzzing around me and the flowers....but to have one land on me and stay there.....I don't think so!! lol

They STOLE it? That is beyond rude, but I can't think of anything I can to say that I can put on DG.
I'm with you on the bee, SoCal. Fine in the garden, but stay off of me please.

I took sis (KaperC) to the airport at 4 a.m., so she'll be late checking in today.

Sally, thanks for telling us that Kathleen is enroute to her home. I've been trying to contact her all morning. lol

Donna

Honey bees are the least offensive of all bees with stingers. They only use their stinger in protection of the hive or if they feel imminent danger. I saw her in the grass and offered her my hand. She crawled on willingly. I wasn't a threat so she had no reason to sting.

The queen is the most dangerous in the hive when it comes to stinging however. Her stinger isn't barbed, so she can sting repeatedly without dying. Worker bees and drones die when they sting.

The workers are also harmless if not threatened. I offer them a finger to crawl on when I see them in my garden. They'll climb aboard quite often and sit for a few minutes. I think it really may be for the body heat as they can't generate any of their own.

And as to the thieves that stole the flowers.......the DG a.u.p. won't allow me to say what I really think of them.

I like to imagine them sitting in jail for stealing my Daisies and having someone ask them "What are you in for?"

I'm home!!

Randy, I have a lemon verbena you are welcome to. Let me know and I will bring it to the RU.

That sounds great Kathleen. I'd love some lemon verbena.

Had to share this with my 'homeys'. I know many of you don't frequent the "handyman" forum.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1028824/

That's hysterical! I've lived on streets where I sure could have used one of those....and my DH or FIL would have loved doing this.

I love it!!!! We could use that on our street, as people race down the road (we're on a hill) with no care for those at the bottom - and there's a riding trail entrance there!

I can see my BIL is going to have a new project. LOL

And one that he would probably enjoy!

Like everything he does for you Kathleen.

Yep, he is pretty sweet.

I bet it will be the most authentic looking fake camera that ever was!! Good thing you went home, it's 99 and rising. The whole yard is drooping and I watered heavy this morning!!

Ugh...poor you. DH managed to keep most of my stuff alive while I was gone, except a potted lavender I was going to plant.

BTW, here's that plant I rec'd in a trade: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/68086/
The cuttings probably doubled in size while I was gone! They're under the ramada for now, but I'll have to repot soon and find a sheltered place (where in the world?) for them. I have never had such good luck with cuttings - thanks, PedricksCorner!

That's pretty.......maybe the sheltered place is another project?

10:30 and it's 78 deg. Supposed to be cooler tomorrow, but still 90. Yuk.

Sorry to hear about your Daisy DP. I hate it when people steal other's plants. You must have been sad. I guess that why people plant cactus next to the walk.
WIB,
SW

My new arbor/ trellis...went from this

To this.......vines have not been put up yet and there will be large pots of my grasses around base perimeter...to showcase fall pumpkins. It's never too early for me to think of pumpkins!

Another view ('cause I love it so much!)