California Backyards #2

We came from here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1022170/

Not my backyard (darn!) - but Annie's Annuals just had a photo contest and perhaps there's a DG member or two here. Grab a cup or glass of something, sit back and enjoy the show! Keep a lookout for frogs, baby hummers, deer, creepy crawlers, etc.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniesannuals/sets/72157622244225295/show/

CA backyard, not mine however.

Wow, some fantastic shots! I didn't even know about it, must have missed the email notification.
Here are some other great slide show shots from their nursery as posted on the website.
http://www.anniesannuals.com/slideshows/

Annie seems to like close ups of garden related stuff. I was hoping for more photos of compositions.

Like this>

Too formal for Annie's, OK for Filoli.

Annie's in May

I loved the dry natives garden they showed. Lovely colors.

My little friend came by today. I saw him standing behind a bush panting - it was over 100 here today. He visited the bird bath for a drink. He's not running away as quickly now. I stopped creeping around trying to get photos, just move slowly and talk to him.

Good job, KC! : - )
I've been trying to get a good photo of the roadrunners around our place, and you get not one but two! Good on YOU!
I just love those roadrunners. Smart, canny, and they go after snakes and rodents. Got to love them!
Keep up the good photos, girlfriend! : - )
WIB
SW

Thanks, SW! It's hard to focus on those birds before they move! They are so quick and silent, and usually after something. It pleased me that he rested in the shade under the Toyon - we do love those bushes and it's great to actually see the wildlife use them.

Excellent pic., Kathleen !!!

They eat snails, too. We used to have them visit the backyard when we lived in Anaheim Hills, they would break the snail's shell on a rock and sawllow it down -- at the time there was no housing between us and the National Forest and we would get coyotes, deer, rabbits, CA quail, road runners, you name it. But I didn't digi-cam back then and me with a film camera was a waste -- my reflexes WAY too slow.

Good on you, KC.

~'spin!~

Thanks, everyone. Glad I got a good look at him - we don't see them around in the winter.

Whenever I mention roadrunners, my mom reminds me of the one that visited their place in San Marcos, which is not far away from us. That was before this area was built up - the 78 was a wimpy little highway then. They had a big urn on their patio - one of those with little squares of mirror all over it. The roadrunner would come everyday, trying to catch that other roadrunner. He'd race around the urn, certain I guess that the other bird was just around the corner. Mom said he would go so fast it was just like the cartoon! Makes me laugh just to think about it.

k

That's funny, I can picture it too, and it is cartoonsih in my mind like the roadrunner cartoon. What entertainment that must have been!

Thought you folks might be interested in seeing the photos I took on the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners' tour. I've put them into my first website----I've been taking classes to learn how to do website design, and now have even MORE respect for Dave and his team! http://claypigeonenterprises.webs.com/index.htm

Well, I only have time for a brief glimpse until this evening, but I'm impressed with your layout, color and design sense...not to mention tackling doing your own site. I'm going to have to do that also...did I mention I hate learning new things? I want to know those new things, but I want them to appear in my brain like magic........

I can SOOO relate...I'd prefer the osmosis learning method. This is my third online class, and it's as close as I think it's possible to get to osmosis. So far I haven't learned how to use any of the web design tools----everything's manually coded. I'm an old dot-prompt girl, and I like to know what's going on behind the scenes so I can tweak it. Because I just ALWAYS want to tweak it....

Thanks for looking, and for the kind words! There's a lot of stuff here with a total of 8 gardens in the site....let me know what you think when you have time to go through it in more detail.

I'm impressed, too. Good job !

I really like the way you've done the layout, but I have dial-up and it would take forever for me to view the gardens. Being in Monterey, they can't be bad......

Excellent job, Ima! W3C checked, too! Whoo-hoo!
I really enjoyed that middle school, too.
You are just full of talents, woman. :-)

I really liked all the grasses in Garden #2 and the horizontal tree trunk in #5. I'm really a fan of "Rabbit Proof" vegie gardens so the raised beds in #8 caught my eye. There is so much nice hardscape in all of them, I'm truly impressed.

ditto to all of the above !

Thanks everyone---I really appreciate the kind comments!

We always enjoy these particular tours because they're "gardener-done" rather than "designer-done". I have many years'-worth of photos from the fabuloso Hidden Gardens of the East Bay tours, where most gardens are done by talented pros. While I love seeing them, they're often completely out of my league! These gardens are typically more practical, and they always have interesting exhibits & lectures on bees, sustainable practices, etc. And the owners are always there so visitors can ask questions.

I agree, these are much more interesting because they are in the 'normal' person's reach.

Ima,
WOW!
I was very impressed with the bee hive and how they set the stand it was on leg's in water containers to keep the ants away. Too cool! Yes, that white box is a beehive, in Garden #2.
I couldn't pick a favorite, I liked them all. I have to admit more than a touch of admiration for Garden #7, I wish all schools would do that.
Now I can show DH some photos of Raised Veggie Beds. Maybe he'll get the idea. I did get a lot of ideas from what you posted. Some great gardeners who deserve applause for their hard work.
I especially liked what the gardener did in the last garden. You do know that tying gifts or writing prayers and attaching them to a tree is an Indian thing? Although I'm sure other cultures do it too. Loved your message and hope the same.
So did you ever find out what that fragrant blue flower is? LMK okay? I want one too!
Gosh, girl, you must have been tired after going on that tour! Now I just have to collect some whine bottles for edging, and have figured out what to do with all those too small terra cotta pots I have. LOL!
Thanks, for taking the time to share this with us. I know it was a lot of work. Well Done!
WIB!
SW

SW; When building a raised bed veggie garden, in addition to fencing it to keep the rabbits out, be sure to cover the bottom of the beds with rabbit wire (half inch galvanized hardware cloth). This prevents gophers, moles, voles etc from coming in under the garden. It also allows the roots to go through.

Great advise, since I'll be laying out the beds while the guys are working the PP, and CT. Thanks DP! : - )
WIB,
SW

Oh, yeah----that's something I learned from the head gardener at Sunset. They brought in a pro to do an article on gopher eradication, and he couldn't get rid of the gopher! So the day I was there they were digging up all their raised test-beds to line them with hardware cloth.

Although I have to say, I've also had pretty good luck repelling them with massed daffodil bulbs....I have another 100 to plant that just arrived.

SW, I'm glad you found something realy useful in the virtual tour! I noticed the beehive legs in water, too. I'm still hoping to get ONE hive in my garden, but I haven't found anyone yet who's willing to take care of it---and I've got enough going on without taking on another project myself.

The fragrant blue flower is iochroma, and it is related to brugmansia. I have a few of those that die back badly every winter and bloom just in time for frost (I'm going to put glass bells over them this year to try to make their recovery a little faster). It would probably do well in your greenhouse.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/139555/

Where did you get your bulbs? I'm searching for some that chrisw, posted last spring, only to find that they are all sold out! I hope to find some at the local nurseries when I get home.
Thanks for the link. I think it's gonna like the gh too! : - )
I like my pinks and blues.
WIB,
SW

Easy to Grow Bulbs for some, High Country Gardens for others, and a local nursery had nice ones last week, too. Brent & Becky's has also sent me nice ones in the past. Check the recent postings on all onlines in Watchdog before ordering. I've found that to be SO helpful!

Will do when I get home. Don't trust the internet connection here for making online purchases. I did check Brent & Becky's but they were already out of the varieties I was looking for. Drat!
Good suggestions and will google them before I get home since I hadn't heard of them before. Also, Duh, should have thought about checking the Garden Watchdog!
DH is forcing me to eat, then I want to get some low tide photos.
Thanks, ima.
~Hugs~
WIB!
SW

I have Iochroma cuttings if you like, the red one.
My plant is too big, and I could send you un-rooted cuttings.

CC

BTW, lovvvvvve the birdie!!!

Is this Iochroma?

I don't think so. It looks to me like Cestrum elegans

I like the Iochroma, the flowers remind me of the wild tobacco plants, now I'm wondering if the hummers would like it? The link didn't mention it, but it did say the whole plant is poisonous. I might have to rethink this especially if it is toxic to the hummers. Does anyone know?
WIB,
SW

It's foliage & blooms are toxic to eat, but that's the case with all solanums---same family as your wild tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, brugmansias, etc. I'll be the hummers would love it, which is one reason I want it, too.

Oh Goody! : - )
WIB!
SW

Oooh, nice roadrunner, KC! Beep! Beep!

Thanks, surf. Haven't seen one since I took that. I wonder where they go in the winter?

Some cool info - I would like to see them kill a rattlesnake. http://www.desertusa.com/road.html

Wow, that's interesting! I wondered how they could kill a rattlesnake without getting themselves killed. They're fierce and opportunistic, too...their young? Euwww.