love in the mist

We’re quite spoiled living in California this time of year. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing, and we’re frequently treated to several days of unseasonably warm conditions.

While much of the country is dealing with weather known as the polar vortex with insanely cold and hazardous conditions, I’m wearing a t-shirt as I go about my day. I wish I could send all my mid-west and eastern seaboard friends a bit of warmth and sunshine. Come June, I’ll be looking on enviously at your summer rains.

Nigella and sweet peas populate the curb garden

I’ve been popping into the garden at the end of the day, pulling young weeds before they get a foothold. It’s a joy to observe the daily treasures nature has to offer.

When fall arrives in late October, my garden cleanup includes pruning, grooming and dead-heading perennial plants and shrubs. Last fall, I consciously let things go. This wasn’t born of laziness. In fact, it took some resolve to let things be. My propensity for organization and a tidy garden are nothing new, however my awareness of the benefits of a garden to all the visitors comes with a sense of responsibility.

Letting perennials go to seed means there are seeds available for birds passing through. Allowing a bit of leaf drop to cover the garden floor provides cover for some beneficial insects, while at the same time providing a natural mulch. Mulch keeps the soil warm and moist, while reducing weed growth and protecting roots from uneven temperatures. Leaves breakdown quickly, feeding the worms and improving the overall health of the soil.

Excess leaves, swept from the sidewalk and deck, made it into our compost bin. After working my way through three different compost systems over the past decade, I finally found one that I like.

Tessa likes to sit on the composter at dusk

New habits take time. I’m itching to get out there so I can prune some of the dead growth. I’ve had a little chat with my inner gardener, and together we’ve decided this is best. After all, the first day of Spring in the northern hemisphere is only 49 days away.

I can hardly wait.

Front garden view
Emerging bulbs
Nigella, sweet pea poppies mix together at the curb
Nigella also known as love in a mist
Freesia
Letting the curb garden rest
Narcissus emerge
Nigella
Freesia bud
A trio of lemons
Camellia buds

It’s everywhere. Purple that is.

Love-in-the-Mist gathers morning dew

Growing up, my sister claimed purple as her favorite color. To this day it remains unchanged. I’ve always loved green, with blue and purple a close second. In the garden, I like them all.

When our oldest son was old enough to express an opinion, he declared orange as his favorite. My husband loves blue and my good friend, Kristi, loves red, so he assumed only one person could have the same favorite color. He declared that his yet-to-be-born younger brother would favor yellow.

We watched closely as the little one developed his own taste, secretly hoping it might be yellow. That would be a fun story for the family archives. Alas, the color blue won the day, though the story still makes me smile.

What’s your favorite color?