Silicon Valley

We’ve got a storm headed our way. A gully washer. Serious wet stuff falling to the ground.

My UK friends are yawning about now, but “big rain” is unheard of in Silicon Valley. I’m pretty excited. Everything in the garden perks up when it rains and we are well past due. I hope folks behind the wheel remember to take their time. The roads will be slicker than usual.

Knowing we’re in for the wet and windy, I temporarily moved the fairy garden indoors. Christmas is less than a month away, so I got busy decorating for the wee ones.

Planting

I bought a pair of miniature cyclamen with my nursery haul over the weekend. They look so cute next to the tiny Blue Fescue fairy house. The ground cover is holding up nicely, but the Fescue needed a trim. That done, I “planted” sprigs of holiday greens and added lights.

Miniature Cyclamen

Sprucing Up the Fairy Garden

Sprucing

In light of the weather, I moved the chairs under cover and set up a table to go with them. The “slip covers” are re-purposed wrappers from the Hydrangea. Some festive ribbon adds color to the base of the table. I think I spotted a few tiny deer drinking nearby. A few broken ornaments add a bit of cheer. I pulled some dried flowers and berries from last week’s Thanksgiving arrangement. They worked well over the entrance to the house and to add color to the table.

Fairy Christmas Table

A Lovely View

Entry Way

All set for the holidays!

If you haven’t tried fairy gardening, give it a whirl. It’s a fun, creative and relaxing way to garden on a small-scale. I like to challenge myself by reusing items from around the house.

The List

On Hand:

Two broken ornaments (archway, background)
Table (empty spool, scrap ribbon, paper flower)
Slipcovers (waterproof plant wrapper)
Dried berries, dried flowers (a floral gift from Thanksgiving)
Plastic deer (leftover from a children’s project)
Slate walkway (from a broken fountain)

Purchased:

Two miniature cyclamen
Waterproof lights

Almaden Quicksilver

Almaden Quicksilver boasts a vast web of trails throughout Almaden Valley, a suburb in Silicon Valley. Once home to Quicksilver Mines, it’s now a 4,152-acre county park “encompassing several historic remains, including abandoned towns, cemeteries, old equipment, and mine entrances.”

Almaden Quicksilver Hiking Trail

We’ve had no measurable rain for months, so the trails are a dry, brown hue. Though I love the verdant green winter and spring days, there is something magical about this time of year. Evergreen shrubs and trees cast shadows on the well-worn trails. Patches of dried bramble shelter rabbits, lizards and birds. The soft rustling adds to the experience.

Flowers going to seed or popcorn on the vine

Just as I bemoaned the fact that we’d not seen deer for a while, we spotted some near the head of the trail. Their legs blend in with the dried grass. I took my eyes off of them to adjust my camera, and they seemed to momentarily disappear. My heart sings a little when I get a close glimpse of them. Wildlife continues to flourish in the heart of Silicon Valley.