Sunday I was out trying to capture the evening light on the hills across from our house towards the east,
when Mr Wood Rat called me. "You gotta come and see this - Come quick!" - Over on the west side of the house, the sun was setting through thin mist, and trees silhouetted in front highlighted the passage of the sun sloping towards the north as it sank. Brilliant! My camera is an Olympus superzoom, not a high-end camera, so the shots I got are a bit soft and the color is not quite right. For my Wordless Wednesday post, I tried to superimpose each photo by lining up the trees so you can see the slanting progress of the setting sun. Or rather the rising earth. Not totally successful, but interesting. I may try again with my dad's DSLR on a tripod. Here is one of the shots.
At first we thought we were seeing the moon!
In the mornings we have enjoyed watching a couple bunnies who drop by to nibble on the "meadow" (of which more in a post soon). I tried snapping shots through the window, again using my superzoom camera. One is an older cottontail and the other a half grown baby, too cute and too liable to become dinner for someone else's baby - such is life. Here he is sampling a native "weed" (I'm not sure what it is actually but we get lots of it.)
And now, for a short report from the garden:
I have been out working in the garden a lot, mostly trying to shape up the south facing flat garden where the "meadow" is, and the chaparral slope immediately below. I'm trying to envision something gorgeous to guide my Fall planting, but without a lot of success. I'll post about that effort on the weekend.
Meanwhile the weeds were sneaking in and taking over the north valley! What can I do with that huge bowl where the Bay tree was? Actually it's more scoop shaped than bowl shaped. Yesterday after work, I took three Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern) plants in gallon pots over to where I planted two twinberry bushes (Loncicera involucrata) and a buckeye tree (Aesculus californica) recently. I put them down and pulled weeds for an hour. Then I took them back to the holding area, my mind just baffled about where to put them.
I need three hundred plants, not three.
But I can't even see what might be there, supposing I did have three hundred plants.
I grew up with tiny front and back gardens, alyssum and lobelia alternating in tidy borders, snapdragons behind. Nothing over 18 inches tall except a rose bush. I think my imagination is stunted. It may be time to call on someone with a larger vision to help me here. I hate to "give up." But on the other hand, imagination can't be forced into existence.
Yet - hope is at hand. Town Mouse has invited me to join her in a visit to a home in Los Altos tomorrow, where a lovely native meadow is flourishing.
Fine exemplars can certainly lead to fine ideas. I certainly hope so.
when Mr Wood Rat called me. "You gotta come and see this - Come quick!" - Over on the west side of the house, the sun was setting through thin mist, and trees silhouetted in front highlighted the passage of the sun sloping towards the north as it sank. Brilliant! My camera is an Olympus superzoom, not a high-end camera, so the shots I got are a bit soft and the color is not quite right. For my Wordless Wednesday post, I tried to superimpose each photo by lining up the trees so you can see the slanting progress of the setting sun. Or rather the rising earth. Not totally successful, but interesting. I may try again with my dad's DSLR on a tripod. Here is one of the shots.
At first we thought we were seeing the moon!In the mornings we have enjoyed watching a couple bunnies who drop by to nibble on the "meadow" (of which more in a post soon). I tried snapping shots through the window, again using my superzoom camera. One is an older cottontail and the other a half grown baby, too cute and too liable to become dinner for someone else's baby - such is life. Here he is sampling a native "weed" (I'm not sure what it is actually but we get lots of it.)
And now, for a short report from the garden:
I have been out working in the garden a lot, mostly trying to shape up the south facing flat garden where the "meadow" is, and the chaparral slope immediately below. I'm trying to envision something gorgeous to guide my Fall planting, but without a lot of success. I'll post about that effort on the weekend.
Meanwhile the weeds were sneaking in and taking over the north valley! What can I do with that huge bowl where the Bay tree was? Actually it's more scoop shaped than bowl shaped. Yesterday after work, I took three Polystichum munitum (Western Sword Fern) plants in gallon pots over to where I planted two twinberry bushes (Loncicera involucrata) and a buckeye tree (Aesculus californica) recently. I put them down and pulled weeds for an hour. Then I took them back to the holding area, my mind just baffled about where to put them.
I need three hundred plants, not three.
But I can't even see what might be there, supposing I did have three hundred plants.
I grew up with tiny front and back gardens, alyssum and lobelia alternating in tidy borders, snapdragons behind. Nothing over 18 inches tall except a rose bush. I think my imagination is stunted. It may be time to call on someone with a larger vision to help me here. I hate to "give up." But on the other hand, imagination can't be forced into existence.
Yet - hope is at hand. Town Mouse has invited me to join her in a visit to a home in Los Altos tomorrow, where a lovely native meadow is flourishing.
Fine exemplars can certainly lead to fine ideas. I certainly hope so.
Comments
Good luck with the bowl area. I know what you mean about not having enough plants.