Seasonal Still Life...All at Once

Because of the fire the garden is having a seasonal dilemma. The narcissi (none of them planted by us) are coming up everywhere this year. The Sango Kaku maple has not yet lost all it's autumn leaves yet it is sporting it's winter red bark. And the blowsy rose (see extra) started blooming in early January on a bush so badly burned we had given it up for dead. 

We met with our buddies at Cafe Frida to sit in the sun and compare Covid vaccination stories. Out of the six of us I am the only one to have gotten the first shot. I am also the only one who has another appointment for the first shot on the 25th which I am unable to cancel. The website doesn't recognize my 'device', wants a code which I don't have and refuses to respond to any attempt I make to get one. No wonder the vaccine program in the county is something of a debacle....

A Master Gardener friend of Tobi's named Kim came over to advise us on fire safe planting as we continue to restore the wrecked parts of our garden. She was full of great advice, had great creative ideas and made lots of recommendations, but also said that it was one of the best fire resistant gardens she had seen with lots of 'specimen' plants.This included the huge agaves which I am growing to love. they are, after all, basically barrels full of water!

 We spent two hours  walking around the garden with Kim and another one chatting about gardening, plants and nurseries we love, some as far away as the Flora Grubb Gardens in South San Francisco. I amazed myself by remembering Marcia Donohue's garden in Berkeley. She is a sculptor who has created an amazing space in her small aemi-urban space and gives free tours to the public on susnday.

Spike trailed around behind us with his cong hoping someone would throw it for him. No one did, but then he would put it down, and stare fixedly at it hoping sheer force of will would move it.

Now we're expecting our neighbors for a glass of wine in the garden...not a bad day for one began with not wanting to get out of my warm bed....
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