Heart of the Iris

Today, after all the wind and rain we finally have a mild day and to celebrate this bicolored iris decided to open up and share it's beauty with the world. It is in the new side yard, and for many years hidden from sight by the old mobile home that stood right next to it. With water and sunlight, many of the old iris are flourishing. It is great to see.

Old Iris, New Life

Old Iris, New Life
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

This is my first spring in the new yard. Of course I have been a neighbor of the yard for almost 8 years now, but with the mobile home gone, the whole aspect is different.
Many plants that I only viewed from a distance are now right in my face! It is thrilling to see the changes in them now that they get more sun and had much more water in the late summer and early fall.
Some of the changes in the yard that I notice on the last day of March, are all the daffodils we planted last fall. They started blooming on Feb. 13th before I left for India and are still blooming freely now. It was a great welcome home after a month away.
The huge Ceanothus bush which had always been hidden by the mobile home, has almost doubled in size since last year and is starting to get some of it's delicious blue color! I think the extra water last fall really helped it, it should be fantastic!
The enormous white climbing rose that spreads out into the swamp to the east has also really grown since last year, and is already starting to sport blossoms. I have ordered six more different climbing roses to plant over there along the fence line. Next year might really be spectacular though they will still be small. Hopefully they will get here soon so we can get them into the ground.
I scattered a lot of my wild and native seed mix over here too, mostly on the steep slopes to try to rein in erosian, and they seem to have had a great germination rate. Already the miniature blue lupine are blooming like crazy along with the usual buttercups, but the yellow lupine and the California Poppies are also starting to open up.
This late rain can only help.
Also having the water level so high in the creek is making the swamp full again and the otters are active over there from all reports. I haven't seen them myself, but I have seen the red shoulder Hawk who has a nest right above the swamp. Fabulous place to live and observe.
Opppps, I almost forgot the fruit trees that are blooming, apricot, pear and most beautiful, the nectarine. Bud break occurred in my random grapevines on Sunday though some haven't come along yet. Hoping we don't get an April surprise like we had a couple of years ago...just nice rain and light frosts if they have to come.

Possum Scat in new yard

Possum Scat in new yard
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

For the third time in a week, I found this distinctively colored scat left prominently in the new year...the first time on a small cement slab, and the second and third times on the asphalt where we just took down the last of the old carport.
After looking in Animal Tracks of Northern California, I think I have identified this scat as possum poop. I think he has been feasting along with an assortment of birds on the last of the bumper crop of apples.
I am not at all sure why the poop is left in such exposed places. The dogs really avoid it, and I collected it when I am doing Poop Patrol.
The gardens are all pretty dormant, and most of my work right now consists of small pruning jobs, poop patrol, and keeping the bird feeders filled so the finches, towhees, scrub jays, acorn woodpeckers and flickers will continue to amuse and amaze me.
It is great to be able to look out the kitchen window and only see the yard and wildlife. Yesterday from a distance, the deer looked back until Koko spotted them.

Brrrr, almost winter

Brrrr, almost winter
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

Brrrr, very cold today and the rain storm that was supposed to come seems to have passed us by, though there are thick clouds in all directions, nothing more than a few spits of rain today.
It was quite a shock to come back from a short trip to Panama and find the devastation that accompanies a very hard freeze. Apparently we had three days where the temps were never out of the 30s day time and into the mid teens at night.
My friend and animal tender tried to cover plants and animals, but even if I would have been home, I don't think I could have prevented the damage to some of the plants. My striped bamboo which I knew was problematic took a really hard hit, as did my kumquat. I even had put Cloud Cover on the Kumquat, so it is surviving, but sure not thriving.
Interestingly, a small planter of succulents in the greenhouse totally bit the dust, but everything else in there is fine. Oh the perils of gardening. All the leaves are down now, and my lettuces and chard survived, so maybe if we get a warmer spell and some sun, things won't look quite so bleak.

Fig Harvest continues

Fig Harvest continues
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

When Quiz approached, Koko kept pulling on the fig, and began to growl most menacingly! Weirdo!

Koko Harvesting Figs

Koko Harvesting Figs
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

Koko is the strangest dog. She has learned to recognize hanging fruit. She started with grapes within reach and was very agile in standing on her hind legs and nipping down the ripening grapes. She progressed to breaking off branches and taking the grapes away to eat at her leisure.
When I was pulling out the tomatoes, she turned her attention to those small globes...mostly she spat them out.
I didn't even think of the figs as I had offered her leftovers after I had my yard snack, almost daily this summer. When the dwarf Black Jack fig was hit by frost, a huge number of low hanging fruit was revealed. And that is when Koko moved into action. First she would sniff for the ripest fruit, then put the fruit in her mouth and pull it from the tree. I never actually saw her eat one, but she defended her find from all comers, especially Quiz who was curious about the ruckus.

Frozen Bird Bath

Frozen Bird Bath
Originally uploaded by Rexfree_99

This morning we had thick frost on my neighbors roof and the very top of my studio roof, but I didn't think there was any frost lower down...until I walked the yards and found that the metal bird baths had frozen! I was certainly surprised to find that and no damage to my more tender plants. I expected to see a black tomato bush and had even harvested the last of the green tomatoes yesterday, but the bush/vine is still fine today. But we are so close to that first killer frost.
I am going to spray my kumquat with Cloud Cover this afternoon...I think it is in a pretty protected space, but it is my only citrus that is outside so I want to make doubly sure it is safe.