Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Wednesday Vignette: My happy place

I share photos of the south end of my garden all too often it seems and here it is again.  But it's looking really good!  The rain we've enjoyed off and on for most of this month has washed the succulents clean and encouraged the California poppies to bloom.  Leucospermum 'Goldie' is blooming too.

The dwarf peppermint willow shrubs (Agonis flexuosa 'Nana') I cut back by more than half in January are filling out and flaunting their fresh red foliage in the bed adjacent to the small south-end patio.  Even the house's windows look clean from here.  (They aren't.)
Agave 'Blue Flame' is getting cozy with Agave medio-picta 'Alba' but at this stage they're still co-existing in harmony.  The Mexican grass tree (Dasylirion longissimum) hasn't tried to push them both out of the way yet either.



Leucospermum 'Goldie' has settled in comfortably with self-seeded Gazanias

Rain and fewer cars on the road have combined to reduce smog levels and keep the air clean


All is not right with the world at the moment but in this tiny little piece of it, just for a moment, it's possible to enjoy what's in front of me.  This is my happy place.

For more Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

22 comments:

  1. And what a place to be happy in! Your garden is positively glowing. Must admit the lack of air/road traffic is making being outside very peaceful and relaxing. There are always silver linings. Thanks for sharing your happy place.

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    1. Thank you for visiting, Elaine! It helps me to feel connected, if only virtually.

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  2. What a wonderful place to be! Stay safe, and be well, friend. This too, shall pass.

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  3. Glad you got enough rain to wash the dust off and hopefully keep all your plants happy. I'm out in the country so not too much as changed for me, but there's no stress shopping being done by me - that's a good thing. Even my grocery shopping has been curtailed, also a good thing - too tempting to get chips or ice cream or ... the list could go on.

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    1. Somehow, I've managed to get my supply of Rocky Road ice cream filled on a fairly regular basis, Barbara!

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  4. Definitely a happy place– Color, balance and texture well blended!
    It seems that one of the benefits of curtailing human activity is a cleaner environment. Wouldn't it be nice if we could keep it that way?
    I would love to see those empty freeways - the traffic is the only thing I don't like about visiting CA! ;)

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    1. The traffic on SoCal freeways is what everyone hates about being here, Eliza! I hear it's smooth sailing now but I haven't been out on them for a good 2 weeks.

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  5. Clean air.....there’s an upside to everything! Your happy corner is looking beautiful, Kris, and must also be a pleasure to look upon from inside the house..

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    1. The inside seems wide open to the outside after our remodel, Jane. It's wonderful!

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  6. Your garden is gorgeous. It makes me happy to see all that is blooming in your garden. While I won't have the same blooms it won't be long and I will have some blooms of my own. I was thrilled to be able to sit out in the garden and bask in the sun today. They first time I wasn't too chilled around the edges by the wind. Aaahhhhh. Spring is trying her best to make an appearance.

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  7. We gardeners are lucky to have our safe space where we can isolate. I'm working from home so I can wonder out to that garden whenever I feel the urge.

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    1. That must help a lot, Kathy! I'm honestly surprised at how busy I've been in the past week, although a lot of it (like seeking foodstuffs on line) has been frustrating and less than fulfilling.

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  8. Those are gorgeous vignettes Kris, thank you for sharing them.

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  9. It must be nice to have clean and clear air, which increases your gorgeous view. I hope you're able to spend more time enjoying the view of the city and your beautiful gardens. It's such a blessing to have our gardens in a time such as this.

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    1. It is, Cindy! I hope the weather in your part of the country improves soon so you can truly enjoy your garden.

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  10. Such a wide open feeling in your garden. And then so many interesting plants there!

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  11. I agree with your last sentence that nothing is okay with the world now but our gardens bring us much happiness amidst all these chaos and sadness.

    I love your garden. How do you maintain it so beautifully -- do you constantly weed and prune?

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    1. Weeding wasn't a big issue until last season when we got so much rain, Kathy. Although our rainfall this season hasn't been great, having so much of it come this month means I'm doing a lot more at the moment - for example, the Mexican Feather grass seedlings have become a real issue for the first time. As the plants in my garden have matured, pruning is also becoming a more time-consuming project but old enemies, like the ivy that comes across the property line on the back slope, are the biggest time sink.

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