Thursday, December 31, 2020

Seeing 2020 in the rear view mirror

How do you review a year like 2020?  It's truly the most horrible year in my memory.  As if the political scene wasn't bad enough already, it got worse as elected leaders failed to lead and divisions within the country intensified, encompassing even public health and safety issues.  A pandemic that other countries managed well (relatively speaking) spun utterly out of control in the US due in large part to inconsistent messaging and controls leading to a death count of 344,000.  Restrictions both self- and government-imposed kept us from traveling and seeing friends and family in person.  Even basic chores, like grocery shopping, became fraught with complications.  While stocks somehow managed to soar, many parts of our economy tanked as smaller business were crippled and many closed, perhaps permanently.  Millions of people lost jobs and our homeless and food insecurity problems worsened.  Unemployment agencies and food banks struggled to get help to those who needed it and government assistance was sporadic and, in some cases, riddled with fraud.  On top of all that, natural disasters plagued the country, including California, which lost more acres to wildfire than ever before.

For many people, myself included, their gardens became even more significant as we spent more time at home.  Plant shopping, one of my favorite activities, was dramatically curtailed this year, limited almost entirely to my local garden center and mail orders.  Visits to public and private gardens were also severely curtailed.  But my garden was still my main refuge so I've pulled some of my favorites photos of it to share with you, as well as a few photos taken in nearby locations.

JANUARY

Aloe vanbalenii, photographed at South Coast Botanic Garden

The Sun Garden at Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar, photographed during a visit with a group of South Coast Botanic Garden docents

FEBRUARY

Ceanothus arboreus 'Cliff Schmidt' in full bloom on my back slope

My north-side dry garden

The succulent area of Seaside Gardens, photographed on the one and only trip I took to this nursery in Carpinteria this year

MARCH

The Port of Los Angeles after cruise ships were forced to halt operations (viewed from my backyard).  Ships were anchored off-shore for an extended period and still appear in port occasionally to pick up supplies.  Many crew members from foreign nations were not allowed to disembark, leaving them in limbo.

Ferraria crispa bloom, always a welcome sight

View of my south-side garden looking toward the house

APRIL

My lath (shade) house photographed from the upper level of the front garden as one of several "Coronavirus Tourism" posts

View from the back door, featuring the Dutch Iris in bloom

The back slope looking up from the bottom, another area featured as part of a "Coronavirus Tourism" post

MAY

A nice vignette featuring Leucadendrons, Agaves and Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer'

One of several visits peacocks made to my garden this year.  I stopped filling my bird feeders for an extended period to discourage them from visiting but I suspect the coyotes may have had greater influence. 

When a friend stopped by on my birthday, we walked my neighborhood (masked and socially distant of course) to check out the gardens visible from the street.  This one was the most spectacular.

JUNE

I met this coyote as I was headed out the back door at 9am, startling both of us.  This event ended the short, supervised outdoor excursions I'd previously allowed my cat to take each morning.

I visited nearby South Coast Botanic Garden for the first time since the docents were furloughed in March.  The lavender field looked great even if he absence of volunteer help had a larger impact on other areas.

Leucadendron 'Safari Sunset', surrounded by Acacia 'Cousin Itt' and Nassella tenuissima, viewed from the dirt path between the back border and the hedge that runs the entire length of the upper level of the back garden

JULY

One section of the front garden backed by Grevillea 'Peaches & Cream' and Leucadendron 'Safari Goldstrike'.  The path adjacent to the hedge leads to the lath house.

This colorful cloud formation, called a "fire rainbow", is a naturally occurring phenomenon unrelated to fire

This vignette featuring Aeonium 'Mardi Gras', Coprosma 'Fire Burst', and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy' pleases me every time I look at it

I moved this Leucadendron 'Wilson's Wonder' from our former house in a pot.  It became a giant once planted in the ground.  The red foliage is prominent in July, while it flaunts yellow flower-like bracts in January.

AUGUST

View of the front garden looking north from its southern end

This view of the south-side succulent bed highlights the unnaturally red foliage of our giant native evergreen Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).  The tree-like shrub had been killed off, probably by the pathogen that causes "sudden oak death" to which its also susceptible.  It and the dying mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) in the back garden were cut down in October.

This overhead view of one of my Monday flower arrangements is my nod to my garden's summer bounty

My husband and I paid a late-August visit to Sherman Gardens to see the Sculptura Botanica exhibit created by ceramic sculptor and landscape designer Dustin Gimbel

SEPTEMBER

Agave americana medio-picta 'Alba' surrounded by larger Agaves ('Blue Glow' and 'Blue Flame')

This was one of the numerous giveaways I offered to neighbors during the course of 2020.  I gave away succulents, flowers, strawberry plants, and a variety of citrus fruits.  This one may have been the most popular - the first car pulled up even before I finished putting out the plants.

OCTOBER

Agave 'Multicolor'  accented by yellow-flowered Lantana and Graptoveria 'Fred Ives'

The Dahlias in my cutting garden peaked in October, later than usual as I was late in planting the tubers this year

Splashing birds, mostly finches, enjoyed bathing in the backyard fountain

NOVEMBER

I enjoyed a little fall color in the form of this Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' and a persimmon tree

I "fluffed" several succulent pots in November but this one required little upkeep.  The centerpiece is xMangave 'Red Wing', which is perhaps my favorite of the intergeneric hybrids commonly available at present

I'd been concerned that moving my bird feeders after the removal of two large trees might put off some birds.  The smaller birds returned quickly but the hawks, like this one, no longer have a great place to perch and eye their prey.  The closest this one got was the neighbor's pine tree.

DECEMBER

We experienced a second round of wildfires in Southern California in early December.  We weren't in any direct danger but the air was smoky for more than a week.  It created interesting light effects but mostly kept me out of the garden.


This is a new photo showing the biggest of my fall garden projects.  I cleared the area of overgrown Aeoniums and other succulents; repaired damage by a gopher that built a den under a section of the short stacked stone wall; laid additional stone saved from last year's home remodel to partially level the slope; added soil amendments; and replanted, mostly with small succulent plugs and cuttings.  Nothing's died but it has a long way to go before it's filled in.

That's my haphazard recap of 2020.  I hope that 2021 brings better things for all of us.  Best wishes!


All material © 2012-2021 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

32 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Kris..I a (very) cautiously optimistic that life will improve in 2021-at least by Q2 I hope. So many projects completed this year-that has to be the saving grace-along with the good health of me and my family.

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    1. I think there's something about the new year that always conjures expectations of sudden change, Kathy, but this year we've more reasons than ever to be realistic about our expectations. The changes we hope for won't come overnight but I'm hoping the general trend is positive (even if that person leaving the White House continues to run his con to collect money from gullible dupes). Dr Fauci said he expects the pace of vaccination to ramp up in January but fall is still a goal for a return to a semblance of normality.

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  2. Thank goodness the giant tantruming megalomaniac that has dementia to boot is leaving office. Then hopefully we can get the leadership we need to get the vaccines distributed properly.

    I haven’t seen a fire rainbow before. I’ve just seen rainbows and fragments of rainbows.

    You’ve done such a good job with your garden. So beautiful and with such intricate structure and interest. It goes well with the views too.



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    1. Thanks sweetbay. There are more holes in my garden at the moment than ever before and I'm anxious to fill them in but, with the virus still running rampant in SoCal, my plant shopping will probably remain minimal at best for awhile yet.

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  3. Your garden is fantastic. There are so many plants I'm not familiar with. I can't believe you have a peacock that wanders through - that is fantastic! The bouganvillea in the neighbor's garden is also quite spectacular. That is one plant I wish I could grow. I am cautiously optimistic about 2021 and Jan. 20th cannot get here fast enough. I'm just afraid he will continue to linger on as he tries to get back in office. It isn't good for my mental health. ugh

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    1. #45's behavior is hard to ignore and impossible to forgive. Sadly, I don't expect him to shut-up after he leaves, especially as he's using his complaints and baseless claims as as way of convincing fools to donate money that can be used to cover all those debts about to come due. We can hope this influence steadily wants, though. Even Pat Robertson has acknowledged that 45 lives in an "alternate reality."

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  4. Peacock, coyote and fire rainbow... oh my! Happy New Year Kris. I look forward to seeing more of your garden in 2021.

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    1. I could do without the peacocks and coyotes. The former - pretty but loud and potentially destructive - are best viewed in other people's gardens. At least they didn't decide to nest here. Unlike peacocks, coyotes have lived here forever and we must learn to live with them - and at least they keep the peacocks on the run!

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  5. A lovely review of your garden this year, Kris. Our gardens helped us maintain what little sanity we possessed! Definitely glad 2020 is in the rearview mirror, not sorry to see the end of it. I'm hoping the new year proves to be a better one.

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    1. Me too, Eliza, although I suspect improvements will be gradual. As to the garden, I feel thankful every day that I'm lucky enough to have one.

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  6. Those photographs, the best of 2020, bring back memories of your posts that I read throughout the year; a nice way to look back, walk through your gorgeous garden paths and ooh and aah all over again. Forward and Upward!

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    1. Yes, forward and upward but best to wear sturdy boots as I imagine we're still facing a difficult climb!

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  7. Your garden had a beautiful year, despite it being less than good for the gardener and the rest of the human portion of the biosphere.

    Is that the coyote that steals newspapers? What a surprise that was!

    Happy 2021!

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    1. I suspect this coyote is younger and newer to the scene, as evidenced by him coming so close to the house mid-morning and failing to detect my presence before I detected his. In any case, we've had no more cases of newspaper theft since our security cameras caught that one in the act, last year I think?

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  8. Love seeing all your plants Kris. I have learned so much over the year. How you deal with drought is something I am really interested in. It seems we have more and more time with drought here. Nothing like you deal with of course, at least not yet. I am going to have to try to grow that itsy bitsy gomphera. I think it is the cutest thing.
    It is rather chilling seeing a coyote strolling through your garden. My first thought was I hope you don't let your cat out unattended.
    A friend of mine saw a Red-tailed hawk dip at her Rat Terrier. He was barking hysterically at it so she thinks when the hawk got close it decided it would be too much work to take him. Who would have thought that the confines of our gardens is not really all that safe for small furry creatures. We have a Cooper's Hawk that has been regularly dining on House Sparrows. We have plenty of them to spare.
    Here is to a successful growing garden this year. Be well, be happy...

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    1. I've seen a hawk, probably another red-tailed, swoop through my garden twice since the mimosa tree came down, Lisa, but I suspect the fact that he can't perch as closely as he used to hampers his hunting prowess, or I hope so anyway.

      I used to let Pipig wander nearby while I was cleaning her "catio" every morning. She looked forward to it but, after seeing the coyote so close to the house that late in the morning, I keep her confined at all times. She misses her excursions, or at least did early on, but based on tales of local dogs snatched in front of their owners I realize the coyote can move faster than I can so I can't take that risk anymore.

      Re the Gomphrena, Annie's Annuals & Perennials in NorCal sells it by mail order as "Airy Bachelor's Buttons." In Texas, I hear it's sold as Gomphrena 'Little Grapes'.

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    2. Does Pipig complain? Thomas makes sure ALL the neighbours know if we lock him in (New Year fireworks? But then they didn't happen after all)

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    3. She made her annoyance clear early on but eventually accepted the situation, although when I'm inside her catio for the morning cleanup of her box, she stays on the upper level and gives me the cold shoulder, even when I talk to her.

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  9. Sempre spettacolari le immagini! Come sempre noto la bellezza delle piante che crescono anche qui ma unite con essenze quasi tropicali!

    Ti auguro un ottimo anno nuovo ricco di soddisfazioni :)

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    1. Thanks Gabriel. A year rich in satisfaction is a good one for this year. I wish you the same!

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  10. Thanks for all your posts this last year Kris, I always look forward to them even if they do make me green with envy more often than not! I must have missed Ferraria crispa first time around, or maybe not given that is another one I've added to the greenhouse this year. I shall look forward to those gorgeous blooms, assuming it gets that far.
    Happy New Year, may it provide the turning points we all hope for and sooner rather than later.

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    1. Somehow the flowers of Ferraria crispa always manage to surprise me, Jessica. The plant itself can be very unassuming but I expect they'll be hard to miss in your greenhouse. Cautious optimism seems to be the rule of thumb with respect to the new year.

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  11. Wonderful recap of your year-- not only in your own garden, but also the places you visited. I have to say that the coyote made me immediately hope you did not have pets outside, but glad to see you kept the kitty safe. Here is to another year of gardening and a better situation in our country.

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    1. Thanks Angie. The coyote's visit was actually something of a wake-up call as, until then, I'd deluded myself that my cat was safe as long as I was with her and our outings were timed when the coyotes should have retreated to their dens. The coyotes seem to be doing a lot more hunting during daylight hours now.

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  12. I was a little shocked to see the coyote on your back patio in daylight! That is most definitely a wake up call for us pet owners. I saw one running through my yard this year as well but it was before the sun had risen.

    Your garden does seems like a slice of heaven - or at the very least a refuge (for yourself, peacocks and 103 varieties of Leucadendron!) The last shot looks like you put quite a bit of work into the hillside. Hopefully the plants will have lots of time to put out roots before the next bout of heat and smoke. :)

    My favorite shot was the veritable *orchard* of A. vanbalenii. My own are blooming for the first time after 4 years.

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    1. Not quite 103 varieties of Leucadendron, Hans, but I do have a fair number of them ;) Along with the trees, I'd say they form the backbone of my garden. I'm very tempted to fill in all those blank spots in that front slope with more succulents and probably would if shopping for plants was easier than it is at the moment.

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  13. Well, I'm late but at least I'm here. Fun to walk through the year in your garden. Hopeful for the new year and the changes to come, but very disturbed by what will be happening with the electoral votes. And Big T outdid himself this weekend. Sure wish that line in the sand would stop moving - unbelievable.

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    1. I'm afraid the behavior of #45 and those in the GOP that support the challenge to the electoral college vote will be the end of that party. I'm registered as non-partisan but I'd have a hard time supporting anyone with that party affiliation in the future. Even Pat Robertson, one of 45's long-time supporters, has said that he's living in an "alternate reality" and needs to move on. He'll be in the history books no doubt - but, like Benedict Arnold, for all the wrong reasons.

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  14. Well Kris it has been a helluva year indeed and particularly for CA. It lifts my heart to see your gardens such works of art. And you have the most stunning views. Hoping for some normalcy to return in January but I doubt it given the politics and insanity of the GOP.

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    1. Thanks for the good wishes, Donna. I hope a better year is in store for all of us.

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  15. I'm glad that your garden provided so much in the way of comfort and solace to you Kris in a year when there was so challenging and with very little to celebrate. I hope that 2021 treats you, your loved ones and your country more gently xxx

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    1. We have to get through January as a first step, Anna. Honestly, I never thought the political situation could get this bad.

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