Gifts for a gardener

I received a few garden-related gifts this holiday season.  After one of the wettest Decembers on record in California, the soil is still too damp to plant anything in the ground but I did get a few of my new acquisitions potted up.

One gift arrived in the form of a Mountain Crest Gardens gift card.  It came early enough that I was also able to leverage a sale then in process and free shipping so it was a deal all around.  The plants I ordered even arrived just before Christmas.

I planted 3 small hybrid Aloes in a single pot I had on hand

From left to right, the plants are: Aloe 'AJR', A. 'Crimson Dragon', and A. 'Talon'.  'AJR tops out at 12 inches tall and the other 2 run 6-8 inches tall.

Although I don't collect many cacti, I have a soft spot for crested succulents.  This one is Pilosocereus noblis f. cristatus.  I stuck a decorative terracotta piece I found in the garden in the pot mainly to discourage any critters from digging there until the cactus beefs up.

The friend who sent the gift card also brought me a plant I've never seen before.

Labeled as Primula clevelandii, this plant is now classified as Dodecatheon clevelandii (aka Padre's shooting star).  It's a California native that goes dormant during the summer and fall, returning with the rain.

I also received an interesting gift from my sister-in-law.

A package containing everything I need to grow Stroparia rugoso-annulata from The Mushroom Barn

My biggest challenge was finding a spot to grow these mushrooms.  The spot I chose wasn't perfect but hopefully it will do.  I prepped the soil, broke up and spread the contents of the mushroom package, and then covered it with compost and wood chips.  (I didn't have the straw recommended in the downloaded instructions.)  I have a second package still awaiting preparation.

Not all the garden-related gifts I received were living but they were appreciated nonetheless.  In addition to two garden books, here are two others.

This desktop calendar was made up featuring photos from my blog posts

Another friend gave me this sleek watering can

I paid a visit to my local garden center on Monday but, as usual in early January, the shelves, if not bare, didn't offer much of interest.  January is perhaps the slowest month during our cool season and, with Omicron surging here and seemingly everywhere, I'm once again staying close to home.  I'm already looking forward to February, when the first signs of Spring's approach appear here.  In the meantime, I'm focusing on garden cleanup and pruning.   What are you doing in the garden right now?

All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Wednesday Vignette: Moss, mushrooms, berries & bells

The garden responds to rain - even when it's not much - with subtle embellishments.  Moss and mushrooms probably aren't very exciting to most people but they aren't something I've seen much of recently. 

The dirt path between the driveway and the lath house is now covered with emerald green moss, which is surprisingly cushy

Mushrooms have popped up everywhere

Not to be outdone, seemingly overnight, shrubs and trees are clothed in berries and bells.

The Auranticarpa rhombifolium shrubs, leftovers of the original hedges planted by prior owners, are nondescript most of the year but they're covered in pumpkin-shaped orange berries this time of year.  As the berries dry, they break open to display sticky seeds.

The strawberry trees (Arbutus 'Marina') are cloaked in bell-like flowers.  It may be a product of my imagination but the flowers seem more profuse this year, possibly due to cooler-than-average temperatures, early rain, and a delay in my usual tree-trimming schedule.

Fall offers as much joy as spring, especially when rain adds its magic.

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

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

Wednesday Vignette: When is a rock not a rock?

In addition to the weeds attempting to take over my garden following our December and January rain, there's also been a noticeable increase in fungi.  I came across one specimen on January 1st and snapped its picture, amused that this clump of mushrooms appeared to be doing its best to imitate the rock next to it.

Unlike Anna, the host of Wednesday Vignette, I don't usually see political messages in the images I snap with my camera but, when I viewed this photo last night, I couldn't help but think of #45 sitting in the White House, attempting a poor imitation of a President.  Early on, I did my best to respect the will of the people, a hallmark of our democracy, but even before his inauguration he'd managed to disappoint me time and time again.  I've read that liberals took the candidate "literally but not seriously" and some may indeed be guilty of that error.  On the other hand, socially conscious conservatives, some of them good friends, took him "seriously but not literally" and that seems to have been a serious error too.  #45 questions the motivations of those who are marching against him, his cabinet nominees, and his executive orders.  Where were the marchers when votes were cast, he asks.  Well, most of those marchers voted and some of their children who've marched beside them will vote in the near future.  And others who now realize that the political shake-up they sought may cause more harm than good and galvanize a liberal backlash hearkening back to the protests against the Vietnam War are joining in the marches too.  Torture?  An immigration ban based on religion?  A trade war with our neighbor?  A useless, expensive wall to be paid for upfront by US taxpayers?  Really?

I checked on the rock-imitating mushrooms this morning.  They've already decayed in the light of last week's strong sun and warm temperatures, leaving just a dark smudge on the nearby rock.  I expect that I can easily clean that off.  If only eliminating the smudge on our nation's integrity and reputation were so easy.

Visit Anna at Flutter & Hum for more Wednesday Vignettes.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party