The scene was set for a beautiful day in the vineyards. Gorgeous weather with temperatures in the pleasant 70s, sunny with a gentle breeze, a winery with great wine, and friends who were all free to go together for a picnic in the vineyard. This was my perfect afternoon at Clos LaChance Winery in Morgan Hill in the South Bay. Continue reading Picnic in the Vineyard at Clos LaChance Winery in Morgan Hill, California
Tag Archives: california
June in the Garden
June has been a crazy roller coaster of weather for us here in the Bay Area. We had temperatures in the 90s and 100s and I think we even broke a few records with temps up to 105! Then the temperatures went back down to our pleasant 70s and 80s. Basically we were all over the place weather wise in June. Despite these fluctuations in temps the garden faired really well. Continue reading June in the Garden
April and May in the Garden
Happy Saturday!
We are having glorious weather this week with warm sunny daytime temperatures in the 70s and morning temperatures in the cool 50s! Just perfect for our gardens to thrive. However it hasn’t been so predictably pleasant around here this spring. Back in April we had a strange heat wave with temperatures in the 90s! The garden didn’t know what was going on especially my roses, which had beautiful buds ready to open slowly and elegantly, but instead they all just burst into bloom almost overnight. Then a week later we had May showers, lots of it. What this meant for the roses is that the blooms got thrashed and soaked. Between the heat and the rain I had a very short spring rose season this year. Though the roses didn’t fair so well, other plants in the garden thrived and put on a spectacular bloom show. Here is a look at how my garden faired in April and May of this year. Continue reading April and May in the Garden
Gamble Garden Spring Tour 2019. Enter the Garden
Last week I met a few friends to attend the annual Spring Tour at Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, California. Every year The Gamble Garden in Old Palo Alto hosts a Spring Tour where five neighborhood gardens are chosen to show their artistic landscape creativity. A group of us garden aficionados – friends from all over the Bay Area meet each year to attend this event. This is the fourth year we got together to be part of this annual fundraiser where all proceeds from sales of tickets go towards the maintenance of the Gamble Garden. Continue reading Gamble Garden Spring Tour 2019. Enter the Garden
March in the Garden 2019. The Month of Freesias
March in the Bay Area has given us a preview of spring. We had lots and lots of rain followed by sunny days with warm temperatures in the 60s and even 70s, followed by more rain, and sunny days, followed by more rain and sunny days – you get the pattern. The warm sunny temperatures brought out heavy pollen days with a few of us suffering miserably with allergies, but the rain following washed the pollen away and gave us some welcome relief, which is when I would walk around my garden to see what’s happening. I apologize in advance if all my eyes caught were colorful blooms, I am a sucker for glorious colorful flowers. Lets just say that despite there being lots and lots of plants in full bloom and all looking gorgeous what stole my heart are these beautiful freesias. Continue reading March in the Garden 2019. The Month of Freesias
Sierra Azul Hiking Trail. Mount Umunhum Area. Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Happy Friday everyone! I hope you are ready for a great weekend! After days and days of stormy, rainy, cold weather here in the Bay Area the skies cleared out the last couple of days and we had glorious sunshine 🌞. Sunny skies were beckoning me to get outside and do something nature oriented – that’s why when my friend Padmini asked if I wanted to join her on a hike on the Sierra Azul trail off Hicks Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains I didn’t think twice – I just said YES! Continue reading Sierra Azul Hiking Trail. Mount Umunhum Area. Santa Cruz Mountains, California
January in the Garden. 2019
January has been wet, wet, wet for us here in the Bay Area. Rain and more rain and chilly temperatures made for a tumultuous time in the garden. One of the storms we had was so fierce that one of our eucalyptus trees got ripped off its trunk. The latter part of January however we have had spring-like temperatures in the 60s! The birds were chirping away thinking spring has arrived early. It has definitely been a roller coaster ride weatherwise. Continue reading January in the Garden. 2019
December in the Garden
December in the garden has been rather quiet here in the Bay Area, Most of December we had rain and many days of cold and cloudy days, however the last week of December has been spectacular with sunny blue skies and daytime temperatures in the cool 60s.
Tastes, Tales and Traditions by the Palo Alto Auxiliary For Children Benefiting Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital
Like beautiful paintings, a few nostalgic stories, and a lot of old fashioned recipes with proceeds from all sales going to benefit a children’s hospital? Then this book is for you. Tastes, Tales and Traditions presented by the Palo Alto Auxiliary For Children benefiting Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital is a wonderfully original and beautiful cookbook that. I picked up when visiting the Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden in Palo Alto, California. for their Spring Garden Tour. Folks, this is one outstanding cookbook. Continue reading Tastes, Tales and Traditions by the Palo Alto Auxiliary For Children Benefiting Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital
Wreath Making at Guadalupe Park Garden Conservancy. San Jose, California
I’ve never made a wreath before, that’s why when my friend Rose asked if I wanted to join her for a wreath-making class at the Guadalupe Park Garden Conservancy in San Jose I was excited to go. But what I had in mind is totally different than what I experienced. I assumed I would be making a typical wreath with the usual pine-tree leaves and just tie them around a pre-fabricated wire circle. Little did I know I would be in a nature-inspired wreath-making workshop like no other! Continue reading Wreath Making at Guadalupe Park Garden Conservancy. San Jose, California
