Lesser Gold Finch picking at raisins that are softened from the rain and dew.
Native Garden
Backlit senescing cultivated hybridized California grapes (“Roger’s Red”). So far the Northern Mockingbirds are its prime visitors for raisins. We’ve seen Lesser Gold Finches seemingly drinking water or eating bugs out of the raisin’s nooks and crannies.
The front yard California fuchsias (Epilobium canum) are still flowering and providing forage to the hummingbirds. I really need to cut these back but…. the hummingbirds! And other small pollinators!
Front yard: today and April 19. I cleaned up a lot of it today. This yard of cultivated native plants is so much more rewarding than a lawn.
Pulling out grass from the cultivated native sage is exhausting. At least I’m perfumed with sage now.
Backyard cultivated native elderberries decided summer is over! Yay!
Been a few years since we first wanted to mulch the backyard. Weather got nice so here we go with 10 cu yd of chips!
Here’s some hope that our trio of Scrub Jays will eat our cultivated California native grapes.
The cultivated native plants likely needed some morning water for this California heatwave. It’s like a furnace vent out there.
Another Bee’s eye view. Gorging on a Gilia. Early 2017.
Hummingbirds love these cultivated native California fuchsias so here’s their bird’s eye view of them.
Cultivated native California grapes. Seedy & thick skinned but good to eat. Since the birds aren’t.
The birds aren’t eating the grapes, so we might as well. 😋
Watering the front yard and this hummingbird was really curious about the water and I swear the bird took a drink.
Our cultivated native California grapes are ripening! The birds will hopefully soon find them. Or we’ll enjoy them despite their massive seeds.
The last two days of 110°F heat has also resulted in our cultivated native California grapes turning to raisins on the vine.
Scrub Jay patiently waiting for the grapes to ripen.
The California Buckwheat is now blooming — cool hot pink anthers!
The toyon is in full bloom and it is impossible to photograph its flowers without pollinators. A very popular plant!
Today’s front yard Poppies and Clarkias.
Cultivated native California grapes are coming along quite well.
If only I could have got closer to this gorgeous blue dragonfly in the front yard. This super crop will have to do.
Bee butt on the first understated blooms of our cultivated Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia).
An unidentified grasshopper of some kind on our cultivated native California wild rose. Genus _Scudderia_?
The backyard native California grapes are about done flowering and beginning to swell.
Turns out native California grape flowers ate definitely not showy but are well loved by small pollinators.
I think these are as showy as native California grape flowers get. Will report back.
Backyard elderberry in full bloom. Fence behind it is six feet tall.
Wild California Grapes are coming along — these are the flowers buds.
Front yard Clarkia update: nearly full bloom. Hoping the white lined sphinx moth caterpillars show up soon. Though, this year there is far less forage than the last. Not enough rain.
