Cee’s Flower of the Day: Euphorbia

For Cee’s Flower of the Day, self decided to post a picture of a plant she’s never posted pictures of before: her Euphorbia “Martini”, which she stuck in a pot and left on the porch a couple of years ago. She even forgot what it was called and had to poke around in the dirt for the plant label (She used to stick the plant label in the pot with each new plant, but has been lazy about it, the last couple of years.) It didn’t perform particularly well, so self considered throwing it out. Then, suddenly, with all the rain, it’s been looking great! So here it is, enjoying its 15 minutes of fame:

Cee’s Flower of the Day: Lavatera

Self has two enormous lavatera bushes in her front yard. They seem to thrive on spotty watering and fertilizing, lol.

Not much else thrives in her front yard, but the lavataera just keeps going and going.

Posting for Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Cee’s Black and White Challenge: Anything with Numbers

Had to go all the way back to last year’s Fourth of July parade in Redwood City, and to a sign at the Oxford Botanical Garden, which self visited last May. Guess I don’t take that many pictures with numbers, LOL

Posting for CBWC.

Silent Sunday: Cloverdale

Self loved, loved, loved the Pinschower Inn in Cloverdale, CA, which she visited for the first time last December. It had the most beautiful garden.

Posting for Travel with Intent’s Silent Sunday.

Cee’s Flower of the Day: Photinia

The photinia in self’s backyard is covered with reddish new growth. The olive tree just behind it is getting huge! It’s so tall it dwarfs the house. She did not plant this tree: it started growing there about a decade ago. Encouraged, she bought an olive tree for the front yard, thinking it would help block her living room window from the relentless summer sun. That one, however, while taller, has hardly any leaves. Best laid plans . . . (sigh)

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day.

Cee’s Flower of the Day: Front Yard

Self usually posts pictures of her backyard, because she’s much less self-conscious about taking pictures there. It takes a long time for self to position her shot, and her fingers shake, so she has to find a firm surface to rest her arm on.

Today, though, she had to stop and take a picture of one fat bloom that is just about to open on one of her oldest rose bushes: a Queen Elizabeth, which she planted over twenty years ago, by her front steps. It has survived intermittent care, and grown tall and wild. It hasn’t bloomed profusely (because self keeps forgetting to fertilize) but this year she will.

Posting for Cee’s Flower of the Day.”

Cee’s Flower of the Day: Geraniums

These geraniums never quit: they’re in a huge Chinese pot (which self bought for $20 decades ago from San Francisco Chinatown) and have been blooming all year. This is one pot that was not upended by the wind storm of a couple of days ago. That’s because it’s fat, big, and heavy.

Posting for Cee Neuner’s Flower of the Day:

Cee’s Flower of the Day: Plum Tree

We have had weather, here in northern California. First: two days of blustery, high wind (knocked down ALL the pots on the porch, even the huge ones with small orange and loquat trees). Then, all last night, rain.

This morning, though. This morning. Look! After that wind storm, I’m surprised there were any blossoms left on the tree.

Cellpic Sunday: Plum Tree, Today

Posting for Journeys with Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday. (Self’s cell is an Android, an old one, five years old. It takes grrreat pictures)

One day, self looked at the backyard, and the plum tree was covered in white blooms. The whole feeling of the garden is transformed.

citysonnet’s Colors and Letters Photo-a-Day Challenge, 18 February 2023

Today’s challenge is a color: MANGO!

Which happens to be a favorite color of self’s. She recently bought a rose with this color (Golden Opportunity). She bought it in January, bare root. She can hardly wait for it to start blooming. A bougainvillea she bought last year, from the Palo Alto (California Avenue) Farmers Market is this color. And her beautiful Moonlight Romantica rose (also bought last year, from Regan’s Nursry in Fremont) has blooms of this color.

The bougainvillea and Moonlight Romantica pictures are from last year; they’re still looking a bit bedraggled after weeks of nonstop rain.

Full list of challenges for February is here.