The photographs here should explain my absence from postings lately. Spring has sprung here with weekend temperatures in the lower 80s! Though technically it isn’t safe to plant here until Mother’s Day, I couldn’t resist “springing” up the upstairs balcony that runs the entire length of the front of the house. The top tub contains white arrangements faded out by the natural light. The pink geraniums on the floor by the flowercart are silk; the silk peony arrangement on the floor by the front door (rear left) are in an old enamel coffeepot my grandfather used when he camped out on fishing trips. He’s been dead more than 50 years so that makes it 80 or 90 years old. The new plantings are small now, but it’ll be interesting to compare them with new photos in late August.
That’s what we’ll see all summer when we’re eating or having coffee on the balcony in the mornings on the little black patio table at the end. But THIS is what we see now whenever we’re inside and looking out at the hillside that frames our back yard. Nice, huh?
My Wintersong 
I wish I’d been taking pictures of spring this year–last week there were flowers everywhere in trees. There are still quite a bit of them, but the blooms in the trees in the park by our apartment have almost all been replaced by little leaves. It’s still really pretty, but it was amazing how beautiful all the white flowers were a few weeks ago.
It’s so nice to have seasons again!!!
I cannot wait to visit in August – should be even more beautiful. I miss the “greenery” of normal shrubbery, not like the palm trees plastered all over the place.
I feel planting to be a sedative – brings you back to mother earth and almost forces you to concentrate on the matters at hand, literally. Your mind almost can’t wander onto other things but it allows your mind to relax and enjoy the planting and gives you a satisfying feeling that you are planting something that will (hopefully) be around probably long after you are gone. It is one way we can contribute the life on earth.