Crowded Orchid

My phalaenopsis rescue orchid from 2008 has been such a little trooper and rebloomer! The blooms have become more white (from its original pink) over the years.

It's been in a clear plastic container and just so happy with dark green roots pushing the container to the limits. I almost had to break it out. It was hard as a rock so it took a while to dig all the moss out, cut the dead roots and clean it all up.

It's now all packed up with bark in a new terra cotta pot and now it doesn't fall over from being top heavy! Let's hope it likes its new digs.

Hearty Fork Farm

So I've been helping out the Hearty Fork Farm with some of their social media I'm thoroughly enjoying it! Have my plants suffered? Yes. Did I kill my rosemary bush at work that I've had for over 15 years? Yes.

Well, it's still fun taking photos on a farm and seeing some different nature grown in dirt. I desperately need some more dirt in my life. My condo porch and container planters will only go so far. It's good for my soul and not good for my plants at home.

Eggplant flower

Zinnia flower

Dill gone to seed

Squash blossom

Donner Lake

It's been a tough summer and I didn't realized how much I missed nature and plants until on my way to Donner Lake I pulled over at Sly Park rest stop and this was my view. I could see my breathe, it was raining and at home in Sacramento it was over 100 degrees. It smelled fresh and wonderful and clean and earthy. It was restorative.

Get outside people. While you can and whenever you can - get outside!

Flowers of Spain

I was lucky enough to spend some time hiking in Villanua in Spain with good friends. I was determined to only point out new wildflowers which seemed like a good, limiting idea. Until I saw countless flowers! I can't even handle how many wildflowers I saw. These are meadows that you dream of.

Update on Propogated Succulents

Well, it pretty much worked! Not all of the little leaves survived, but enough did to make two different starter containers of mixed varieties and three containers of single variety that just needed more time to flourish. Overall, it was a good success but I do think they will get leggy and outgrown their cute homes in just a few months. I think I'm learning that you constantly have to move them to new containers to keep them looking lovely.

Sunset Celebration Weekend

My cousin works at Sunset Magazine and I've always wanted to go to one of their events at their iconic Menlo Park grounds. They announced that they were moving to Jack London Square recently so this would be their last event on the grounds. I think it's just terrible that they have to move because of all their test gardens that won't be kept.

But, I'm glad I got to experience it at least once!

One of my favorites: helotrope

The most adorable sedum that came home with me.

My nephew met Martin Yan!

I like this idea instead of traditional cover

I love wattles

Most gorgeous green succulent!

I would kill for this succulent wall!

Sea Ranch Flowers

Sea Ranch was in full bloom on a sunny day in March. So many field and wildflowers.

Mushrooms

I love wee little mushrooms! An iPhone Olloclip with a 10x macro lens makes them even more gorgeous and larger than life. All of these were at Sea Ranch back in March.

Repot Fail

I've had this plant for at least a decade and every time it grows longer, I just loop it back up on top of itself. It had grown into and around a seashell hanger so I never dared to repot it and since it always looked good, I just left it.


It started to drop yellow leaves and I decided to repot it. I took it down and cut it out of the seashell hanger. I couldn't untangle it but I did cut off a bunch. Over the next month strands were dying either because I cut them or due to stress. I slowly just kept cutting off the dying part and it got to the point where there were only a few short strands (from the 12-20 foot tendrils) left.


So I rooted some of the cutting and replanted them to help restart it. We begin again!

The whole tangled mess

What was left.

But new sprouts!!

The next generation.