Blood oranges were first discovered and cultivated in Sicily in the fifteenth century. They are a natural mutation of Citrus x sinensis, although today the majority of them are hybrids. High concentrations of anthocyanin give the rind, flesh, and juice of the fruit their characteristic dark red color. [Source: Wikipedia]
We need to get this one into the ground. I’m amazed it’s bearing fruit in this quite small pot. We just haven’t quite agreed on where it should be planted.
I’m beyond lucky to have this as my daily view.
I somehow managed to make the silver dollar jade look like a bunch of lollies bursting out of their paper bag. PARTY!!!
We have these two ficus trees growing in pots under the arbor. They’re old — I’ve lived here ten years and they were probably here for at least ten years before that. Apparently they prefer sunny conditions but they’re doing fine in full shade. Tough old buggers.
The native bush sunflowers (Encelia californica) are just about done for the year. The invasive fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is still going strong 😩
Maybe next year we’ll make lemonade.
Agave americana (maguey) is a huge, sharp, blue-green succulent that blooms once, then dies. The flower spike ranges from 12-25 feet (3.5-7.5m) in height — this one by our driveway is just getting started. The bloom trigger mechanism is not well understood, but it generally flowers at about 10 years of age. The fruit are edible — I’ll be collecting and sautéing them when the time comes.
Usually when I sketch the laughing buddha he ends up looking angry, but I’ve realised that’s because I’m drawing him from the side. It’s easier to capture the joy from this angle.
The Exposition Park Rose Garden is a historic 7-acre site containing more than 20,000 rose bushes and more than 200 varieties. My favourite parts of it are the corners, where no roses are growing. This is the south-west corner, tucked between the Natural History Museum and the space shuttle’s external fuel tank.
The fernery is a never ending source of visual delight and sketching inspiration. The very first time I came to the house (nearly ten years ago) I had a vision for what this space could be 🌿🪴
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