Facebook
X (Twitter)
Reddit
Pinterest
Tumblr
Delicious
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon
UC Blogs
It Happened on Friday the 13th
It happened on Friday the 13th. It was the first swarm of the season at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road,...
Honey bee swarm on the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Facility grounds on Friday the 13th. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bee breeder-geneticist Susan Cobey catches the swarm. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Bees enter a strategically placed hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Leinfelder-Miles featured as new advisor
Garden Art
Garden art definitely enhances any garden no matter what is planted within in its boundaries. Over the years, we have enjoyed the art in garden tours, botanical gardens, friends gardens and even in our own garden. Garden art can consist of fountains, statuary, vertical planted walls, containers, metal signs, ceramic artwork, birdhouses, and unusual designed yard furniture.
In Italy, some of the elaborate gardens have magnificent fountains with different spray patterns, huge statuary or monuments of saints, famous people and angels. Often cathedrals have small walled in gardens that hold carved crosses and statuary that honors deceased priests or conquerors of the town. Fontarronco, a garden near Arezzo, in Tuscany, has exquisite tiled water fountains and tiled walkways. This garden is highlighted with flowers to cut for the house, vegetables for the table and artistic arbors providing shade from the intense heat. It is a simple garden that is breathtaking due to the colors of plants and tile work.
Often Botanical gardens will have hand made wooden or iron gates, windmills, carved benches and waterfalls. Around every corner there will be a surprise. One of my favorite Botanical gardens is in Fort Bragg. It is divided up into “rooms” and if you stay on the 3 mile path, you will end up at the ocean. The dahlia garden is my favorite spot. The hand made benches are to sit upon while surrounded by a rainbow of color in this sea of dahlias. A three sided gazebo anchors the dahlia garden where occasional weddings are held. The gate leading to this garden is a statement itself.
In our yard, the garden art is mostly cement faces, angels, and rabbits. Occasionally metal dragonflies can be found scattered throughout, In the winter when the garden is sleeping, the artwork still allows us to appreciate the views from every window.
Ornate garden gate. (photos by Sharon Rico)
Dahlias enhance beauty of the garden gate.
Bug Safari!
They're there.If you walk slowly into your garden or backyard, and observe your surroundings, you'll find them. A jumping spider perched on a rose...
A jumping spider perched on a rose leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A soldier beetle peers at the camera. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A syrphid or flower fly foraging on a poppy blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Car Stopper
Got a fascination for fastuosum? One of my favorite plants has been Echium fastuosum also known as Pride of Madeira. It is in glorious bloom right now all over Solano County. It grows with abandon at the Vallejo waterfront and throughout its many neighborhoods. Although it seems to be a common plant in our area, this place continues to be a car stopper, literally. There aren't many plants that bring folks to the front door with the same question. What is that plant with the big purple plumes and can I have a piece for my garden!? I am not kidding. This has happened twice in the past week. Fortunately, Echium doesn't mind a little pruning at all. This very hardy perennial thrives in our local, so similar to the Mediterranean coast, alongside the Carquinez Strait. It gets just enough moisture to remain healthy and brings the stupendous blooms each and every year. I have seen many plants in the 6 to 7 foot range with a breadth of equal volume. The long grey green leaves remain throughout the year and provide a nice looking shrub throughout the year.
echium
