Wonderful World of Plants, Aloha Style

Little break last week, and for good reason... we were in Maui!  So you may be able to guess what I'm going to show you this week...

In addition to the many fantastic things we did and saw there-- snorkeling with sea turtles (one of my favorite animals), multiple visits to the shave ice stand, surfing, and solid beach time-- I was amazed by the how colorful all the plants were, and so much diversity!  I could go on and on just about foliage.

Why are tropical plants so colorful?

I went online to do a little bit of research, and was mostly unsuccessful in finding an answer.  (True confession, I have had the World Cup on in the background all day every day since it started -- Hup, Holland, Hup! -- so it was a cursory effort).  There was a rather long scientific article about the advantage of colorful fruit, that being increased likelihood of seed dispersion by birds that are more likely to notice the fruit.  And I also found a nice article about tropical fauna, which explained the following regarding reasons for colorful fauna in tropical locations:

• the increased biodiversity creates a greater need for distinction amongst species
• "necessity for communication within closed environments"
• the abundance of nutrient available in tropical environments allows for use of the excess energy for plumage, colors, etc.

I think several of these explanations for colorful fauna can be extrapolated to be reasonable causes for colorful flora. 



Look familiar?

Always lovely hibiscus

Is Southern California a tropical climate?  Not really.  We are quite a bit drier than tropical climates, but we do have the sun and heat that lots of tropical plants like -- there's no reason not to add a bit of tropical life and color to your garden!  Here's an article with a few suggestions.  I already have one or two tropical friends on the patio, and I intend to add another:

More on this to come...

That was one of my souvenirs.  This is my other:

Hello Kitty got a tan too

I will probably be talking about these lovely plants more in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, just as gardening is in my Dutch roots, so is soccer...  In case you missed it, here is Van Persie's amazing goal for you to enjoy!  Let's go, Holland!  Can't wait for the game tomorrow!!

Flower focus: Geraniums

Meet my favorite flower of the moment, the mighty geranium:

These are no delicate little spring buds to sneeze at, they are hardy easy-care plants and live up to that reputation.

But the buds are fuzzy and cute

A few interesting facts:

-What we commonly call geraniums (the plants pictured here) are not true geraniums.  There is a different flower that is technically a geranium in botany world.  Our commonly referred to as geraniums here are actually of the Pelargonium species.  Confusing, isn't it?

-Many different types exist, including the "common geranium," ivy geraniums (what I have), and scented geraniums.

-The leaves of scented geraniums can be used to flavor jelly and cold drinks.

Should you plant geraniums?

If you live in a warm, dry days and cool nights with mild winters, than this is a perfect flower for you!  That is to say, if you live in California, yes!

Care:

-Light -- full sun unless you live in a very hot area, in which case partial shade is better.

-Water -- Moderate to regular water

-Soil -- well-draining soil

-Feeding -- depends on the quality of your soil.  Generally, light feeding required.

-Other -- Pinch spent flowers to encourage blooms!

Ivy geraniums differ from common geraniums in that they grow 1-1.5 feet high but can trail 3-5 feet.  Both types have fleshy succulent-type leaves with bloom clusters in the white-red-light purple color spectrum.

I was first inspired by the ubiquitous geranium in terracotta pots and window boxes that I saw in Italy and decided to put a little Italy in my patio garden.  What great flowers!  

An aside, the music video is totally weird, but I love this song-- Big Data, "Dangerous" 

Tulip Saga, Part 1: The story of a tulip

If you know me and/or this blog, you know I love tulips.  Lots.  Because a picture is worth a thousand words, a pictorial for you, about a tulip.

2/5/14 - Infancy!

2/12/14

2/14/14 

2/17/14

2/20/14 

2/22/14 

2/26/14 - Fully mature!

2/28/14 - Ravaged by the storm

3/5/14 - And all good things come to an end.

It was my first tulip relationship. They only lasted a month, but it was a happy month for me!  Next week, I'll talk about what I learned and how to care for tulips, and I'll have a few more gratuitous close-ups.  

In the meantime, while we're on the theme of blooming flowers, I came across a gorgeous "documentary" on flowers on Netflix this week while "learning to relax".  It's actually a wordless, beautifully shot time-lapsed string of videos of blooming flowers of the sort you might see at a spa.  I found it mesmerizing and I LOVED it.  It's called Moving Art: Flowers (here is a shorter clip).  We have had daylight savings... Spring is nigh!  (March 20, 2014 to be exact!)  And you know what that means.... gearing up for gardening!

Bzzzz

Check back in a few days for this week's full post... I've been working quite a bit but have also been an equally busy bee in the garden, so a few exciting things are happening...

Here's a preview of one of the new additions I'll be talking about this week:

Stay tuned and stay warm!

LA Tourist for a Day!

This week, I had the great pleasure of a visit from one of my Dutch cousins who currently lives in Switzerland.  This being his first visit to LA, naturally I had to show him the sights!

Right before eating one of LA's best burgers at Plan Check

We did quite a bit...  we hit Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Venice all in one day.  And along the way, I got to revisit some of my favorite places.  

His personal favorite spot from the day was the Getty Villa (good choice!).  Originally, we had intended to go to the Getty Museum, but discovered at the last minute it was closed, and being fortunate enough to get tickets (they are free) over the phone, we instead went to the Getty Villa once again which did not disappoint.

I love getting LA's best spots all to myself!

You may remember the Getty Villa from a previous post.  That visit was in July.  Coming in the winter was nice... less tourists and different flowers.  While most of the herb garden was in regeneration mode, there were quite a few bulb flowers in bloom as well as hollyhocks which normally bloom mid-summer.  I guess winter in LA is like spring everywhere else.  Given the polar vortex situation on the east coast, I am not sad about lacking seasons.

Bulbs

I think this is a multi-petaled narcissus

Daffodil enjoying the sun

Hollyhocks

The feeeeesh

And of course there was some art too.  This is one of my favorite pieces there.

It is a statue that was submerged in the ocean for many years, such that part of it had barnacles and sea creatures growing all over it while the rest of it is smooth and preserved.

After the Getty Villa, we continued up PCH to Point Dume for some pretty vistas. 

I first visited Point Dume several years ago when a few surf buddies very well-versed in the LA area surf options and I went on a hunt for waves.  We stopped at pretty much every surf spot in LA north of Santa Monica (there are a lot).  This is by far the most breathtaking.  And it is one of my favorite spots in the LA area.  We actually took some of our engagement photos here.  Later in the year, all the brush that covers this little nature preserve will burst into bloom with yellow flowers.  People tend to think of LA as gross and covered with traffic (it can be), but if you know where to look, LA is really beautiful!

I could watch surfers all day forever

Well, I don't know if you've seen the new iPad Air commercial, but it quotes Walt Whitman's poetry.  The version I have seen on TV quotes only the last portion.  I find it slightly presumptuous to suggest that the iPad Air will really change your life so dramatically, but such is advertising.  And at the end of the day, I really like the commercial because 1) it's quite beautiful and 2) the poem, with which I had not been previously familiar, is amazing.

O Me! O Life!

BY WALT WHITMAN

Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,

Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,

Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)

Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,

Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,

Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

                                       Answer.

That you are here—that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Here is a link to the full-length commercial.  And while you're pondering that, here is one more thought:  John Wayne got to leave a permanent mark on the world (in wet concrete at Mann's Chinese theatre), and it was a fist bump.

How awesome is that?  What will your verse be, indeed.

So long, 2013...

I don't know whether it's the prospect of going back to work again, the bit of wistfulness that comes with the end of the year, or the sight of our dead Christmas tree but that post-party blues feeling is hovering overhead.  But that's only true because Christmas was awesome -- got to see family, eat delicious holiday food, open presents (more on that in a second), and most importantly, reflect on our spiritual blessings.  I cannot complain.  And thanks to the loving generosity of some wonderful people in my life, I have a few things to be excited about in my garden...

Making tea:

I was not aware that Williams-Sonoma had this awesome "Agrarian" department online in which they sell everything from chicken coops to bee-keeping equipment to vertical gardens to...

Tea making gardening sets!

Obviously awesome!  In the kit are included 3 plants (Orange Bergamot mentha, peppermint, and German chamomile), honey, a very cute honey dipper, and little tea bags.  

I planted the herbs today with great hopes of future delicious tea.  Fortunately, it's been so nice and warm in Southern California that I think the plants will have time to put some stable roots down before it gets cold again.

Good luck, little dudes

I also intend to continue to check out this Agrarian Williams-Sonoma business.  Some of it looks a little crazy (like a $700 vertical planter... no, thank you) but some of it looks like it may be worth a chance (another shot at tomatoes, anyone?).

Thank you, Cal and Rachel!  You know me too well!


Taking better pictures:

Because I got a new toy...

Thank you, wonderful husband!

For you photophilics, this is a Canon Powershot G16 (in a sweet vintage-y leather case that my husband picked).  It's a pretty new model, but the primary upgrade compared to the previous G15 model is the wifi capabilities, meaning that I can upload photos wirelessly directly onto my computer and smart-objects.  Gone are the days of taking a bunch of pictures which languish unseen forever on my point and shoot.  I also put this model on my Christmas list because it supposedly takes good macro (close-up) shots which, as a flower-lover, I can't help but do.

I played with it in my garden today...  

Super close-up shots of my garden:

String of pearls bloom cluster

The closer you get, the more you realize there is to see!

Ever wonder why citrus skin looks like that?

Sweet Jessamine bloom... such a nice color

Once I get the hang of it, I think the pictures will look even better, which will also hopefully mean this blog will look even better.  I'm excited!

Anyway, today instead of music, I leave you with a TED talk that I enjoyed about how to live Superbetter (because I discovered TED talks on Netflix and kind of love them).  Gardening = +10 points, for sure.  Enjoy the last few days of 2013!