Significant Rainstorm Coming Next Year (Well, Next Week, Anyway)

The National Weather Service is saying that a huge storm is coming to California later next week. It looks like we may get several inches of rain, and the Sierra Nevada may get ten feet of snow.

Ten feet.

That's quite a bit of snow.

Hopefully this storm will recharge all the streams, waterfalls, and rivers in Northern California, which will make for some great photo opportunities...

Cascade on McWay Creek

A cascade upstream from the famous McWay Falls.

Alamere Falls

Alamere Falls in Point Reyes National Seashore.

5.6

We had an earthquake earlier tonight: 8:04 P.M. to be exact. The earthquake was the most powerful one we've had in a while, a 5.6 on the Richter scale.

When the quake hit, it sounded like a sonic boom hit my house!

Mesclun Mix

The mesclun I planted a long time ago finally seems to be growing.

More Rain on the Way...

It looks like the rainy season is finally starting up here in northern California. Tomorrow's forecast predicts up to half an inch of rain in the area!

Rain

Today we got the first rain of the season, and it was enough to make everything wet and clean the air. Here's some moss that greened-up quite quickly once the rain started.

Feels Like Fall

Fall is definitely making itself known here in Northern California. The high today was only about 75, with constant crisp breezes.

My cool-season vegetable garden, is, however, doing well. I have hundreds of arugula seedlings and the Swiss chard is just starting to come up.

Although I could care less for the cool temps, some rain would be great right about now.

Seeds!

My Renee's Garden seed order came in the mail the other day, and I am very happy with the seeds. The packets were larger and had more seeds than I thought, so that was great.

Here are the packets I bought online:

Swiss Chard 'Pot of Gold'
Arugula 'Italian'
Mesclun 'Paris Market Mix'
Radishes 'Petit Dejeuner'

September Heat

It's 106 degrees outside right now.

1-0-6.

Is that hot enough for the month that includes the start of fall?

I am hoping we will get an early rain storm so that my garden can have some relief from the heat!

Mailbox Glories

I had these morning glories growing up my mailbox a few years ago.

Alpine Strawberry

A 'White Delight' alpine strawberry flower in the vegetable gardens of The French Laundry.

Honeybee on a Coneflower

A honeybee pollinates a white coneflower in front of the Bouchon Restaurant in Yountville, California.

The Gardens of The French Laundry

These are some of the vegetable gardens in which The French Laundry (the 4th best restaurant in the world) grows produce.

Pelargoniums from the Dumpster

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum 'Dawn'



















Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum 'Grand Slam'

New Plants

I managed to rescue some nursery throw-aways from a dumpster today. They were all rare and old pelargonium varieties. I snagged the following cultivars:

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Halloween'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Inez'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Glowing Ember'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Tunia Perfecta'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Dawn'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Lavender Grand Slam'

Hybrid Pelargonium Domesticum
'Grand Slam'

Photos tomorrow...

Autumn Approaches...

As the summer days grow shorter, I can't help but start thinking about my fall garden. I am hoping to plant several varieties of lettuce in containers, as well as arugala, Swiss chard, and radishes.

I have only grown cool-season vegetables once, but my experience was a success. I had hundreds of bright-red radishes, along with carrots and lettuce. I had so much lettuce I was able to make several huge bowls of salad.

This year, I'm thinking about possibly growing mesclun, a mix of different greens. I am considering growing the plants in wide containers, but I have never done this before.

Anyone got any tips?

Twin Peaks Tree

A very old tree stands "next to" the Twin Peaks in Tahoe.

It's Raining..In July!

Incredibly, rain is falling outside my window right now even though we're in the driest part of the year. This may sound kind of odd to you folks not in California, but it's a rarity to have any sort of precipitation here during the summer.

Tiki Torch

Tiki Torch in a Blendtec Blender!

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Thunderstorm Over the Sierra

I watched as tiny, harmless-looking clouds grew into this huge thunderstorm.

Tahoe Lupine

A lupine growing next to Ward Creek.

Ward Creek Falls

Ward Creek drops over a cliff near Lake Tahoe.

Independence

Some of the fireworks in Tahoe City, California on the 4th of July.

Golden Gate Video

I shot this video from the Marin Headlands last September. It was a very beautiful day!

Van Trump Falls

Van Trump Falls is very close to Comet Falls.

Comet Falls Video

I took this video of Comet Falls last summer.

Smooth Green

A new leaf on my 'Dwarf Namwah' banana plant.

Verbena Bonariensis

My blooming Verbena bonariensis.

Union

Venus and the Moon close to each other last night.

First Papaver

The first bloom on my Papaver commutatum 'Ladybird' from Annie's Annuals.

New Bloom

A new bloom on my Agrostemma githago plant.

Royal Ensign

The true-blue flower of Convolvulus tricolor 'Royal Ensign'.

Sun-Soaked Poppy

A golden California poppy.

New Leaf

A new leaf on the Abyssinian banana.

Wind Poppy

The small and rare wind poppy, Stylomecon heterophylla.

Pipevine Swallowtail

A pipevine swallowtail nectaring on thistle.

Twilight Duo

A chalcedon checkerspot butterfly rests next to a California poppy as the day comes to a close.

Pine Moon

Our natural satellite hangs near the branches of a pine.

Blue Lupine

A blue lupine illuminated in the light of sunset.

Gilia Clusters

My Gilia tricolor plant is really doing well.

Majestic Mountain

Mt. Rainier rises from the surrounding alpine meadows to an elevation of over 14,000 feet.

Rain!

Finally, after weeks of "unbearable" sunny weather, we are getting needed rain. The grass on the hills is being given a few more days of life before the hot sun bakes it to a crisp. The garden seems to be responding well to the rain, as things have been a little too dry for comfort this past month.

Update:

There was a super heavy downpour today as showers blew through the area. It was sunny and literally 1 minute later the streets had turned into flooded rivers. The rain was coming down in drenching sheets, so hard that waterfalls were pouring off of the roofs of houses. Almost as soon as the downpour began, it stopped, and the sun came out again.

Red Angel's Trumpet

A bright red angel's trumpet, Brugmansia sanguinea, at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden.

Owl's Clover

An owl's clover flower, Castilleja exserta, growing alongside a trail.

Native Clematis

This is a California native clematis, Clematis lasiantha.

New Nasturtium

The first bloom on my new nasturtium plant.

Tropical Forest

I wish...actually my tropical garden looking up from below.

Lush Landscape

A picturesque trail winds through an oak forest on Mt. Diablo.

Another Gilia Tricolor

A bird's eye flower that opened just after a rainstorm.

Freshwater Spring

Cool, clear water emits from the ground at this spring. The water comes out from under the rocks in the top right-hand portion of the photo.

Monarch on Milkweed

A Monarch butterfly resting on a clump of Asclepias californica.

Lupine

The flowers of bush lupine, Lupinus longifolius.

Satellite Trail

A long shutter exposure shows the trail of a satellite across the sky. The Pleiades star cluster and (I think), Venus, are visible in the lower left-hand corner of the photo (click on thumbnail for better view).

Another California Poppy

I just can't get enough of these.

April Poppies

A healthy clump of the state flower, California poppies.

Cascade

A small cascade pours into a clear pool.

Woodland Star

The tiny flowers of woodland star, Lithophragma parviflorum.

Spring Green

New leaves cover the oaks on this grassy hillside.

A Growing Garden

The garden is really starting to grow fast. I have bird's eyes and corncockle, Agrostemma githago, as well as some extremely robust California pipevine plants. All the trees have their leaves now, and my two banana plants are growing well. The king palm has been repotted and I have acquired a 6-foot tall golden bamboo. Summer looks like it will be good for plants this year.

Pipevine Eggs

Finally, after three years of waiting, I have pipevine swallowtail eggs!

Bird Eye Blooms

The very cool flowers of Gilia tricolor, bird's eyes.

Five-Spot

The interesting flowers of baby five-spot, Nemophilia maculata.