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.