Misumena vatia
I went out yesterday to photograph some California Hedge Nettle (Stachys bullata) on the slope above the gardens. The purple flower spikes are looking lovely massed together. I stopped alongside one plant for a closer look at the flowers, and made a rather...
Stream Violet
I had a completely different post planned for today. Then this morning, between rain showers, I went on a walk along one of the creeks on the property, and found a colony of these dainty little wild violets growing in the shade. Viola glabella, also known as...
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Our native Ceanothus on the property is currently exhibiting a profusion of bloom. A large specimen tree near the house is all a-buzz with bees. If you stand beneath these trees, there’s a low background audible hum that emanates from above, along with a...
Iris fernaldii
The first of our wild iris are beginning to bloom, despite our recent soggy weather. Last year we only casually observed this iris blooming on some of the slopes around the property, and knew that we had a yellowish-white species here. However, it was late in the...
Western Solomon’s Seal
This is the first year we’ve observed Western Solomon’s Seal on the property. It’s difficult to find some of the smaller specimens lurking amidst the Western Sword Ferns, Redwood Sorrel, Anemone and Trillium. Perhaps we simply overlooked it...
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