hmmm....woke to howling winds and blowing snow this morning....shovelling off the van, dreams of 60+ temps, my pond and my garden fill my head...for now these visions wait until spring while the garden rests under a blanket of snow....

Yes, Evie we woke to rain this morning and now I am hearing the pelting of hail on the window. I too dream of gardens during the winter and what we will plant in ours come spring.
Lynn, loved your garden story about Tonya.
What a nice memory. Thanks for sharing.
Maggie

Lynn, how fun to have been blessed with a friend to share gardening and your soul with. You have such great stories.

I'm sure you and Tanya will run through my mind while in the garden.

Ladies, how fun to hear the weather reports in your parts of the world. My world is stretched when I read your posts.

Evie, won't be long and I'll be dealing with the snow. We keep hearing it's going to be a tough winter. I'll saok up a few rays of the sun for you and Maggie while waiting for my son to come out of school today!

I have a very small yard and I too love the wild look. I planted 2 avocado trees from pit 12 years ago and they are HUGE! One of them fruits. My pipe organ cactus is at least 15 feet high. The bouganvillas are always overgrown and beautiful.

In this tiny yard there are at least 3 different birds that build nests every year: silver doves under the roof; some little gray-brown constantly twittering birds (20-30) that live/nest in the bouganvillea; and hummingbirds that this spring built their nest in the porch light fixture, so I couldn't turn on the light for 30 days until the babies hatched and flew away. Plus there is a lizard family and an occasional opossum.

I cut and clean up occasionally. Since the yard is xeriscaped, it's fairly low maintenance. In the winter when the weather is usually good, I plant or move things around. It's so peaceful. I bring home stray cactus, and have 15-20 different varieties.

While in California recently, I kept seeing a vivid black and white bird. If I recall correctly, white chested, black winged with white tips. I could not place it in my mind. From this brief description do you know what bird this is? Just a curiousity.....

I am no gardner for sure, but I love my backyard.

I have 3 acres bordered by a creek. My house is two story on a cliff terraced down to the pool and hot tub. I put natural rocks on the hill behind the hot tub and planted annuals in the crevices. I have some wild flowers along the creek bank and the whole thing is shaded by huge trees.

I had natural rock steps built to the pool and hot tub with a deck about half way down on one side. That's where I love to sit and drink coffee in the mornings.

The houses around here all have a few acres so there's all kinds of wildlife that comes to the creek. A couple of hawks come every year to nest. They come soaring into the yard and sometimes they perch on a post to watch me watching them.

Recently we had company and there was a rabbit in the front yard as they were coming in then at dinner we were looking out the windows of the dining room to the yard and we noticed a skunk who had came to play on the creek bank. While we were watching the skunk, a doe and three fawns came to drink. I said it was Thumper, Flower, Bambi, Feline, and Bambi's mother (does anyone remember her name?)

I found an old Bambi video and we watched it after dinner. Made for a different and fun evening.

smile

Lynn,
Unfortunately, I don't know what the black and white bird is

Ladies ~ You are inspiring! I have the most uninspiring back yard. There's old lawn that's not terribly comfortable under your feet. Tree roots have caused hard lumps that go for yards. Trees that are unidentifiable but grow tall and rangy and drop yellow powdery seeds that seem to kill the lawn underneath. The only reason we don't take them down is that they block some of the summer 100+ degree sun in the late afternoon. I'd LOVE color and water and wild. Maybe I should plant random? Any suggestions would be lovingly appreciated.

Kate

DK, I happen to know that DJ who's in our neighborhood knows lots about gardening. Maybe she would have a couple suggestions.

And... Smilinize, when can we come and languish in your yard?

Dreamrkate, go to the library and check out a book on gardening in your climate. I'm not sure how much you're different from here, but I think you get more rain than we do (which is sort of a no-brainer, because EVERYONE gets more rain than we do, except Arizona) so many of my plants might drown where you live. You'll have the best luck with your garden if you xeriscape for your micro-climate. There are occasional xeriscape workshops at the Arboretum here (I don't know if there's an arboretum near you). Most local colleges have classes in horticulture, and I'm sure people there would be happy to give advice. Also, local nurseries can help.