The Dry Garden

Daphne

Lovely, fragrant Daphne does well in the dry garden but it is poisonous.

A California Native

White-flowered Carpenteria is spectacular in the spring. The only downside is that it doesn't shed dead leaves readily.

Sages

Sages plants are useful for dry gardens:

The red flowered plant on the right is Hot Lips Sage

 

Culinary Sage flowers very attractively in the spring.

Kumquat Marmalade

On Sunday, the Gardener picked kumquats from this tree

and turned them into marmalade

Its Own Donkey

In December the Gardener and I took a trip to Morocco. Staying in the Ourika Valley was one of many highlights.

Our hotel had its own vegetable garden:

and its own donkey:

A Green Tunnel

The Gardener planted oak and cherry plum trees in the bed by the road. The cherry plum trees are arching over towards the plants on the bank making a green tunnel.

The Dry Garden is Blooming

Spring is here and the dry garden is blooming:

the blue-eyed grass in the foreground is a California native

the grasses and Spanish lavender look well together

The berberis darwinii blooms beautifully

Cold Nights

We've had many cold December nights.

On Christmas Eve the temperature fell to 24F. The Gardener covered the citrus trees with frost blankets, and used incandescent light bulbs to keep the trees warm.

Does Anyone Know the Name of this Plant?

We bought this very pretty flowering plant at Quarryhill Garden's plant sale. It flourishes under the fruitless mulberry tree but we can't remember what it's called. 

It's a Jungle Out There

The butternut squash and zucchini are fighting for supremacy in the garden,

while white-flowered jasmine (in the background)  gives off a lovely scent.