A few cumulus clouds floated by yesterday. I was on the road in front of the house and snapped this image of our saguaro and ocotillo against the very nice desert background and sky. Click on the image to enlarge.
Home & Garden
First Plum Flower of Spring
Technically, spring isn’t supposed to be here until late next week. In spite of that, this little flower opened up on the flowering plum tree in the courtyard. The tree is starting to get its leaves back, and there are many more flower buds getting ready to open. The temperature today was about 83° with the forecast for tomorrow and Friday calling for even warmer temperatures. Click on the image to enlarge.
Paperwhite Flowers
Several Weeks ago, I planted some paperwhite bulbs in a shallow garden box in the courtyard. In spite of being outdoors and exposed to cooler wintertime temperatures, they are now happily producing these tiny white flowers. Click on the image to enlarge.
Here is a factoid I found at a commercial bulb vendors website:
The paperwhite narcissus, a relative of daffodils and jonquils, is easy to grow and produces small, fragrant flowers on 12 to 18-inch stalks. Most paperwhites have pure white blooms, but yellow varieties are also available.
Cactus Shot
Verna was taking pictures of a cactus next to the RV drive while I was up on the hill taking a picture of her. I combined my photo of her and her photo of a cholla into the animation above. Roll your mouse over the image to see the other one. Roll out to go back.
New Finch Feeders
We bought a couple of thistle seed finch feeders at the local discount department store today. The old system of thistle socks (like the one in the middle) was becoming a hassle, with the birds pecking holes in them making them almost useless. We were throwing several away each week.
I filled the new feeders and Bob took them up on the hill. Shortly after that, the finches were busy feeding. When the feed sock in the middle is empty, we will retire it. Click on the image to enlarge.
Butterfly and Lantana
This is an old photo taken in California a few years ago. This was taken in the back yard of our house in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.
We know that Lantana attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. We are considering installing some lantana somewhere on the property here. We will probably use them for ground cover near our citrus trees. Click on the image to enlarge.
