New Yard Summer Project Part 3: Labor Day

I'm super excited to say that we've accomplished most of the major removal stuff in the yard. The big palms are all out and the old lawn is dug up! Look above, can you believe there used to be three 20 ft. queen palms grouped just behind where the wall ends?

Speaking of where the wall ends... we terraced the layers and added a handsome yellowish pot that will soon be home to a fox tail palm. Below, you can see where we marked a potential planting area.

Pretty soon we'll be placing the patio stones and I can hardly wait! We found a molded cement style that mimics flagstone at a fraction of the price (love you Home Depot!). There are several different shapes designed to fit together so we'll have fun putting the puzzle together.

New Yard Summer Project Part 2: Another Brick in the Wall

And the work continues! Our cool and cloudy weather has turned for the warmer and a mini heat wave has kept us seeking shady tasks as we continue our yard re-do. After many trips to The Home Depot for more blocks, we've continued the wall and added another curve.

The wall will wrap around about to where the large queen palm is in the shot below, then be back filled to create a second level effect. You can see there's a palm stump -- it's coming out today as soon as I finish this post. The large queen will also come out and most likely be replaced with a king palm.


Speaking of palms, we transplanted a medium sized kentia into a pot. Here is where it used to be:

And here's its new temporary home. It took almost as long to get it into the pot as it did to dig it up!

I used to have a rickety hose reel with a handle that wobbled each time I reeled the hose in. I thought a change to a hose pot might be an upgrade and was thrilled to find this handsome pot at The Home Depot for only $23.



Time to get out there and tackle that palm stump before it gets too hot!

In the Garden

photo by Ann Weber, Smithfield Gardens, Suffolk

There's been some major gardening going on around here lately due to the dreary weather. That's right, while the rest of the country broils, our temps are barely reaching the high 60s and we haven't seen the sun for ages. Definitely one of the strangest summers yet, but perfect for working in the yard, and I've been taking full advantage. About 50 tropicanna rhizomes have been unearthed over the last few days. Their striped foliage and pretty red hues are right up my alley and they're super easy to separate and cultivate. This isn't the time of year to divide them, but in coastal Southern California they're hearty as can be, and in no time will be looking like the ones above.

Summer into Fall

Summer passed in a whirl of beach days, gardening and, of course, creating new pieces for the upcoming Christmas season. As ocean temperatures begin to slowly drop and nights grow chilly, I'll fondly remember the summer this way:

A Ride Through Town

Last week saw a run of cool, cloudy weather completely out of character for August in Southern California. Temperatures dipped, winds whipped and my usual beach routine didn't seem nearly as appealing when Saturday rolled around without the sun. Instead, a drive south to walk on a less-familiar stretch of sand (and a chance to be passenger instead of driver) provided plenty of time to appreciate our town's varied architecture.

Two generations ago the building above was the town train station (my grandfather worked there as a railroad telegrapher when he returned from WWII). At the time it was located a mile farther south across the street from this boarding house. Today, its practically unrecognizable as town's most popular coffee shop.

An afternoon train crosses a bridge into the heart of town but won't stop there -- the station today is no more than a concrete platform with a ticket machine for the local commuter train.

Heading farther south, the Self Realization Fellowship occupies a large plot of clifftop property and catches the eye with its giant golden lotus. Come Christmastime, the entire tower will be bathed in magenta light to celebrate the season.

Summer Color

Summer is a tricky time of year to garden in Southern California. Long runs of sunshine and high temperatures mean more beach time, as opposed to more weed pulling time. In between, breaks of cooler days bring our coastal marine layer and ideal gardening weather.


These color packs are destined for a handful of terracotta pots and troughs to add color to the patio. Included are three long-time favorites -- impatiens, begonia and coleus -- and one new find -- melapodium. This sun-lover has petite, yellow daisy-like flowers that resemble miniature zinnias, should flower well into the fall, and fit in perfectly with the other bright blossoms they'll be sharing space with.