Sunday, March 28, 2010

BLOOMS AND BIRDS - 3-28

What a gorgeous day here in the foothills! It's 82 degrees, sunny, and extremely clear. The hillsides...an emerald green last week...are just starting to show a hint of yellow this week.
Not a whole lot of birds this week, just 21 species this week, the star of the show continues to be the hooded oriole which finally came close enough for a picture. Above, you can see a couple of males on the hummingbird feeder my wife hung up in the guava tree while another watches from above.
We have two varieties of lantern vines, both are irresistable to the hummingbirds.
In the vegetable garden, everything's sprouting.  Above are the zucchinis with the carrots and the corn behind them.  Another close up of the corn is to the right.
The orange blossoms are open and the smell is incredible.  It attracts a lot of bees though.
It looks like we're going to have a very good crop of grapes this year.

"Julie Newmar" is busting out all over in the front yard rose garden.
This pink rose is also in the front...
as is this yellow one...
this other pink bloom...
and this miniature rose.
Out back is "Moonstone,"
..."Double Delight,"
...and another bloom just opening up on "Mr. Lincoln."
For the orchids, this epidendrum is now open...
...and the bletilla is blooming all over the place.
This hanging dendrobium will be quite spectacular when it opens in a couple of weeks,
but this impatiens is not waiting.

And that's it from an outstandingly beautiful day in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills.  Probably the peak of the season.

-Darryl

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