Holiday Planting and Beyond! Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Packs a Red Punch

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is giving my succulent ball just the punch it needs for the holiday season - and beyond.

I got this lovely stuff - and quite a lot of the other succulents - at Succulent Gardens in nearby Castroville. It's a fantastic nursery - and right now they have free shipping. So guess who just ordered more of these darling little red guys?

Care and Prep - This time through I soaked my moss ball in fish emulsion (I think Braun makes these balls). Will see how that works out. Going to water between the plants with a spray bottle once or twice a week, once it dries out.

No, I'm not done yet!

SLO Deerweed in Full Bloom (Hiking San Luis Obispo)

Deerweed
Lotus scoparius
Click on the illustration above for all the glorious detail

Deerweed (Lotus scoparius) was in full bloom when we hiked Madonna Mountain, in San Luis Obispo  a few weeks back. The deerweed is only just starting to show yellow, up here about 200 miles north at Edgewood Nature Preserve in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With it's shiny bare red stalks in the winter, deerweed adds an arty element to it's surroundings. It also provides nectar for gorgeous mint-green hairstreak butterflies. So, I'm thinking about giving this native a try the next time I'm visiting SLO and swing by Las Pilitas Nursery (http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/lotus-scoparius). Las Pilitas is a great native plant nursery, but they have very specific hours. I recommend you call ahead if you're going. (You can also get plants from them by mail.) And double check with them on the directions. The drive over from the freeway to the nursery is rural California at it's best as well. Keep an eye out for wild turkeys, quail and bears - not kidding. Ask about the bear that used to be somewhat of a regular at the nursery.

Pull Up a Chair in My California Driveway (Garden)

I sure appreciated the opportunity to spend an hour gardening in my driveway. The drive is the only place we get much sun. The birds and I love all the trees and bushes, but roses, succulents and geraniums do better on the drive. Another good reason to stick with only one car! 

Do you like gardening in pots as much as I do? They are definitely less challenging than real yard stuff, which takes more expertise and long-term thought and planning. I also planted some citron and deep blue colored hostas and iris in the yard. Hopefully they'll flourish. Also hopefully the slugs and snails won't be leaving too many calling cards. I understand coffee grounds help with that. First we have to see if those bulbs sprout. I was trying for a native plant garden in the shady spot I dug up for those today, but no dice. Native plants are, of course, harder to establish than domesticated European ones.

You have to know when to call it quits when it comes to busted chairs. It was a lovely antique'y looking thing, but had broken in a no-good-way-to-fix-it manner.  It came out of the house and sat forlornly in the drive, supposedly waiting to go out on big garbage day, then O'Malley Cat took it over.  O'Malley is unhappy with me for taking over his old cat nap chair. However, he still has full access to a spot on our bed, as well as several benches in the yard, and a variety of other cosy warm spots on the car hood, along the fence, etc.. I think he'll survive my theft.