I always love a walk in the local botanical garden, but I haven’t been for awhile with one of our dogs. I fell down a hillside because one of them pulled me off balance – squirrel! – and am rather uneasy, but today I went. Luckily, nothing happened except beautiful weather, spring scents, new leaves, narcissus, and bulbs. I didn’t plan on taking pictures, but my trusty phone came in hand. Smudge brought her nose and one helluva good time.
The people who care for the garden do a wonderful job, and spring cleaning, or new year cleaning, came as the underbrush and detritus of last year has largely been cleared away. Only fallen leaves and new plantings – even my favorite old oak tree that usually has a pile of leaves in its center where branches grow was clean. Maybe the wind, maybe the fairies in the wood.
Because of my fall down the hill with Smudge, I decided to take the easiest paths I could find in the climb to the top of the hill. Switchbacks with low degrees of ascent and descent worked, and we had a wonderful walk.
We spent a few hours wandering around, sitting on benches, observing people and plants, listening to squirrels and crows, seeing lizards climb trees and play hide and seek in the ground cover. Smudge sniffed and climbed up on the benches to keep me company.
This is a beautiful pine, and though I have no idea what it is (and no label to be found), it is at a corner of the garden, like an old and dear friend welcoming you back.
These bulbs are always so cheerful. They bloom for months and are a bright splash along the trail.
These caught my eye – last year’s foliage, or this years tinged by frost? (We have had some below 32F nights!)
This is my beloved oak tree. It must be 500 or more years old – young when the Spanish first came to the area? Who knows . . . .
I love looking for the narcissus planted throughout the gardens, and the daffodils, and the iris. They all bloom at different times.
The pine tree from a distance. The rocks lining the pathway are new this year!
This is a native plant, and it’s rather a fun one. When the bladder pod to spread its seeds, the bladders explode and send the seeds flying in all directions.
Initially, I didn’t plan on ending up at the botanical garden; rather, the goal was the dog park. However, it turns out that on the third Thursday of the month, the dog park is closed for cleaning and maintenance. So, how lucky were we to be able to enjoy this wonderful day?
Ink, Yarn & Beer 
I’m so sorry you fell and were injured. But I’m glad you took Smudge for a recent walk and you took photos with your phone. The photos are lovely, especially the trees. Take care and be careful!
A beautiful walk. Thank you for sharing, especially the trees. Old trees are the best ❤️ I hope you recover well from your fall. Wishing you and Smudge all the best for 2022.
Lovely! We have crocosmia (the red-blooming bulb) here in midsummer to fall, and narcissus/daffodils in the spring. So interesting to see them blooming at the same time in your climate.
After looking at your photographs, I decided that I really need to visit California in springtime.
It can be really beautiful – even more so after spring rains. By summer, it’s beige, but there is a lot of beauty here. I hated it when I moved here as a kid – from the hardwood areas of the midwest and New England – and the sparseness and dryness weren’t beautiful. Now I enjoy them, but the increasing dryness and lack of green, the fires, bothers me a great deal. But spring, with mountains covered in wildflowers, is beautiful! Do come!
Crocosomia! I thought I knew their name, but didn’t remember! I agree with you about the bulbs. The freesias in my yard are ready to bloom, and of course my trip to the gardens was worthwhile. I’ll be back there soon!
Thanks, Janice. I feel several months ago and went home dripping blood like a horror movie. No serious damage, more ego than anything! I love the trees here, and where I live, the oaks are protected by law in all areas. Smudge sends you her thanks for the good thoughts (her sister Inky is a bit jealous, of course), and thank you, too, from me, for your kind words.
Thanks, Anne. I love trees and think their portraits are definitely worth doing over and over. If you are ever in SoCal, let me know, and I’ll show you the ones I know!
Here, our camellias have finally stopped blooming. Daffodils are up, but not blooming yet. We have white and purple hellebores flowers to carry us through to spring.
Such a delight to wait for new flowers!