Happy 80th Birthday- Part 2- Sense of Place

If you have never lived in the hills. There is nothing quite like it.

The beauty. The sense of space and serenity.

The danger. The upkeep.

The splendor is addictive- or why else would we commit to so much work?  Melva is wise to keep her garden simple. The back patio's foreground is very simple.  Ivy-Leaved Geraniums – Pelargonium peltatum and airplane plants (Chlorophytum comosum)  cascade out of pots.

Ivy-Leaved geranium bloom year round in our temperate climate

This last image gives you a good idea of the drop just past the rail on my mother in law's patio.


Succulent 'Red Apple'


Planted in  the staple of inland gardens, the succulent red apple-Aptenia cordifolia ,the emerald green ground cover steadies the hill from downpours in the winter. One hot August day, the water retentive succulent slowed the rush of wildfire long enough for the firemen to rush in with the helicopter to put out the roar of hell's heat that roared up through the chaparral.


My images from the fire were lost in a computer crash. The images were amazing. Barren blackened hillside right up to where the red apple took over the terrain. The planted hillside was the same lovely green as if in Ireland.

If all of this is not enough to entice you to give red apple a go in difficult planting situations- honey bees love the blossoms.

Melva's kitchen looks out over the Cleveland National Forest

With a panoramic setting painted by both man and nature, decorations were minimal. The guest list was simple. Sunday is the easiest day to get the family together. Phone calls to immediate family and closest friends are quite acceptable in lieu of written invitation for a casual celebration. 

Come back soon- the next post is about food and memorable touches.

The south end of Corona where Melva lives is like Diamond Bar, the Extreme Version. When Diamond Bar is hot, Corona is hotter. When we are cold- Corona is nippier. Where we have snakes vist- theirs are more musical- as in they come with rattles way more often than here.