For the Winter/ Spring edition of Western Art and Architecture. I penned a feature on Arizona interior designer David Michael Miller titled Timeless by Design .
Seeing the color shifts in this sparingly planted container at the Descanso Gardens entrance took me back to the interviews that led to the story's Genesis. Listening to David and his admirers changed my understanding of luxury. His rules for timeless design work as well in the landscape as they do with interiors. Let the beauty of the materials take the lead over ornamentation. See the undulating tones of natural materials and rejoice at textural elements.
Back in my own garden, the snake season has opened a day earlier than the previous record.
The visitor is a new. While we didn't get an image of the intruder-serpent, this Monterey Ringed- Neck Snake image by Gary Nafis appears to be a match.
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| In Latin- Diadophis punctatus vandenburgii |
http://www.californiaherps.com/index.html is an easily searchable guide to amphibians and reptiles of California. The image by Gary Nafis is used pursuant to the terms listed on the site.
Snakes are pollinators too.
ReplyDeleteGarden & Be Well, XO TAra
Tara- Thank you for being today's early bird.
ReplyDeleteSnakes as pollinators- that is helpful--as long as I don't start dreaming about snakes flying about the garden):-
My garden helper might not mind. He tends to get more employment out of me after I've seen a snake.
Seriously- Thank you for the information. Snakes eat slugs, mice and pollinate.
Snakes are my friends. Snakes are my friends. Outside I go!
Lydia,
ReplyDeleteEWWWWWWW!! What a shocker to be looking at and reading about the beauty of interiors and exteriors then come upon that most beautiful snake. Yea it is beautiful BUT DELIVER ME!! We have had too much of a good things around here thru the years. :):):(:(
XO Trisha
Trisha- I knew I would hear from you on the snake):-
ReplyDeleteIn real life- he was back today (I'm still hoping he's an orphaned only child) he is tiny. Without the shock of color- I might have mistaken him for a worm. Until he moved. Definitely a snake.
Oh how I LOVE the little garter snakes that decorate my yard here! Even the big golpher (yeah!) snakes who earn their keep until some hawk decides he wants snakelunch! Drat.
ReplyDeleteGarter snakes, like all snakes, are meat eaters. Their diet consists of almost any creature that they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms, leeches, lizards, amphibians, birds, fish, toads and rodents. They are good clean-up helpers.
xo
Hello, Sue. As long as it isn't a snake talking to me abour food by the apple tree- or a rattlesnake- I guess I can live with a few snakes.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have to worry about him being lonely. His companion came by not long ago.
Think I'll spend the rest of the day sewing. In the house.
I haven't seen any snakes in my garden for years---but then, I haven't been able to go down into my garden for a couple of years....About 15 years ago, I actually had my Gardener get two Gopher Snakes so that they would live in my garden while they reduced the Gopher population to ZERO! It worked! They really did their job...And the stayed around until there were no more Gophers left!
ReplyDeleteThat sbake picture is beautiful but rather scary, too!
I love the container...the snake not so much;)
ReplyDeleteDear OOLofTH- LOVE the gardener bringing the gopher's enemies. As of right now- the gophers are winning- although from the mounds they do seem to be a bit on the run and in decline.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Ilona- Nice to have a visitor from Ohio.