Garden Bloggers Bloom Day (GBBD) May 2013

There is a world full of flowering gardens, but is mine where my hands work and my  heart rests.  GBBD is a punctuation mark in my work. It encourages me to look up before I move on. 

This hummingbirds is an ethereal guest

 There is nothing like watching the diminutive hummingbirds lick nectar from blossoms just inches away to feel as one with nature. 

Rosa 'Sexy Rexy' popping through lacy pyramids of Centranthus Ruber

While the 2012  edition of the Sunset Western Garden Book   recommends planting on the garden fringes where the floppy fronds add an air of rusticity , we rather enjoy where the different cultivars in our collection decided to snuggle with our roses up against the patio.  

Herd of Anna's hummingbirds roam my garden year round

Available now in white and shades of pink tinged both bright and purplish, the original roots clung to Mediterranean cliff-sides. Known also by the aliases  Red Valerian and   Jupiter's Beard, Centranthus Ruber was known in 16th century England as a blowzy 
bloomer. 

The expanding food production patio is fronted by 'Our Land of Guadalupe Roses' and- Red Valerian.

In California, it is a hearty self- seeder. Wherever it travels: the hummingbirds follow.  

The seedlings didn't mind that this area is "under construction."  A rescued and refurbished pergola is awaiting a notch cut back in the hill to be brick-backed and replanted with an apple, blueberries and other quick-picks of nourishment. 

There is a direct correlation between the abundant species and plantings. 

While I live only 30 miles from the skyscrapers of downtown LA, ours is a country garden.  More concerned with welcoming wildlife than perfection.   

A curved-bill thrasher plays peek-a-boo 

2013 is turning into a spectacular year for bougainvillea.

Under the shade of the established tree and bench, the local squirrels like to take the last of the tangerines still clinging to the citrus. 

Uncommon as a year-round resident, spotted towhee enjoy the hospitality of the  bougainvillea allowed to grow a bit as a thicket. 

All the flowers from my garden do not go just to the birds.  Bowlfuls of roses and scented leaves are but a pluck away. 

Come back soon. We will return shortly to Fullerton Gardens, enjoy the spectacular homes and habitats of South Orange County and more. 

Until then, thank YOU for all you do to make the world more beautiful. 

Linking to Carol May's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day GBBD

and My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday