January 24th, 2016

Today I am enjoying watching the healthy robust plants in my seed regen boxes and find myself looking forward to spring bloom. Some folks like to grow vegetables in their home gardens but I personally can not get enough of native wildflowers, whether in the wild or in the garden. I have already been hearing reports of the beginnings of desert blooms (check out Death Valley mid February) and with the abundant central to northern California rains the foothills and mountain front ranges this spring should not be anything short of wonderful. Visit the Theodore Payne Wildflower Report as the season progresses to get the latest reports of where to go. http://theodorepayne.org/education/wildflower-hotline/

In my boxes here I am growing spider lupine (Lupinus benthamii) from seed collected in the Kaweah River watershed region of the southern Sierra, California poppies from the same region, plus a box full of one of my favorite farewell to spring species (Clarkia gracilis subspecies tracyi). The latter ranges west and north of the Sierra in Colusa and Lake counties. In the baskets I have the floriferous and charming punch bowl clarkia (Clarkia bottae) which I am excited to see appearing to be quite happy grown as a hanging basket plant. The large plant on the stand in the back of the image is Clarkia bottae as well. I hope you can come back to this site in the spring to see them all in bloom and to share with me the beauty, bounty, and joy in our California native plants. They bring so much to us and are so important to so many species other than ourselves let's return the favor and do all we can to preserve them. 

Immerse yourself in nature's grandeur. Your soul and spirit will thank you.