Backyard Blooms!

[PRR]

Backyard, not a plant bloom. Fuzzy snow. It's been damp, then very cold, with some sun. Ice crystals grow from the snow.

[shooter]

back when, winter put a real crimp on rockclimbing, so I figured I'd study up on Ice climbing, was amazed at the detail, variations, (science) behind ice and the weather that creates n alters it....then it was spring 

[shooter]

winter blooms

[PRR]

> winter blooms

Hey! That's my toilet water!!

Big storm this week, power out. Can't run the well pump. By the 2nd day, "HAD" to flush the toilets. Went down to a puddle/pond a lot like yours to fetch pails of water (is that a song?).

[sluckey]

to fetch pails of water (is that a song?)

Yeah, but they went up the hill.   

[shooter]

That's my toilet water

yep, same here
put a new motor on the 'ol lawn tractor, chains, 12" skinny front tires, she does well in most snow for water n wood fetching.
2 years, still haven't got a water circulator to keep the rain-tank from freezing so I spud out some ice in the pond n bail water.

[ShoemanGB]

Actually a kitchen table grow, but it's winter here and nothing grows. Hope to try more in the garden next summer.

[shooter]

we've reached the apex, the Sun will finally start heading back from Florida!!  29 seconds of new sunshine , above a big, thick, gray blanket!  It's always a surprise when you get to see it here,; "WoW, I forgot what the Sun was like...."

[scstill]

The backyard cricks and dry ponds are blooming between storms here in SoCal
Deeper and faster than they look.
Tried to set a log bridge but the current took it 8ft maybe 80lbs

[shooter]

ya, you don't wanna play in rain-washes.  was in NM dry panin n metal detecting the dry beds, local told me; you feel 1 raindrop, move 10' higher in <5 minutes, 2nd raindrop 10' higher and 100 yards away from creek bottom
i've found fenders, huge road-signs and an infinite amount of spent ammo n beer cans. 

[shooter]

we had such nice green shoots popping up everywhere, the winter shows back up n spoils it
so;
this cherry got a direct hit about 3 years back, had hopes, by fall all the trunk bark started peeling, so I got out the sled dawg

[scstill]

SoCal style snow is Blooming
Mt Baldy and Big Bear
Pics from yesterday MTB ride.

[scstill]

Chaparral Current Blooms from yesterday MTB ride to Old Camp on Modjeska Grade in SoCal

[scstill]

New season for these tender plants along SoCal trails.
Will grow +6ft by end of summer.
Please don't mistake it for Italian parsley :-)

[shooter]

springs been here a few weeks on n off, just to many other things to get done, finally brought the camera out to prove spring is/was/maybe here.

[sluckey]

So purdy! 

[uki]

Who likes bananas ?
Those pics are from few years ago, but I have some going now too, ill take some pics soon.

[uki]

Takes over a year to grow.

[scstill]

I few SoCal wildflower blooms from yesterdays MTB ride
third pic has a photo bomber

[shooter]

the dogwood "appeared" last spring, was well hidden behind a 20' blighted pine that had a mutant rose completely covering it.  before winter ended, me and the 14" went to war, ya I bled 


there's a 50 X 50 patch of wild strawberries, been cutting n chopping all the invasive out, hope to have a small harvest this year.  Potted up a single plant for a future trellis berry "bush"

[sluckey]

Peggy Martin Katrina Rose

[shooter]

now that's a proper rose bush.  the mutant thing we have here has 1" razor-sharp SPIKES, the petals are only about 2".  It will "grow" a 2' "vine" in a month, will get 6' in a year, will send underground "vines" out 10' in a year. 

[sluckey]

My Katrina is two years old. Started as two potted plants, each was about a foot long.

[shooter]

this stuff, I call "evil kudzu of the north".


i've had my flying camera since '19, when I flew the watershed behind my property in spring of 20, this didn't exist.  this pic was from last summer, I dropped down to 30' n was at "eye level" with the top vines.   left un-checked they will do what kudzu does, blanket the lower foliage and destroy it.

[scstill]

Some SoCal Salt Cedar beauties from todays MTB ride

[sluckey]

Very nice!

[sluckey]

It's tree shaking time! We've already picked all the Methley plums we could reach. I just got through shaking out another 38 pounds. Gonna be eating a lot of jelly biscuits this winter.

[shooter]

Got me  garlic baby's on the way 

[sluckey]

Several years ago I had an asparagus patch. I planted garlic with it. It was supposed to ward of bugs, critters, zombies, or something like that. Then I found out that garlic actually stunts the growth of asparagus!   

[shooter]

 
Asparagus goes in the same "No way I'm eating that" pile, as collar-greens, chick peas, all you Southern boy green food


I like bacon fried garlic n taters, It might be a south dish, but it ain't green!

[scstill]

Some wild Evening Primrose off the road bike trail in SoCal

[sluckey]

Look at all that jelly! 15 pints, 14 half pints, 3 partials, and she's already given away 3 pints. This is our first plum jelly. I've eaten a lot of homemade jelly in my life and I gotta say... THIS IS THE BEST EVER!

[scstill]

I use Jelly to attract orioles and house finches

[sluckey]

That's an interesting idea. The birds love plums and blackberries. Stands to reason they would also like jelly. I'm gonna give it a try.

[sluckey]

My pepper garden as viewed from the pool. If you like jalapeños, just do it. It's easy.

[shooter]

I am, I am!


I have 4 plants, half that size, one Habanero, and about 30 Cyanine's(sp?) about 2" tall.


Helped out the neighbor, he paid me in processed frozen yard chickens, I just need to add the peppers, garlic, tators n it's MI redneck stew time!

[Willabe]

That's an interesting idea. The birds love plums and blackberries. Stands to reason they would also like jelly. I'm gonna give it a try.

I feed the Baltimore Orioles (yes, their a real bird) grape jelly. Their crazy about it. Come back every year and the babies come back, so more every year.

[shooter]

Baltimore Orioles (yes, their a real bird)

mine are free-range, I don't feed any birds, but the property has been "groomed" to provide.  I've had a nesting pair for the better part of 30 years here, same tree!  That tree however is becoming a hazard in waiting for our house

[tdvt]

My pepper garden as viewed from the pool.

Nothing so far along as that up here in Zone 4B. Things are really just getting going. But we DO have green.

Peppers in our hoop around only about 12" at this point.

[sluckey]

Wow! That's quite a view. What is the direction?

[tdvt]

Wow! That's quite a view. What is the direction?

We are looking South/Southeast. We have beautiful light at this latitude.

Every day I am grateful to live here. (except when it is -20F, but sometimes even then..;)



Edit: Our pepper crop is primarily for making hot pepper jelly, a taste acquired after many years in SC.  Fully ripe red peppers with habaneros for heat. 

[scstill]

A couple of skyward "blooms" from my backyard.
SpaceX Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg last night

[scstill]

Gotta keep this sluckey thread going...

Couple of colorful tree blooms from the "backyard" at Saddleback Church

yellow Cassia Leptophylla
purple  Jacaranda Mimosifolia

[murrayatuptown]

I used to save Morning Glory seeds to share.

I still had some left, and read they had LSM (cousin of LSD). I put some by a bird feeder the squirrels constantly raided, but they apparently knew better & didn't eat them.

[scstill]

My Neighbor Planted Morning Glory a few years back
Now we can't get rid of it. Very invasive.

I do need a squirrel deterrent. 
Been using a spray with onion, garlic, Cayenne.
Keeps them away for week or so.
Also good for bugs

[shooter]

 
i'm encouraging squirrel growth here, pretty tasty with onion, garlic n cayenne

[shooter]

Morning dew on fall flowers, or weeds, depending on your perspective.

[scstill]

Not always dry desert here in SoCal
Some giant Taro on todays hike on Borrego Trail in Whiting

[scstill]

Some giant pampas grass growing wild in the "dry creek" from todays spin in SoCal.

[scstill]

you know it's autumn in SoCal when these blooms are out