Although Ted has a flower bed in one of the raised beds in the front yard, and we have native plants that flower in fairly unshowy ways in the terrace beds adjoining the staircase up to our house pad (37 steps), we also have geraniums lining the staircase, vetch covering most of the orchard by the street, and wildflowers in the upper, wild part of the yard.
The flowers in the vase include Peruvian lilies, David Austin roses, and an Itoh Peony. Unfortunately, since peonies are Ted’s favorite flower, they won’t grow here, but the Itoh hybrid peonies do. We also have a backyard full of self-seeded arugula, which is flowering now and will spread its seeds widely this summer.
vetch in bloom
arugula in flower
multiple lupines
The wildflowers include lupines, California Bush Sunflowers, Sunflowers (spread by the birds from their birdseed), some unidentified pink spreading flower, wild mustard (an invasive plant we keep trying to eradicate), and Blue Dicks. Last but not least, is our field of California poppies, all started from one wildflower seed, several years ago. Click the photos to see bigger ones, especially of the multiple lupines and the poppy field. At the back of the poppy field, you can see lavender in bloom and behind that the mountain across the way from our property.
CA bush sunflower
Single lupine
Sunflower
mustard
Blue Dicks
CA poppies
