The Birds and the Bees

The heavy rains from last week gave our very dry earth a much needed soaking producing a few blooms in the garden.

The girls have been hard at work collecting nectar and pollen. A hive check is over due, which will likely result in a frame of honey or two.

The Cistus is flowering. I went out to photograph the blooms in the afternoon and saw the petals on the ground, seems I've got to get out there super early in the morning if I am going to capture a photo of the flower without sunshine hitting it. The evergreen shrub, also known as Purple Rock Rose, is not a California native but tolerates drought, poor soil and little maintenance like its neighboring plants.

The front slope is finally filling out a bit. The wild roses and Matilja Poppies (pictured above) have been spreading on there own, while animals have been seeding here and there.

Meanwhile, the succulents that were planted on the lot by a previous owner are doing quite well. I'm not particularly found of them since it perpetuates the myth that cactus are California native plants. Greg really likes them though, so we are putting them all along the fence side of the driveway where the slope doesn't need strong roots.