Welcome to my Garden Blog

Nature: wild & untouched. Photographing it, preserving it, taking walks and drinking in the landscapes as they unfold.

Gardens: touched by loving hands. Cultivated, nurtured. Drinking in those landscapes is wonderful, as well.

In my garden one enjoys some of both. Generally unpruned & wild, my plants reshape the garden as they grow.

Beyond the garden borders, natives from the Santa Monica Mtns await. Oak trees with their shady canopies. Cactus & Sage in the sun.

Always there are animal creatures to join in the fun.

I look forward to sharing some of my experiences with you as they unfold.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Matilija Poppies, I Owe You So Much

                  Matilija Poppies (Romneya coulteri), Topanga Canyon, CA 
                                                              Photo by Kathy Vilim


I first saw Matilija (ma-tila-huh) Poppies on a trip to Catalina Island many years ago.  I was visiting the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Gardens (Catalina Island Conservancy, Avalon, CA) and there they were:  So elegant, tall and wild, their petals like crepe paper. They stood together, a big stand of them, swaying with the breeze at easily 5ft in height!

Sometime later, I ended up at a plant sale at Theodore Payne Foundation.  I don’t know why I was looking at native plants.  Perhaps I wanted plants that could handle my hillside without much care, something drought tolerant.  My hillside gets so much wind & sun and grows wild with native shrubbery & cactus. Or, perhaps I was drawn to search for Matilija... 
Read more.. at BeautifulWildlifeGarden

No comments:

Post a Comment

Wildflowers, Santa Monica Mtns

Wildflowers, Santa Monica Mtns