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.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

California Teenage Runaway



                  Monarchs overwintering in Pismo Beach, CA, Photo by Kathy Vilim

I am a female Monarch butterfly, flying high above Pismo Beach, flying from the tall Eucalyptus trees, where I have been sleeping this winter.  How I love the Central California Coast!  It has everything I need here: moderate winter temps, clean air, and I am making friends to help me keep warm. The sun comes out. I feel its warmth on my wings…  I open them, flashing orange at any passersby.  There are none.  

Presently, I fly off across the Meadow.  What do I spy down there? Could it be Milkweed?  I zoom in for a closer look.  There to my unbelieving eyes, yes, they even have milkweed here! I can lay my eggs on the Milkweed plants right here and then go back to my California lifestyle.  No need to go anywhere else.  I have what I need right here at the Hotel California... 

Like runaway teenagers, they stayed and learned to surf the waves of the sky in California’s golden springtime..
  
See more at: http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/welcome-to-the-hotel-california.html

Wildflowers, Santa Monica Mtns

Wildflowers, Santa Monica Mtns