Category: Flowering Shrubs

Filoli Historic House and Garden 2.12.25

Enjoyed a stroll around the Filoli Historic House and Garden in Woodside, CA this morning. I love having this place nearby my son’s house and with an annual membership I can visit frequently. Hellebores stole the show today, along with Camellias blooming throughout the… Continue Reading “Filoli Historic House and Garden 2.12.25”

Univ of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 2.8.2025

Grevillea noellii is yet another Australian native that thrives along the California coastal climate. It’s an evergreen shrub with interesting spidery-looking “flowers”.

U. of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 1.31.2025

Many species of plants at the UCSC arboretum are in the Fuchsia genus. Correa reflexa is a native fuchsia found in Australia and consists of many different varieties – ranging from ground-hugging species to those reaching a height of 5 feet. It was fun… Continue Reading “U. of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 1.31.2025”

U. of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 1.21.2025

Conebush is from a family of plants indigenous to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. This one is a large shrub or small tree, evergreen and stunning for the reddish flower heads at the ends of the branches.

U. of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 1.20.2025

Yesterday, Jim and I decided to take a road trip and complete a loop around the Bay Area Peninsula. He has been hard at work upgrading the electrical system in the Airstream – replacing the converter with an inverter/charger and installing lithium batteries. And,… Continue Reading “U. of California Santa Cruz Arboretum 1.20.2025”

California Native Plants 1.9.2025

Brittle Leaf Manzanita is native to the Central California coast and distributed mostly in the coastal foothills between the San Francisco Bay Area and south to Santa Barbara. I found this plant growing in the La Honda Creek Open Creek Preserve at the higher… Continue Reading “California Native Plants 1.9.2025”

Los Gatos Creek Bike Trail 1.8.2025

Today we did a road trip with our grand-dog, Wylie, and ended up exploring the Vascona Lake County Park located in Los Gatos, CA. There is a bike/hike trail that runs through the park called the Los Gatos Creek Trail. The park is a… Continue Reading “Los Gatos Creek Bike Trail 1.8.2025”

Workamping in Oregon

We started our workamping gig in the state of Oregon on May 6 with a weeklong training session held at the facility headquarters in Estacada, Oregon. Our employer, Portland General Electric, operates 14 different day use and overnight camping facilities along the Clackamas River… Continue Reading “Workamping in Oregon”

Big Bend Flora 11.2.2022

Hiking the upper part of the Lost Mine Trail in the Chisos Mountains last week, I came upon the showy, bright red, tubular flowers of Salvia regla or Mountain Sage. Often blooming in the spring and, again in the fall, the flowers are attractive… Continue Reading “Big Bend Flora 11.2.2022”

Salmonberry

I first noticed this plant last week during our slow ascent up the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California. We pulled into the Lewis and Clark National Historic Site in Astoria, OR to take a short break from driving before continuing on to our… Continue Reading “Salmonberry”