Gopher Attack!

Gopher Attack!, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

The gophers are going to town in the flowers. This is not an entirely bad thing as they are mixing the extremely compacted soil and adding organic matter. I also noticed that areas they dug up last year had good wildflowers. However, they are getting a bit out of control so we will probably have to trap and smite some of them, before they eat everything. (Before we do that, I hope they get that filaree to the left of the hole)

Lupine

Lupine, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Huge arroyo lupine patch (Lupinus succulentus) that popped up on the street end of the planter. I am pretty sure these came from a few seeds I grabbed across the ditch and tossed on the ground in the fall... This plant is doing a good job of adding nutrients to the crappy soil it lives in, although the plants under it are probably being smothered.

it smells great, too.

Coreopsis

Coreopsis, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Two Giant Coreopsis (Coreopsis gigantea) plants that Sara Chaney gave me as tiny seedlings. They are doing great in this location but unlike the coreopsis on the islands or in malibu they are not blooming. Maybe next year.

Bunchgrass patch

Bunchgrass patch, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

This is a little patch of bunchgrasses (Nassella pulchra, N. lepdia) I planted in a bare patch of soil where nothing else would grow. The grasses are doing great and are even blooming, less than 6 months after I planted them. I hope to put more in this Fall.

Hummingbird sage

Hummingbird sage, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) growing in a big clump. This originated from about 5 plants I divided out of a couple of pots, and mostly from 1 plant Sara had growing at her house in Santa Barbara when she lived there. It hated Santa Barbara but loves its new home.. however it has a bit of mildew, so I think I will cut down the water this year and let it dry out for the summer.

Wild Grape

Wild Grape, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Wild grape (Vitis californica) growing on an old fence.

Trees and the yellow creek

IMG_1172.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

charlie and mushrooms

charlie and mushrooms, originally uploaded by sara buggy.

charlie and mushrooms

The Santa Clara River

The Santa Clara River, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

It's hard to believe a river like this is just 10 or 15 miles from Ventura! The only catch is, it's dry for much of the summer.

Arundo

IMG_1162.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Some arundo that the wasp bit.

Happy in chaparral

MalibuCanyon.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

blooming ceanothus in background, Malibu Canyon

A spore print

Spore_Print_2.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

A spore print

Spore_Print_1.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Sara and a mushroom

Sara_Shroom.jpg, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Dudleyas on a rock

Dudleya.JPG, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

Dudleyas on a rock in Malibu Canyon.. perhaps a rare form of Dudleya cymosa

I'm Back again!

photo, originally uploaded by inyopfc.

testing the template

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

I'm Back!

photo
Originally uploaded by inyopfc

Josh found a new way of uploading photos to blogger... so assuming this works, I'll start using this blog again.

Rain in the Topa Topa Mountains

the rain always starts in the mountains first.

Fire in Green Valley Lake

There is a fire in Green Valley Lake, and Josh has found pictures of cabins near the beer rock burning down. There aren't enough resources to stop this fire. I don't know if it burned the cabin down but if it did, I will let you all know. Then I'll go get drunk and cry. (but not while at the plant conference.)