Cleanup..a little

With our annual holiday party fast approaching, I thought it was time to blow all the leaves off the driveway area, at least, to neaten things up a bit. One of the disadvantages of having all these lovely trees is that most of them eventually drop them all,, usually around the same time.

There are still plenty of leaves left to fall, so I only did minimal cleanup. The leaves on the pathways help to keep the weeds down anyway. Once we return from our holiday vacation I will do a complete cleanup, along with the yearly trimming of the roses. For now, the path to the doorway is swept and ready to welcome guests.

Fall color in December

Click picture for 4 images

As if to provide a bit of proof that we do indeed have seasons in Los Angeles, here are some photo examples taken in the neighborhood this morning.

Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) trees are quite popular street-side planting in this area, and the cold nights send turn them shades of red and gold, just like some of the trees back East. They do make a bit of a mess, though, with their heavy seed pods and dense leaves.

More Liquidambar information from Google.com

A Desktop Garden

I was just watching Under the Tree 2003 on HGTV and saw a short spot on this mini-garden that fits on a table top. This could be a great way to bring the garden into your home or office, even if you don't have time to get your hands in the outdoor soil.

Available from Sarut NYC for $25.

I would guess that a creative gardener could even figure out how to build one on their own. I might take a few minutes to think about that project myself.