Garden "Bones"

This pictures, one of the many I took in Ohio on our holiday trip, shows the clear importance of the "bones" of a garden design, especially in Winter.

The trellis, tree and evergreens provide the sense of the garden, even when it is deep in snow. I haven't had to think about this very much here in Los Angeles, but the same thoughts apply even when your garden never really goes to sleep. Even with the various dormant plants around the garden at this time of year, I think it looks more alive and green than it ever does in Summer. The structure of the deciduous trees is beautiful in a totally different way than the leaf-covered structures of the Spring and Summer, even though that the very same tree.

Snowy Ohio Holiday Adventure

I just loaded up a photo gallery of 85 shots from our holiday trip to Ohio. There are some neat photos of snow and icicles for those of you who wonder what Christmas in Ohio, during and after a blizzard, must be like.

Many of the photos are "nature shots" showing just how much beauty there can be even while most of the garden world sleeps. I love the stark relief of trees, snow and sunlight.

If you like a particular picture, I can make it available for printing via DotPhoto or set up cards, postcards and other merchandise over at CafePress.com. I plan on adding a few of the photos to my existing stores in any case.

Let me know if anything grabs your attention and I will set it up post haste.

Click on the photo to link to the complete gallery of photos.

Roses and Rain

After returning from our snowy adventure in Ohio, we found our roses to be in full bloom again. The rains have arrived with a vengeance here in Los Angeles and everything has jumped up in response.

I would have posted a picture, but it is raining so hard at the moment that I would be soaked to the skin in seconds if I stepped off the porch. The sound of the rain on the roof of my office, a half-beamed affair where the beaded-board ceiling is also the outside roof, almost makes it difficult to hear the television.

We haven't seen rain like this since our last El Nino year 5-6 years ago. We live in the flats, so mudslides aren't really a danger to our home, but the Valley is flooded, as it usually is during storms, and getting around is a bit of a mess.

Still, I love what the rain brings to the garden, so I am willing to suffer a little inconvenience for future beauty.

Stay dry, wherever you are!