Ruth Bancroft Garden

Here’s a bit more from our California trip. We visited The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek. It was a hot, sunny day which seemed very appropriate since this garden features cacti and succulents. There were lots of cute little cacti.

Orange

Burgundy/red

Yellow

And great big cacti too. I have know idea what that plant with the purple flowers is.

A cute cactus in a palm tree

Agave spike

Agave spike!

Man-eating agave!

(My boyfriend is very tolerant)

Bright, blinding, ice plant!?

Gaillardia, I believe?

Brains! Brains! Brains!

Not brains. Aloes, perhaps?

A panorama of the garden

I really enjoyed this garden. I’ve often fantasized about having a succulent and cacti garden. I’d don’t live in a place where this is feasible, too much clay and rain. They have tons of awesome pictures, much better than mine, on flickr.

 

Colorado trip – June 2009

As always, my trips to Colorado are about visiting family, not doing touristy stuff. It is always fun though. Maybe one of these days I will “do” Colorado and see all the sites.

My dad said: “This is as green as you will ever see it, let me tell you.” Indeed, it was. Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado have had plenty of rain this year, a rarity. The grasses were taller than the yucca plants and the wheat was close to falling over, to farmers’ dismay. I should’ve taken pictures of the scenery along the way. We always stop at this cafe which has good food, excellent bathrooms (also a rarity), and a really cool sign!

My aunt and uncle live in a ridiculously neat white stucco house. Their passion is their huge yard, and it shows. They are working on the front yard right now so I took pictures of the back yard.

The back patio:

N got to see her see her cousin A (actually my cousin’s daughter). They are only 14 months apart in age and had a great time.

N telling a story:
“A and T were arguing over the kids motorcycle. They said, ‘It is mine’; ‘No, I want to ride it’; ‘No, it is mine!’ Then I rode off with it and they said, ‘What?! Where did the motorcycle go?!’ “

My aunt and uncle have a really sweet cat named Mosi, which is Navajo for cat. He isn’t supposed to be an outdoor cat but is constantly trying to escape, in spite of the fact that he is not well equipped to deal with outdoor life.

My dad loves cats.

Here are more plant pictures from their yard:

A perlargonium

A vivid purple salvia

Woolly thyme

Potted succulents

Further proof of plenty of rain (in another yard):