My comments have been fixed. Is that not wonderful? You all are a gift.
We can travel, now. Also as was always possible, we can expand our worlds on the axis of tiny and immediate.
Without spending a whole bunch of money. Which is to say on Shavonda Gardner’s recommendation, I bought a solar-powered fountain, and now have an itty bitty water feature in my side yard. While this planter may only rarely be touched as above by the hand of the sky, it’s often bubbling. I plugged up the drainage hole with duct tape. It works well enough.
The fountain floats on water and sprays water and is water, in a space where I have no irrigation. I can see the droplets from the study where I have moved to write (leaving the living room to my husband who is still working from home). A change in perspective.
A few years back I planted for pollinators; mostly California natives. They have finally taken off, especially the Coyote Mint. Purple floral pom-poms forever.
The butterflies come now, Gulf Fritillaries, skippers, Painted Ladies, and occasionally a Monarch, especially to nectar on the vervain. The hummingbirds have found my sage.
Yet, as this volunteer palm makes very clear–cheek by jowl with milkweed for monarchs and passiflora overtaking my fence for fritillaries–the construct of a “native” plant is changing. We’re dryer and hotter here. And somehow this miniature landscape wanted running water. So, for less than $15, and without drain on the power grid, I obliged.
I did not predict rainbow beading.
I hope you might support Shavonda at her Amazon page, here. She recently lost her grandmother, and grief is hard.
Have a wonderful weekend, close up or far away.
26 Responses
Goodness, for living in the Bay Area, your place looks like it is in the middle of nowhere! Good for you for planting natives-I am changing over to those as much as possible here in Seattle as well.
Denise, I live in a suburb. An uber-suburb, i.e., mid-century ranch houses! But I plant for privacy, and I planted wild in my side yard, and I can get that feeling of nowhereness and nature bigger than me if I sit and watch. I would love to see a garden planted in Seattle natives.
That is a delightful oasis. And I am so glad you have been put on the Map for hummingbirds and butterflies; those are good visitors.
I am so glad too. Every time one flies by I feel joy. Thank you!
The water feature looks wonderful and at home with the rest of its environment. I bet the sound is delightful, too.
It is! Thanks, Jane.
It’s so comforting to have the sound of running water. I bought the most tacky Buddha water feature and unashamedly love it.
That sounds fantastic. All that we love without shame.
Lisa, that’s a wonderful addition! Magical, even, tiny bubbles bedecked with rainbows, butterflies enjoying the spray! Perhaps I need one of those as well. Happy Weekend! (So pleased to see you have comments back.) xoxo
You have a wonderful fountain. Your urban patio garden is so magical itself. I am so glad to have these conversations possible again.
Lisa, What a beautiful garden and writing as well. The earth needs people committed to the environment. It begins in different ways for each of us. I am returning to “normal” but feel Covid has changed me.
Luci
Thank you so much, Luci. Normal but seeing the world in a different light <3
Ordered! I have 2 bird baths and the fountain looks like a wonderful addition!
Oh my gosh how amazing to have two. This should work really well.
What a delightful addition! You’ve prompted me to get our little fountain cleared out and running again.
And I think I’m going to order one of these for the birdbath we added in the front yard.
Susan, it will be better in a birdbath than in my makeshift pot!
Natives it is. Our yards are all natives now. Do you cut them down once a year? Our’s were all dry and dead. We cut them way down and everything is green now. There are some wonderful books if you’re interested.
Love gardens. Now to look at your friends site. Thanks.
You’re welcome! I tend to leave them in the side yard, except the milkweed, because I’ve read that insects etc. overwinter in overgrowth, and I don’t mind seeing it all wild out my study window. But if they were in the back, or the front, I’d cut them back.
This is fantastic, I’ll be ordering for my bird bath. I moved from Ocean Beach in San Diego to the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota to enjoy the sparse population and the wild weather but summers have been hot and dry and the birds have been arriving in droves — or flocks, I guess. They will love this feature at least until the first freeze when the bird bath is heated for the cold months. Also — to go back a few weeks — the comments feature disappeared at about the same time as your post on the faux fingernails. I’ve seen something similar online at Nordstrom and was intrigued enough to save it in my wish list. I’d much rather purchase from someone pursuing their own small business. Can you publish some contact information for the person who is selling these? Thanks.
Pamela, yes, the faux nails are from Cliq-On-U, here: https://lisacarnochan.com/2021/05/turns-out-press-on-nails-are-fun-or-saturday-morning-at-718am/ Enjoy! And the fountain is perfect for a bird bath.
I thought when we moved to our home in Ojai, the first thing I’d do was to get rid of the fountain. Now, many months later, I absolutely love it. The sound of the water, the birds bathing in it, etc.
I love your new fountain, and the garden looks great.
Thank you:). I can imagine a fountain in Ojai, with the mountain all gold at sunset.
So good to see life getting back to normal and your garden flourishing. Well done, Lisa, that water feature is a gem.
Your garden is so lovely! Keep showing pics. xo
I will, thanks!
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