Saturday, May 22, 2010

A Blue Sky Day

Blustery weather meant unusually clear blue skies over San Jose today, and everyone wanted to get their picture taken with it, including the artichokes. Side shoots continue to come; I'm tempted to let a few of them bloom again this year, just for fun!

Priscilla the Forest Pansy Redbud is very full-figured in her second spring, wearing rich purple hearts all over her sleeves!

The impressive spreading flower spikes of the Silver Sage (Salvia argentea) look positively regal against the blue sky. (click this one!)

Althought the White Sage (Salvia apiana) tops it by several feet!

The coral 'Flower Carpet' roses are sending up fat vertical flower spikes, which I would trim back if I wanted to keep them low, but I don't, so I won't!

Looks like the wind was blowing from the north today, no wonder it was chilly!

The newest bamboo culms are unfurling for the first time; the tallest ones are almost kissing the clouds!

The view from under the Red Umbrella...

The lush new leaves of the Manihots are the size of dinner plates; they have appreciated the extra rain this spring, although they are surprisingly undemanding for such an exotic-looking plant. A shapely 15' tree in 2 years from seed? Yes, please!

Even my neighbor's shrub rose wanted to play the blue-sky game today.

Thanks for spending time sky-gazing with me; now it's time to come back to earth. Work to be done. Until next time!

5 comments:

  1. You take great pictures! I always enjoy looking at them :)

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  2. Great concept for a photo shoot! I especially like the one with the California poppies on the bottom right with the grass leaning across the frame. Nice composition!

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  3. Ooops - that was me, Robin (usually blogspot rejects me, so I thought I was just sending that thought out into the karmic ether)

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  4. Thanks guys...the articulated lens on my new camera has taken the guesswork out of ground-level shots (like the silver sage) I hadn't realized how much I'd use it! I like that poppy shot too...

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  5. Fantastic photos! I love the silver sage.

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