WHAT'S NEW
2/19/07
Red-shoulder hawks
One year a while back, as if from nowhere, squirrels appeared in the Valley
Oak trees at Cal Flora. They rapidly became a nuisance, digging up the
buckeye seeds and acorns we were attempting to grow and digging
in all manner of containers. At some point Red-shoulder Hawks moved
in and all of the squirrels disappeared. We are still blessed with hawks
and no squirrels.
2/13/07
California Spring
California Spring is in full swing at California Flora Nursey in mid-February.
Buds are growing on the Dutchman's Pipe Vine, Aristolochia californica.
Each new flower bud develops as a miniature adult. In the landscape our
resident garter snakes were emerging and possibly feeling amorous
on a sunny day-after a gutter buster and the day before Valentines Day.
Garter snakes at Cal Flora
Oriole Nest
Bullock's or Northern Orioles nest each summer in the big Valley Oaks
at California Flora Nursery. We regularly see them sipping nectar from
the flowers of the South African native shrub Honey Bush, Melianthus major.
At my (Phil's) home in Sebastopol, Orioles feed on nectar from the large
yellow flowers of the California native Flannel Bush,
Fremontodendron 'California Glory'. These photographs are of
last summer's Oriole nest with bits of string and horses tail hairs woven in.
2/3/07
WILD GRAPE and WESTERN BLUEBIRDS
We sell gallon plants of the CALIFORNIA WILD GRAPE,
Vitis californica ‘Roger’s Red’ as a habitat plant. People often
comment that nothing seems to be eating the dark blue-purple grapes
as they hang in plump ripe clusters in the autumn. It is only after other
sources of food grow scarce that flocks of dozens of Robins arrive
to clean up the fruit on the front fence and individual Red Shafted
Flickers and Ruby Crowned Kinglets move in to feed on the vine
covering our potting shed. Many other birds enjoy the complex structure
of the vine for opportunities to glean small insects. This winter
two pairs of Western Bluebirds have been hanging around Cal Flora
Nursery eating the mummified grapes of the Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’
and enjoying the sources of liquid water during the prolonged freeze.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a bluebird at the nursery but it is
certainly the first year they’ve been winter residents. It has been a joy
to be in such prolonged close proximity to these beautiful shy birds.
All images and text copyright ©California Flora Nursery
FEBRUARY 2007 || MARCH 2007 || APRIL 2007 || MAY 2007 || JUNE 2007 || JULY 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007
HOME || WHAT'S NEW || PLANT INFORMATION || HABITAT INFORMATION || INVENTORY
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS || PERENNIALS || GRASSES || FERNS || VINES || SHRUBS || TREES
DEER RESISTANT PLANTS || COMMON NAMES || CULTIVAR NAMES
ABOUT US || MAP || LINKS
