The White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata), commonly known as the hummingbird moth, is a moth of the Sphingidae family. Its range extends from Central America, through the United States and into parts of Canada. The forewing is dark brown with a tan stripe which extends from the base to the apex. There are also white lines that cover the veins. The …

Huge spiked & strongly perennial, this “New Millenium” variety is far superior to the commonly available “Pacific Giants.” They can easily reach 6’ tall & by its second year as much as 4’ across. Extra large, bright-pink blooms with a white “bee” are held compactly to make large 3’ spikes & unbelievable cut flowers. Long blooming if you cut the …

Bachelor button has a very intense blue. Cornflowers were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man’s love was not returned It is the national flower of Estonia. bought from yamagami nursery planted winter 2014 flowered April 2015 Toxicity: Non-Toxic to Dogs, Non-Toxic to Cats

The Asian Pear Ultra-dwarf tree in my Sunnyvale garden started blossoming the last week in March 2015.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium is noted for its violet-blue flowers and branched flowering stems. Though their foliage is grass-like, the blue-eyed grasses belong to the iris family not the grass family. It is native to southeast USA where it occurs in damp open woods, slopes and along stream banks. It is a clump-forming perennial that features a tuft of narrow grass-like leaves …

Bright gentian blue flowers to 1” across with a surprising pink eye & bright yellow anthers lit­erally smother this striking front of the garden annual or dry garden perennial. Neat & compact, this Mediterranean native grows to 10” tall & 20” across & is stunning combined with contrasty blooms & foliage like Ursinia anthemoides & Heuchera ‘Marmalade.’ Thrives with little …

This recipe is another tasty way of preserving that sweet and sour taste of your Meyer Lemons for later in the year. [toIngredients 3 pounds lemons 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (or 1 cup honey, if you want it to be naturally sweetened) 1/4 cup freshly grated ginger OR candied ginger Instructions Juice lemons. Measure out 2 1/2 cups of …

Tomatoes can easily be grown in Sunnyvale gardens. Most varieties are warm-season. But there are a few varieties that produce ripe fruit before June or after October.

This is the first bloom of Linaria in 2015. The plant is about 12 inches tall and the whole flower head is only an inch wide. Some have suggested, after viewing this photo, that Alien has crossed from animals to plants. See detailed description of Linaria

Nectarine and Apricot blossoms in late February 2015. Bees are busy visiting all the blossoms. The apricot tree in the photo below is a volunteer tree. This tree grew from a discarded apricot pit. It is growing in a two-foot wide trench along the side yard. Our original apricot tree is growing on semi-standard root stock. This volunteer tree is …