Butterfly on California Sage Flowers

Butterfly on flowers of California Sage in winter.

Monterey Pine Christmas Tree

We purchased a live Monterey Pine Christmas Tree growing in a pot. This species grows well in Southern California. After Christmas, we donated our tree to a park. We prefer having a live tree in our home, instead of a cut dead tree that dries out. Those dry trees are a fire hazard. The living trees smell wonderful. Some people use the same living tree for several years before planting it.

Evergreen Pear Trees

The Pyrus Kawakamii(Evergreen Pear)is an evergreen tree that grows in an irregular weeping manner to form a canopy. The growth rate for this tree is moderate to fast.
The leaves are dark green and glossy.The new leaves are red and gold. Evergreen Pear Trees in Southern California bloom starting in January. The white flowers are one-inch across and grow in clusters. Large Evergreen Pear Trees can reach thirty feet high and make a thirty foot long canopy.

Drought Tolerant Eco Lawn

This January, we have had hardly any rain and the day time highs have been in the 70s and 80s. Our new eco lawn is still very green and tolerating the hot dry weather nicely.

We seeded the last section of our yard with eco lawn seed last week. The grass is growing well in both shade and sun. Eco lawn is tolerating our big dogs so well that we did not even fence off the last section after applying the eco lawn seeds.

Our new eco lawn will not need to be mowed, because eco lawn is a type of fescue that only grows nine inches long and then folds over, creating a nice surface for dogs and children to play on.

Habanero Peppers

Habanero peppers are delicious and nutritious. These extremely hot peppers contain Vitamin C and capsaicinoids. The capsaicinoid that makes peppers hot is capsaicin, an anticoagulant, which may help prevent blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes. Studies show that capsaicin may facilitate weight loss by decreasing appetite and increasing the metabolic rate of the body. Capsaicin triggers the release of endorphins, so eating hot peppers can make you feel good. Some people claim that eating hot peppers is addictive.

Habaneros can be added to all kinds of recipes to make them spicier. We use habaneros in pasta dishes, spaghetti sauce, homemade barbeque sauce, soups, and omelets.

Habaneros are very hot peppers. You can reduce the heat of your peppers by removing the seeds and ribs. Wear gloves while handling habaneros to prevent the painful experience of getting the oil in your eyes. After chopping habaneros, remove your gloves and wash your hands before touching your eyes or face.

People who experience a burning sensation from eating hot peppers should drink milk rather than water. Milk contains a chemical called casein that attracts capsaicin. Drinking or rinsing with milk will relieve the burn, much better than water.

The habanero plants in our Southern California back yard grow year round. The plants are attractive and fairly easy to grow. If you want to grow habanero plants from seeds, they will require a well-drained soil, heat, and patience. Habanero seeds may take a very long time to germinate.

Fountain Created by Homeowner

This fountain was designed and hand made by the homeowner in Orange County.

Ibis & Crows

The crows in our neighborhood quarrel with hawks and mockingbirds. Crows stick together and defend each other. The ibis is a beautiful large bird with a long beak. The crows in our neighborhood are friendly towards the ibis. Every day we see more ibises grazing with the crows.

Bird of Paradise

Bird of paradise is native to South Africa. In California, we see lots of these beautiful plants growing in flower beds and in pots. Bird of paradise is easy to grow and the official flower of the City of Los Angeles.

Mandavillas

Mandavillas bloom year round in California Gardens. They are drought tolerant and easy to grow. The flowers come in a variety of colors. Mandavillas are a good vine to plant near a pool, because they do not drop an enormous amount of leaves or flowers.

Rain in Southern California

Winter is the rainy season in Southern California. When the rain falls, we have to watch out for flash floods. Dry river beds used for recreation can quickly become fast moving rivers. The grassy playing fields in this park were turned into a small lake last week by rainstorms.

Palm Tree House

This Palm Tree House has three palm trees growing through the roof.

Back Bay in Newport Beach

One of the best places to view California native plants and wildlife is back bay in Newport Beach. This heron is about to catch a fish.

Low Maintenance Grass

We are happy with the way our eco lawn seed is growing. The grass is very green. The new lawn is tolerating our big dogs walking on it very well.

We have removed more of our old lawn and will eventually replace all our grass with eco lawn. November and December are good months to throw eco lawn seed. The seed germinates fast when the temperature is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Habanero Peppers

Habaneros are very hot peppers. You can reduce the heat of your peppers by removing the seeds and ribs. Wear gloves while handling habaneros to prevent the painful experience of getting the oil in your eyes. After chopping habaneros, remove your gloves and wash your hands before touching your eyes or face.

People who experience a burning sensation from eating hot peppers should drink milk rather than water. Milk contains a chemical called casein that attracts capsaicin. Drinking or rinsing with milk will relieve the burn, much better than water.

The habanero plants in our Southern California back yard grow year round. The plants are attractive and fairly easy to grow. If you want to grow habanero plants from seeds, they will require a well-drained soil, heat, and patience. Habanero seeds take a very long time to germinate.

Environmentally Friendly Garden

Drought tolerant plants are popular choices for gardens in Southern California. This home is on a lake in Fresno, California.

Garden at Bentley's in Fresno

This is a garden used for dining in front of Bentley's in Fresno.

Eco Lawn

Rain is falling this morning in Orange County. The rain is just what we need to make our California native plants and eco lawn thrive.

We are happy with the way our eco lawn is growing. Our new grass is very green and growing slow. We spread some more seed in the areas where the grass is a bit sparse.

We allowed a chihuahua to play with our cats on the new lawn over the weekend. Eco lawn seems to be a good lawn for pets. We are waiting a few more weeks before we let the dogs that weigh more than 100 pounds play on the lawn.

Some people have been walking on our new eco lawn. Our new grass is tolerating the pedestrian traffic very well.

Rain in Southern California

The rainy season has arrived in Southern California. A light rain is falling in Orange County. After many months of heat and drought, we are glad to have some rain. November is a good time to plant California native plants or an eco lawn in Southern California.
Tree of Life Nursery is our favorite place to buy California native plants.

Eco Lawn Seed

Here is our eco lawn ten days after we tossed some seed on the ground. We had strong dry Santa Ana Winds and a week of days when the highs were in the eighties. We sprinkled the seeds daily with water. We spread a little more eco lawn seed in this sunny location. We are expected cooler weather and maybe even a little rain next week.

While we were in Massachusetts, animals dug up half of the eco lawn that we planted in the shadier location on the other side of the house. We smoothed the area out and spread more eco lawn grass seed. The half that was not damaged looks nice and is slowly growing.

Eco Lawn

We scattered eco lawn seed under a few trees in September. The seeds were fast to germinate, just like the label said. Our eco lawn is growing slowly. Eco lawn is a drought tolerant fescue that is suppose to grow well in both shade and sun. So far, the grass is growing nicely in the shade.

Today, we scattered some eco lawn seed in a sunnier location. We are waiting to see how well it grows. We are having sunny warm days this week with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Eco lawn grows best when the temperature is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit.