Walking through the neighborhood

Lately I’ve been making a concerted effort to get out more while it’s still light so I use my lunch hour to take a vigorous walk through the neighborhood. Every day I spot new things of interest. It’s amazing how much variety there really is when you take a good look. I bet it’s no different where you live.

Let me show you a few sights that have caught my eye.

111120_treelined_street
Residential street covered with leaves. I love the atmosphere in this photo.
111121_leaves_on_lawn
Ornamental pear leaves on a neighbor’s lawn—arguably the finest lawn anywhere in town. The grass is as soft as moss.
111121_underpass
Underpass in our neighborhood park. I love the soft misty lighting.
111121_underpass_with_cotoneaster
Underpass in the other direction. Notice the cotoneaster growing above it—or is it pyracantha? Hard to tell from a distance.
111120_Cotoneaster_001
Cotoneaster lining somebody’s driveway
111115_Heteromeles-arbutifolia
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries on the greenbelt across the street. Toyon, or Christmas berry or California holly, is native to the coastal scrublands of California, all the way down to the Baja California peninsula.
111118_Punica-granatum_002
Pomegranates are bursting open everywhere due to the recent rains.
I wish people would pick them—or let me do it!
111115_Baccharis-pilularis_001
111115_Baccharis-pilularis_002
Coyote bush (Baccharis pilularis), a California native, in bloom.
The flowers remind me of dandelions.
111115_Aesculus-californica_001
This is another California native, buckeye (Aesculus californica).
It’s the first shrub/tree to lose its leaves, usually as early as September.
111115_Aesculus-californica_003
111115_Aesculus-californica_002
Buckeye fruit and seeds. The seeds look like polished wooden balls and are very attractive—and poisonous. Check out the ingenious way native tribes used buckeye seeds.
111115_Cercis-occidentalis_003
Yet another native, Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis). I’ve harvested a few seeds to plant at my in-laws’ place in the mountains.
111116_Arbutus-unedo_001
Not a native, but one of my favorite trees at the moment since it’s both blooming and fruiting: arbutus, or strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)
111116_Arbutus-unedo_004
Red and orange strawberry tree fruit. In some Mediterranean countries (where the tree comes from), the fruit is used for jelly and liqueurs.
111120_Phyllostachys_aurea001
I also spotted a small grove of golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea). It looks well cared for and the owner seems to know how manage a running bamboo like this one.

Comments

  1. You're lucky you're able to use your lunch hour to have a walk outside. It's nice to get some fresh air in the middle of a working day :) The first is my favourite of the lot, as you say very atmospheric! a fleeting moment as those leaves will get cleared soon I can imagine.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wasted pomegranates, for shame! I've never seen Aesculus californica, very interesting and thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pomegranates are $2/ea in the store. I can't believe people don't pick them off their own trees!

    California buckeye is a truly unique plant. I'll do a separate post on it. Its flowers are stunning, too.

    Alan, I'm sure birds eat the pomegranates. They're much tastier than many other things birds routinely eat :-).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pomegranates: Stop and Ask if you can pick!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. great post - so interesting! Hope some pomegranates get eaten or shared!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment