Succulents and More™

We just got back from a week in Victoria , British Columbia to visit our daughter. Daytime highs were in the 40s, nighttime lows in the mid-30s. And except for our last day, we never really saw the sun, just caught brief glimpses. But when you’re surrounded by so much natural beauty, who needs the sun? In fact, brooding skies with towering clouds amp up the drama. We spent a couple of days on Pender Island , and on the ferry ride there and back, the spectacle was positively operatic. Victoria is only 75 miles from Seattle, and the flight is so short that there’s no beverage service on the plane. You’re in the air for just 30 minutes, but the views are spectacular. You can see the San Juan Islands , the Olympic Mountains in Washington, and of course Vancouver Island : View of the eastern shore of Vancouver Island as we’re descending into Victoria International Airport Victoria is spectacular place to live, and real estate is pricy, with houses right on the water costing many millions: ...

When we were in Southern California last week, our daughter took us to one of her favorite spots: Inspiration Point in Corona del Mar. It offers breathtaking views of Corona del Mar State Beach , but that's not the only thing to look at: The houses lining the street are pretty impressive, too, especially this one: It looks like it has four levels, with priceless views of the beach and the ocean. I can't even imagine what it must be like to live there. As focused as I initially was on the views and the houses, my attention quickly shifted—surprise, surprise—to this:  Agave americana Agaves are like catnip to me, especially when they send up massive flower stalks—and even more so when the backdrop is so gorgeous: In addition to Agave americana , which has pretty much become naturalized in parts of California, I quickly spotted other species that had clearly been planted: Agave attenuata  'Ray of Light' Agave  'Blue Glow', variegated  Agave desmetiana , and golden...

We're in Victoria, British Columbia this week to visit our older daughter. The timing couldn't have been better. While California is sweltering in a heat wave, with temperatures in Davis above triple digits (close to 40°C), Victoria is in the low to mid-60s (15-18°C). Not only that, we've experienced more rain here in the last three days than we have at home all year! No wonder there's so much green. It's a sight for sore—or should I say dry—eyes. Here are some photos from around Victoria and Salt Spring Island where we spent a couple of days. There's a lot more to come in future posts. Inner Harbour, Victoria Parliament Building and Inner Harbour, Victoria Hornbeam trees ( Carpinus betulus ) on Government Street, Victoria My two favorite gardens in Victoria are Finnerty Gardens on the campus of the University of Victoria and Abkhazi Garden. We visited both early in our trip. I'll have separate posts in the weeks to come. Finnerty Gardens Finnerty Gardens Rh...