Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate! Hope you are enjoying signs of spring in your area and hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. The last patch of daffodils finished blooming a few weeks ago (photo above). I love all the fresh spring green this time of year. The hills are covered with…
Last Friday, March 15, we went to see the beautiful garden at Ferrari-Carano Estate Winery in Dry Creek Valley. They have a tulip and daffodil display each spring, and the tulips were in peak bloom when we went. Spring is an especially nice time to visit because they also have many flowering shrubs and trees…
After nearly continuous rainy days since the start of February, we finally have some sunshine this second week of March and the garden is showing signs of life. The plum tree is almost in full bloom. The blue rosemary flowers along the garden fence are beautiful with the plum tree’s flush of bluish pink. The…
Each February, masses of beautiful bright yellow mustard flowers bloom in many vineyards and fields in Sonoma County. Some of the mustard grows wild and some is purposely planted in vineyards as a cover crop to help prevent soil erosion and weed growth during the rainy season, to help keep nematodes under control, and to…
Thought I’d mention a few places local to me that are fun to visit in person but that also offer mail order and might be of interest to my readers. First, McEvoy Ranch in Petaluma (just a little bit south of us) is a great spot for award-winning artisan olive oil. Their oil is certified…
This morning we visited Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley, Sonoma County. They grow a large field of lavender that is fun to see just before the harvest when the bloom is at its peak (it is good to call ahead to time your visit). They also have gardens around their site with numerous special…
The Russian River Rose Company is a fun place to visit in Sonoma to see beautiful flowers in bloom; they have lots of roses for sale in the nursery, beautiful rose and perennial display gardens, and lovely fields of Bulgarian perfume roses. You can take the official tour to see how they distill the roses,…
Recently I was in Healdsburg on an errand and went inside a photography gallery called Capture Gallery because one of the photos at the entry was so stunning that it pulled me in for a closer look. The photographs that initially grabbed my attention were done by Christopher Foster, and they were gorgeous images…