It was a cool day today but for me this is southern California at its best. The toyon berries are bright red, Roger’s Red grape has autumn foliage that competes with New England (yes, I said it! – well, on a smallish scale anyway), the grasses are tawny, the sky cloudy, and Milo happy.
Milo guarding the homestead. Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries, Roger’s Red grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’), purple three-awn grass (Arisitida purpurea ssp. purpurea).
Yellow leaves of Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus) in dormant alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides)
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries, Roger’s Red grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’), Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus).
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries, Roger’s Red grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’)
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia) berries, Roger’s Red grape (Vitis ‘Roger’s Red’), Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus).
Lettuce, arugula, Swiss chard, celery and herbs. Mexican sage (Salvia leucantha) in back is still a hummingbird attraction. 
I am planning to plant some monkeyflowers in the front yard. For now I wouldn’t be doing anything in the back since we are hoping to make big changes. We are working with a landscape designer for the first time, so I’m a bit nervous but hopeful that we will come up with something exciting.
Spent a little time tonight cleaning up the my blog lists on the right. It had gotten a bit messy. Any thoughts on that?
Wow, your garden looks beautiful. Now I know I absolutely have to find a way to work in Roger's Red, despite its size and my smallish yard.
Great photos! I love the gate, too.
Great shots, I love the Roger's Red Grape. I'm always on the lookout for good fall color….you know how hard that can be in So Cal, I'll have to look for some.
Well, of course, California has seasons. Just look at your garden! Good luck the landscape designer route on the new projects out back. Sometimes that outside opinion is just what you need to help see things to completion.
Gosh these are beautiful. Not every native garden is really beautiful, so yours is great PR for natives! I so hope my grapes look like that some day. I put in two 1-gallons a year ago, but they haven't grown much, and one was nipped back by deer. How long did yours take to get so drapey and lush? I'm in love with the way they are mixing greens with reds in these photos.
Hi Jess – it doesn't take long for them to get big. I planted mine in Nov. 2004. We were rebuilding the fence and so I dug it out and replanted it the following year. Within 2 more years it looked pretty much the way it looks now, so yours will be great real soon. Also having deer nip it back is free labor. Enjoy their work.
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