where lavender grows

where lavender grows

not that long ago, we northerners used to plug in our cars on cold nights so the car battery wouldn’t be frozen in the morning. that meant that most cars in our region had little plug-in jacks dangling from the grills on the front of their cars. a friend of  friend once decided to move south in search of warmer climates. when asked where he was moving to, he replied “i’m just driving south until i don’t see any more battery heaters hanging out of the front of cars.” well, some day, i plan to migrate to warmer temps as well. but my criteria will be “wherever lavender grows wild.”

lavender, stinson beach, california

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western versus eastern

western versus eastern

i am quite certain these delicate little tissue paper blooms are west coast morning glories–the way the blooms are a single petal with delicate creases and the way the unopened blooms are curled upon themselves like an umbrella convince me they are morning glories. but the leaves are not the telltale heart shaped leaves of our northern midwestern morning glories. i pinched this little specimen from the garden of our rented airbnb in stinson beach, california last week.  i just assumed i would be able to google western morning glories, or or even coastal morning glories, and get confirmation of my assumption. but i had no such luck. california is often described as having a mediterranean climate and flora. i know mediterranean plants pretty well, but here in america, what i really know are the eastern species. there is a whole half a continent that is slightly more foreign to me than the scrubland of southern france and coastal spain and italy. all right, western american flora and fauna. i’m on your tail. you will not escape me for long.

morning glories, stinson beach, california

  • Ginny says:

    Looks like bindweed. I don’t know western plants, but try a search for bindweed. It’s blossoms are so pretty, aren’t they, like so many invasive plants. So delicate, sweet and innocent looking.

    reply

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prickly lettuce

prickly lettuce

according to wiki this delicate little weed i found on the side of an urban minneapolis sidewalk is “in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family.” tribe? when did that become a classification?  wiki went on to say that this little unremarkable weed “is also known as the compass plant because in the sun the upper leaves twist round to hold their margins upright.” well, well, well, compass plant. you can be part of my tribe any time.

prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola)

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be back soon

be back soon

i will be home from california in a couple of days, and i hope to spend my first week back in minnesota sharing another several days’ worth of newly gathered californiana with you. stay tuned.

palm frond detail

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mediterranean climate

mediterranean climate

the california poppy is the state flower of california, but because california is one of the few regions on earth with a “mediterranean climate,” we see a lot of the state flower of california during our visits to southern france. the only difference is that one place is a mediterranean climate right next to the mediterranean sea. and the other place is a mediterranean climate next to the pacific ocean. i am in love with both.

california poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

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