Winter Visit to the Getty/ The Views

I went up the the Getty Museum on a clear winter day after several weeks of rain.

The ocean was visible and

the hillsides

were green.

I could see the city beyond the garden.

Bird of Paradise

The Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a winter blooming plant in my garden. It is native to South Africa.

The Bird of Paradise was named after Queen Charlotte of Britain in 1773.  Queen Charlotte was an amateur botanist.

The plant will flower for months and I always bring them in the house.

January in my Neighborhood

January in my neighborhood is on the edge of spring.  A few plants are blooming now.  This is Leucadendron, in the protea family,

Grevillea rosmarinifolia,

Petite Butterflies Sweet Pea Shrub (Polygala fruticosa),

and the Azaleas,

in several different

colors.

Cup of Gold Vine

The Cup of Gold Vine (Solandra maxima) is in full bloom in January in my garden.

It is native to Mexico and Central America.

The plant is a fast grower and will stretch long tendrils up into the trees.

I pruned the vine way back and it is still covered with flowers.

Some Succulents in the Form of Rosettes

January Succulents

Winter is a good season for succulents in my neighborhood.  

Some of them begin to bloom.

They have varied colors

and forms

like

living 

sculptures.

January 1st in my Garden

My garden is not dormant in January, many things are growing.  Some of them are: Anemone coronaria,

Narcissus papyraceus,

Rosemary,

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), which smells like honey when the sun hits it,

Italian Parsley,

Arugula,

and the Fava bean plants which grow so quickly and will be at least five feet high by April.