Slide show: A spot by the sea to savor spring | gardens, san, clemente - News - The Orange County Register

Our local newspaper guy Fred, happened to be at the Casa last week and shot a ton of photos in the gardens. I met with him to help ID the plants and he put this up on the OC Register tonight...I am so proud of this.
Enjoy 'my' Casa garden through the eyes of a journalist.

Slide show: A spot by the sea to savor spring | gardens, san, clemente - News - The Orange County Register

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Casa on Thursday

Maybe you won't appreciate the beauty as much as I do but just want to share the spring gardens at the Casa. The impact on the visitors is impressive as many have not been there for over a year. I have even gleaned volunteers because they want to be a part of it. Cool...
These photos are in the front of the Casa...no ocean view yet.

The roses at the edge of the parking lot are just beautiful with fragrant, plate size blooms. I bring bouquets in the office for staff :) They are jealous-would rather be outside.

This is the entrance to the office. See the green 'balls'. That is Euphorbia blooming. It is a show stopper.

These pots at the entrance were donated. Seemed oversized in the beginning. I planted them and now they seem to cozy in the front 'keyhole' entrance of the Casa.

This planting at the left side of the entrance is popping right now! Bear's Breech on the left and Pride of Maderia on the right.

This week

There is always so much going on at the Casa, my home away from home. I am mostly involved with the garden related activities. This week we had 120 students in 3rd grade tour the house and gardens. I was taking photos and controlling the timer-3 different tours, 25 minutes each and filling in for the docents. Quite the production but so educational and fun for the kids.

A small group checking out the Monarch caterpillars on the Milkweed.

Saturday, Randy and Staci dropped Siena off so we could entertain her while they went out to celebrate their 6th anniversary. Always looking for an opportunity to spend time with Grandchildren. We were attending an engagement party for nephew, Adam and his bride to be, Blair. Adam's mom, Pam, Mike's sister hosted it. The wedding party attended, some flew in from New York. I usually help with kitchen clean-up but was busy taking photos and keeping up with the little one. This is a quick shot taken of Randy, Siena and I just after they arrived.

Casa Garden 1 year

I started working at the Casa one year ago. Here are some pictures I took then.

This is the Spanky garden and the Story Circle a year ago.

And today, a year later...lots of color for February. Same clouds tho :)

Casa Garden Shed

I have now moved into my new garden shed at the Casa. A scout built it for his Eagle Scout project. He said is the second largest project an Eagle scout has done in Orange County. The shed is a beauty! I store garden tools, fertilizer, pots, volunteer notes and sign up sheets...

Isn't the door cool! It totally compliments the Casa.

Here it is looking from the butterfly garden area.

Butterfly's

OK, I am really into butterfly's right now. I took these photos today day with all butterfly stages in and around the Casa gardens. I am having so much fun sharing my finds with everyone.

1. Caterpillars all over the Milkweed. I could see a dozen within a small area.

2. Monarch caterpillar forming into the pupa, or chrysalis. They crawl across sidewalks-I warn everyone who is walking and working around the butterfly garden to watch out for them. Then the caterpillar climbs up a wall to hang while in pupa stage.

3. The pupa hanging from a trellis.

4. The adult emerged and drying its wings. See the empty 'white' pupa below the butterfly.

Casa workday

There is never a typical work day at the Casa. My volunteers and me have gathered mountains of garden trimmings that need to be chipped and composted. I rounded up a local tree trimming company that has done work for the Casa in past years. Rod's Tree Service agreed to volunteer his services to clean up my huge piles of garden trimmings. I was dissappointed they couldn't chip it up and put it in my compost bin-too many weeds and material that would ruin their blades. So they hauled many wheelbarrow full to the green waste. Would I ever love to have that crew for a few hours a week!

Fried Egg Poppy

The Native Garden at the Casa before.

The (purple) Mexican Sage and (white) Matilija Poppy are showing off now.

Close up of the poppy, see where it gets its nickname?

Casa Spanky Garden

Here is a photo of the Spanky garden in January, my first day working at the Casa.

This was taken today, May 20. The plants need to grow and I will add more as the poppies fade.

Fun plants for children like, Lion's Tail, Black and Blue Salvia, Sunflowers...

Butterfly Garden

This is what the butterfly garden looked like when I started working at the Casa. It was a weed patch and the docents would not take visitors there.

This is the other side of the doorway that leads out to the butterfly garden.

And now, a full view that combines the two previous photos. The only new planting I did was roses. You can't see them in this photo. Just lots of weeding, fertilizer and transplanting yucca and the like out and butterfly plants in.

Grandchildren in the gardens

Aubrey and Garrett came for a quick overnighter.

We packed as much adventure we could in their stay.

I had some small tomato plants ready to put in my herb garden. They really were not sure what Grandma was asking them to do but they seemed to be fascinated with the digger and worms in the soil.

I worked a couple of hours at the Casa while Grandpa took them to the beach. I waved to them down by the pier where they played in the sand and on the swings.

Then they came up to the Casa for a fun tour through the gardens.

I loved showing them the ladybugs and they let them crawl on their arms. When a ladybug flew away they looked up like watching a balloon fly away. It was so cute.

Looking up toward the Casa from the ocean, the children are enjoying exploring the gardens.

Casa Fountain

The long awaited fountain at the entrance of the Casa was finished. I coordinated the planting of the garden around it.

Garden club members, Mike and I worked all day planting and moving 5 cubic yards of compost!

Finished and looking awesome!

Children's story area

These steps lead to ??? and the stone path needs a destination.

Couldn't resist a self photo as I study the areas. Is this a dream place to be working or not!

My new garden playground

Today was my first day as Head Gardener at the Casa. It was a really busy one, setting up my office, meeting with the Director, Jan. We have started an extensive list.

Spent a lot of time inside but I did walk the gardens, ID areas for next weeks volunteers to work and took photos.

This is the driveway entrance. Looking to add some color around the sign.

The front of the Casa in relationship to the entrance sign.

The Courtyard, inside the front door.

My office and more gardens

OK, this isn't marble but you couldn't even find the desk before I spent the morning organizing and cleaning up the room. An Eagle scout will be building shelves soon and I will get a file cabinet etc.

The support from the staff and board members that I saw today was wonderful.

Just another awesome view from the amphitheater garden area.

There are so many different garden areas!

Inside the courtyard - a cactus garden area

The native garden bluff overlooking Serenity point