Hyacinth, Blooms in early Spring, Smells Great

This beautiful flower blooms annually, and that means, that if they are successful the first time around, if everything goes right, they should bloom again, the following year.  Many flowers are annuals,why not plant annuals?  So you don't have to go and buy more seeds, or flowers.  In addition some annuals spread themselves, and you might find more in your garden than you planned.  

My mother planted these Hyacinth and they are gorgeous.  Every year they get bigger, and smell better.

Hyacinths and fairy.

Pink Hyacinth, a very fragrant annual flower.

Pink Hyacinth, so lovely and fragrant.

Cut Hyacinth in a vase.

Daphne Bouquet.

I made a bouquet of Daphne recently and I love this flower so much.   I know I go on and on about it.  It's a perfect winter flower.  It's actually a big bush, and blooms quite a lot.

Daphne is beautiful and smells even better.

Bouquet of Daphne in a antique bottle.

Red Robins, Redding, California

We had a water leak in the front yard recently and the red robins were the ones that made us aware that it was there.  They kept gathering at this one spot for a day or two, not one or two birds but several at a time.  I took these picture, before scaring them off. I think I took the photo from indoors.  

These photos were taken before all the rain.  Luckily it has been raining lots this past few days, and hopefully enough to save the birds as there has been a shortage of water.

Red robins gather at the street for a water leak. 

Red Robins, probably noticing a shortage of water this year.

Red Robins, Shasta County

Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum

Recently we went to the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.  It had been some time since I had visited and I missed it.  I went with my cousins kids.  They really enjoyed it.  The Dr. Seuss Art exhibit is going on thru April 15th, and I highly recommend it.  The exhibit is interesting, fun for the children and his art work is amazing.  There is a reading area for the children.

In addition there is a fly fishing expedition going on thru April 15, 2012 also.  That was not my favorite part of the exhibit, but none the less interesting, and the children seemed to enjoy that one more than me.  Perhaps they enjoy fishing, more than I.  Or perhaps they never had a fish hook caught in their neck, like me, when I was a kid.  Yes, that could be it. :-) There is so much to do at turtle bay I could write an essay here about it.

You should visit the site yourself and see what they have to offer.  The museum and exploration park are right next to the Sundial bridge. Don't expect there to be refreshments besides a drinking fountain. There used to be a cafe there also, but is out of business AGAIN.  That should be the most successful cafe in town, but for some reason or another, every owner has failed to make it profitable.  Big changed coming to the museum and the cafe when the Sheraton comes to town so you might visit the museum now, while it's in it's original state.  

Here are a few pictures from our trip.   Enjoy!

Bird Exhibit, feed and interact with birds.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit ends April 15.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit, Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Dr. Seuss Classic.

Fresh water fish at the aquarium at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Fresh water fish in the aquarium, Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Dr. Seuss Art Exhibit.

The fox at the Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Little hand and more Dr. Seuss writings.

Here is  a link to Turtle Bay Exploration Park's website.

They have events and all kinds of activities for children.  It's a wonderful place for people of all ages.

Turtle Bay Exploration Park and Museum

Naked Ladies bloomed and gone again.

My favorite, the naked lady, these beautiful flowers are just amazing.  So light and pink and a volunteer flower, that is just beautiful.  

Now we have them in two locations in the yard and quite abundant.  They are also known as belladonna lily, the naked lady, amarillo and amaryllis.

Lovely Lavendar Roses

I drive by these rose bushes often near an apartment building.  The bushes are really tall and they look fairly old.  

These are a beautiful light lavender color.  I am not sure what type of rose they are.  They are beautiful and they smell very fragrant also.  

Gardenia's in the Garden Tract, Shasta County

This flower is a beautiful bright white, and smells absolutely fabulous.  You can smell the fragrant as you walk by.  It had so many blooms this year it was amazing.  These were taken in July and the plant still has some blooms on it.

Our favorite thing to do is have mini vases filled with a few of these in a room.  You will never need to buy air freshener again.

Gardenias grow well in Redding.

Gardenia

Flowered gardenia and budding gardenia.

Hollyhock Volunteer in Redding, California

Pink Hollyhock flower.

Hollyhock volunteer flower in Redding, California.

My Mom took this photograph.  :-)

For two years now this pink hollyhock volunteer has been growing by the white picket fence.

A volunteer plant, means a seed came along via the wind or something and planted itself.

I love this flower and I love the fact that we didn't ask for it.

Garden Hebs, Shasta County

This year I decided to plant some herbs to cook with.  I planted English thyme, Italian parsley, and some regular Thyme.  I had some chives which were already growing in a tiny clay pot for a couple years.  Also oregano, which was in the same clay pot, but  I replanted this year, to be with the parsley and oregano and it seems to be doing much better.   

Thyme, chives, oregano, and Italian parsley.

Italian parsley growing in a pot.

I absolutely love having the fresh herbs on hand to cook with.  They are great for adding to a sautee of vegetables, or roasting a chicken with herbs and garlic.

Hibiscus in Redding and Shasta County

  

Hibiscus is a beautiful flower and plant.  I love the white ones, and the purple ones for that matter.  The neighbor has a bush which has been formed into a tree, and the flowers are up above.  My mother's is more like a bush.  Not quite as old as the neighbors, his tree must be 30+ years old.

Hibiscus is popular because it attracts bees and butterflies, also you may be more familiar with hibiscus as a tea.  There are hundreds of varieties of the hibiscus flowers, and bush.

The hibiscus prefers a warmer climate.  This is the technical name for this type of hibiscus, Hibiscus syriacus.

 

 

Hibiscus in Redding, California.

This year, right before the purple hibiscus bloomed, I stepped out the door, and I smelled coconut.   I could not figure out where the scent was coming from.  As it turns out it was the Hibiscus!  

Hibiscus syriacus and Tonka truck.

Tigerlilies in Shasta County, Redding, California

These tiger lilies bloom every year in the back yard and they are beautiful.    I was looking on some sites, and they are an actual wildflower that grows quite easily in ditches throughout America.  They do well in moist soil, thus the natural propagation in ditches.  

They also have medicinal qualities which I did not know about.  Apparently they can aid with congestion,  and the nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy.

Roses in Shasta county, Redding.

Fuschia Rose

My mother has beautiful roses, they are continually blooming it seems, and she has a wide variety of different types and colors of roses. 

Pink White Rose after rain.

Orange Rose and Chives.

Tropicana Rose