Before Halloween I took a few photos of whatever caught my eye, starting with the whale’s tongue agave in the tractor-rim planter. Hello, gorgeous!
Somebody is watching me from the far end of the Berkeley sedge lawn.
Hello, deer. Oh, and the Wheeler’s sotol that replaced the ‘Green Goblet’ agave (killed by Snowpocalypse) is getting some size on it and looking good. Another bonus: bucks don’t bother rubbing their antlers on a sotol’s flexible leaves. No more agave caging required!
In the back garden, this potted squid agave needed more than a year to recover from its near-death experience during Snowpocalypse. But it finally did. I’m glad I found the patience to give it time to look a little slumpy and sad. I waited, pruning off the lower arms that turned brown, and eventually it perked up. Back to full squid glory! Firecracker fern and foxtail fern add low, soft texture around it.
I acquired this replacement ‘Monterrey Frost’ squid agave after losing a big one to Snowpocalypse. It’s one of my favorite agaves for bright shade.
Near the Circle Garden, ‘Fireworks’ gomphrena adds purple-pink globes.
And in the lower garden, the blue-bottle “ocotillo” seems to wave at a pair of bristling Yucca rostrata.
The back of the house as seen from the lower garden steps. I don’t often photograph from this viewpoint.
Up on the sunny deck, another squid agave — an old one that barely survived Snowpocalypse — basks in the sun. Its companions are a spineless prickly pear and cascading ghost plant thriving in the squid’s shade.
Inside, a fall bouquet with a few squash and mini pumpkins glows with rich fall color. I’m looking forward to cooler weather soon that reflects the season, predicted for Friday — a drop from 82F to 61F for the high temps. Bring it!
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