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![Dirty Girl tomatoes](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_85d7f5227c134d78b0256e141347ecc7~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_85d7f5227c134d78b0256e141347ecc7~mv2.webp)
Dirty Girl tomatoes
Here are our first ripening Dirty Girl tomatoes! It's always exciting to see your own food grow. And so easy to do this in a container...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_c5eed07ad42b43728c4edb9575bc2495~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_c5eed07ad42b43728c4edb9575bc2495~mv2.webp)
![More food for the bees](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_c5eed07ad42b43728c4edb9575bc2495~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_c5eed07ad42b43728c4edb9575bc2495~mv2.webp)
More food for the bees
We now have another buckwheat plant for the backyard, the lovely Eriogonum fasciculatum Warriner Lytle buckwheat. It is said to be an...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_1045a46e0d144d66871a464100bb3af2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_1045a46e0d144d66871a464100bb3af2~mv2.webp)
![Umber skipper's delight](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_1045a46e0d144d66871a464100bb3af2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_1045a46e0d144d66871a464100bb3af2~mv2.webp)
Umber skipper's delight
What fun to observe the umber skipper flitting from flower to flower in the backyard. First I saw it sipping on nectar from the orange...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_509f545d69fc4e49a4e5497613481f1f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,lg_1,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_509f545d69fc4e49a4e5497613481f1f~mv2.webp)
![Anna's Hummingbirds](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_509f545d69fc4e49a4e5497613481f1f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_183,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_509f545d69fc4e49a4e5497613481f1f~mv2.webp)
Anna's Hummingbirds
I discovered this fascinating book yesterday, and will be reading it. Terry Maeser, the author, has been rescuing injured Anna's...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_bc92e300cb7f4e1da6474dce1ff199b8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_bc92e300cb7f4e1da6474dce1ff199b8~mv2.webp)
![Leaf cutter female bee and the first cosmos flower](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_bc92e300cb7f4e1da6474dce1ff199b8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_bc92e300cb7f4e1da6474dce1ff199b8~mv2.webp)
Leaf cutter female bee and the first cosmos flower
The first cosmos flowers are blooming in the backyard. And on a day when the sun barely appeared, the bright colors of the flowers stood...
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![Point Reyes coast, California](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_37700f2609614896b4875eb77d265ff4~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_37700f2609614896b4875eb77d265ff4~mv2.webp)
Point Reyes coast, California
On the trail to the beach in Point Reyes, there were many fields of wildflowers, and even in the foggy cool weather, there were bees at...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_0f52da04622b4b748f81e40831f7bb6c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_0f52da04622b4b748f81e40831f7bb6c~mv2.webp)
![Plum season!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_0f52da04622b4b748f81e40831f7bb6c~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_0f52da04622b4b748f81e40831f7bb6c~mv2.webp)
Plum season!
We are in the midst of plum season. Many branches of our neighbors' plum tree hang over the fence and are laden with fruit. Fortunately,...
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![The umber skippers and Shasta daisies](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_6c89b66c25d54157b36048f099e62fd8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_6c89b66c25d54157b36048f099e62fd8~mv2.webp)
The umber skippers and Shasta daisies
Here's one of the friendly umber skippers that are always visiting the garden. They seem to really love the Shasta daisy nectar because...
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![Bees and the yellow monkey flowers](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_9d72145b128f4c4ca4d27c35b63f10bd~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_9d72145b128f4c4ca4d27c35b63f10bd~mv2.webp)
Bees and the yellow monkey flowers
The money flower plant is growing quite rapidly and producing more and more blossoms. The flowers are very beautiful on this particular...
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_cf39e799791c4c529a3206ee765b0a98~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/1eb7ff_cf39e799791c4c529a3206ee765b0a98~mv2.webp)
![Bees and the flowers](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1eb7ff_cf39e799791c4c529a3206ee765b0a98~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_312,h_234,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/1eb7ff_cf39e799791c4c529a3206ee765b0a98~mv2.webp)
Bees and the flowers
We do have many native plants for the bees, but they do like roses, too. Here is a honey bee collecting nectar and pollen from one of our...