And we're off.....

So, a New Year and new beginnings have already started, everywhere you look, in the garden and in politics, in all places of the world. But let's stick with the plants. Now that the rains have come, and gone, and come again, the garden is secretly waking up, in it''s wondrous ways. The tiny Lupinus pilosus, one of Israel's native splendors, it pushing it's sleepy way up through some fallen Oak foliage. You can almost hear it stretching upon awakening from a long nap. The winter garden seems to have alot more life here now than it does at home during this time of year. The days have fluctuated from around 50degrees to 65degrees, not bad for a January day, especially with all of the snow everyone else has been getting..

And on the Fourth Day, Forsythia was created...

A quiet morning around the lake, made mystical by the fluffy seedheads of Arundo donax.The gardens are a stopover to many birds, but sometimes they enjoy so much they stay awhile.This is the resident Cormorant, which is a sea bird that dives under the water to catch fish. It will dive under in one spot and come up a good distance away, gulping the fish down upon surfacing. This bird then stands on a rock with wings outstretched, slowly flapping them back and forth, to let the warmth of the sun dry him off.

The paths of the garden are most visible in their crossing pattern.In the South African section you have the Aloe species all starting to bloom and erupt with organge spikes.


The red hued Sedum x rubrotinctum, due to the winter temperature, against the silver Gazania nivea, and the purple gray Plectranthus sp.

Another wonderful native plant is the Crown anemone, Anemone coronaria, which is protected and is not allowed to picked in the wild. Here in all her glory, a brilliant red screaming out to any passerby to be looked at.

And here are the cultivated flowers for sale on the streets here, in a handmade vase from a Jerusalem potter.

Even though it has been warm in Jerusalem, I still need the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv once in a while, and the warmer weather here is an added bonus. While walking through the neighborhoods, I came across this Poinsettia tree/shrub. So large, it had to be admired.

Bauhaus architecture and ornamental trunks.

Work has been so hard, a little relaxing time on the beach was needed. Ok, relaxing on the beach is always needed, one can't help it.

I hope that this year is as sunny and beautiful is it has been for me so far........