AT HOME
My companion at home (and traveling in my R.V) is my 16-year-old cat.
His official name, given by his owner the first year of his life, is Trouble.
That's a real misnomer, as he's no trouble at all. Most of the time I
call him Sweetie Pie. Our friend Ron, who often travels with us in the
R.V., has more or less renamed him Leroy.
In the foreground to the right is a Container Garden
in the side yard of our home beyond which gladiolas, dahlias, and
petunias can be seen through the gate between the side yard and back
yard. The picture was taken in July of 2002 from the steps of the
sunroom (enclosed side porch).
To the left of the container group in the previous picture just
across the footpath are these containers on benches I made surrounding
the trunk of the pine tree. Fuschias at the top, begonias, ferns, and
containers with mixtures of flowers are featured.
A closeup two of the begonias. This picture was taken
in late August, 2002.
This picture of the container bench garden was taken in early March of
2003.
Below right is a closeup of the Yellow cymbidium on the far side of the
bench in the March 2003 photo.
The pink cymbidium at the left was taken at the same time on the bench
just to the right of the yellow one.
The view to the left looks down on the back garden from the
deck just outside the master bedroom.
This view is taken near the base of the stairs down from
that deck looking to the left across the garden. Both pictures were
taken in July of 2002.
The view to the left looks to the right across the back
garden from a point near the gate from the side yard and below the
master bedroom deck.
The shrub to the right is a Banksia ericifolia,
an Australian native named after Joseph Banks on Captain Cook's first
voyage.
Here is a large flower of that Banksia Each flower is
typically about 5 or 6 inches tall and 3 inches in diameter.
These freesias were picked from my garden in the spring
of 2002. I have flower arrangements from my gardens in the house
nearly all the time, usually several.
This is the bay window in my living room, with flowers from
my gardens on the window ledge and an autumn arrangement of plastic veggies
on the table below. The purple on either side are Mexican sage from the
back yard. The cymbidium orchids grow in a large pot next to my front
door and many sprays bloom over a period of at least half a year over
each winter. The cut flowers last at least two weeks in a vase in the
window.
This is a closeup of the cybidium orchid spray shown in the
center vase in the picture above.
These five orchid plants are on a shelf in the sunroom.
Below are two closeups of one spike of blooms on the plant at
the far left. The genus is Zygopetalum, and is fragrant as well as beautiful.
It bloomed between from before Thanksgiving to just after Christmas in
2002.
To the right is a photo of 3 dark red orchids on the plant at
the right end of the five plants. This one bloomed about New Year's,
2003.
Below are pictures taken in spring of 2003. First is one of purple freesias.
I had some lovely tulips in bloom this spring. 
Our coastal climate is so warm I kept the bulbs in a crisper in my refrigerator
for 8 weeks before planting them. 
I think it was worth the effort.
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