Ch-ch-changes | Autumn Colors

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
Ch-ch-changes…

Sing it, David Bowie!

We all fell back last night and gained an hour. For me, It’s always a bit of an unsettling feeling for about a week or so until I get used to it.

More ch-ch-changes…

Did you know that certain trees in Southern California DO change color and lose leaves in autumn?

This is my fruit-bearing mulberry.

The leaves morph into a sunny, vibrant yellow.

Green and yellow against a blue sky.

My garden doesn’t boast any maples that turn red, but these ch-ch-changes mark the hands of time; another autumn, another winter approaching, another year almost over and finished.

Ch-ch-Changes
Pretty soon you’re gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can’t trace time

Silver Shield: Graceful But Hardy Native From Australia

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

A long, graceful spire of lilac-hued florets.

Multiple flowering spikes.

Jagged sage-like leaves. Lovely for height and texture.

I cut this one back severely, and it’s just starting to grow again. Look at thick trunk; it almost looks like a tree.

More fence-line plantings. The leaves of the mulberry tree are turning yellow and falling.
I need to rake them up and add to the compost bin.

Native to Australia, drought-tolerant Plectranthus argentatus.

I found this plant in our neighborhood on one of our walks to the beach. I surreptitiously snapped off a small piece to experiment with propagation. Lo and behold, it started to grow immediately. That was about ten years ago, and now my entire yard is ringed with Silver Shields, and I’ll share a cutting with anyone who likes them. They are super hardy, beyond easy to grow, and just need to be cut back because of a tendency to spread and get leggy,

It’s raining now and the garden is loving it. Happy Sunday!

Flowering Mulberry Tree — Photos

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Even in SoCal, fruit trees go through the whole process of dropping leaves in the fall, staying dormant through our mild winter, and spring is the time for budding, flowering, and fruit development.

This is our uber-prolific mulberry tree with fresh new leaves and unique flowers.

As the new leaves develop in mid-spring, tiny male and female flowers hang on separate small, slender, inconspicuous spikes. The male cluster is longer, the female rounder.

It’s been unseasonably warm — almost ninety degrees!! — and I think that’s what is causing an early flowering.