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This pair is obviously the hardiest of all!

Extended dry periods result in so much heartbreaking loss for gardeners. I've had experience with that many times over the years as our dry seasons can be particularly harsh sometimes.

Love these succulents, especially when they're flowering. I have a couple of babies here and I'm waiting for see their arched flowering spike. They're commonly called "Swan Necks" here.

Beautiful!

I have to continually pull off sections once the growing tips reach the shadecloth roof of the shade house. Otherwise they will push up and through the shade cloth.

I've given away a lot of these sections to other gardeners.

Great to see the spike, our bird bath just has a small lump on it....

Happy New Year to you too Klahanie, and let's all hope for a good weather gardening year too.

Thank you for your good wishes for 2025 Bernie. I hope it holds many good things for you and everyone.

It’s definitely been a very mild winter so far. Hopefully, it’ll stay like this through February.

Wow! I think that’s the way they grow in nature. I know once established Philodendrons can take over and get very huge.

My philodendron ‘Brasil’ hits the ground then grows up the house, while sticking to the house wall like ivy. Ugh! It’s been doing this since 2010. I always cut it way back.
I think I’ve finally gotten smart 😂, and am going to move the pot to the ground and have it trail up the pole.

During Comicon in July, typically the weather can be quite warm to hot depending on the monsoonal flow. It is a fun place to go, even if you just stay outside the Convention Center.

Beautiful amaryllis. When and how do you feed it Wylie?

Weather channel does say 39f. Up here we are 100-120% of rain. Its been weeks since i touched the hose. Even then it was for the potted plants. Everything seems a bit different. Aloes have budded stems,and the usual winter look is not there with many plants. Supposed to be sunny and 65f all next week. The oldest Mango looks fine and like a tree now.
I should post some pics. Haven't done that on any site for months.

I've never seen a double one before.

The seed pods are swelling on 'Gervase', so I should have some seeds to try.

My daughter has visited San Diego a couple of times for the Comicon events and loved the atmosphere there, along with the sunshine!

Agreed ... :o))

Fungi is a fairly common sight around our place when the rains arrive and I mostly spot them around or on tree stumps. Usually they're smaller than this one though.

Yes, they both love growing up the poles that support the shade house structure. I've even planted them both in pots out there but they will still send out new vines in search of the poles!

Is the pink Syngonium and Philodendrons growing up a pole?

I have a green, orange, red tinged leaf philodendron growing up my shade structure pole and Philodendron ‘Brasil’ growing down another, but I just read it prefers to trail up.

I did see lows in the 30’s there earlier this week. My friends were telling about frost everywhere on New Year’s Eve morning. But, I’ve noticed overall it’s been mild and relatively warm during the daytime there.

We haven’t had a low below 47 degrees here, so far. Yesterday it was 80 degrees here and 70 degrees in downtown SD.

We’re getting very concerned about rain, so far only .14 of an inch of rain here. It’s so extremely dry. I’m watering almost every day. Ugh! Water rates went up another 8 percent on the first.

I think I’m going to do it, because I don’t like many plants indoors. I have very few plants indoors because they get lots of bugs.

Yes, the miraculen in the fruit creates the sensation of sweet from sour foods. It’s pretty miraculous.

Shirley tulip,

- 7 c is very cold.

It’s not very unusual to have an 80 degree or much hotter temperature in January, here in San Diego. 😎

Lovely, happy new year all :-))

That's beautiful Karen! A Happy New Year to you..x

Not the nicest way to start the new year.
Agree with Seaburn.
When that happened to us with cows which have even bigger feet, I filled the marks with soil and let the grass grow through. Never was really level but better than nothing.

Thanks Klahanie and Linda. She was a most welcome visitor.

I'm loving the fact you have 80 degrees compared to the minus 7 recorded in Oxford, England earlier this morning!

I had to learn more about this plant so Googles it. How interesting to learn that the berry can make sour fruits tastes sweet, no wonder it has it's name!

Klahanie, thanks for the Happy new year wishes. I hope you have a great year ahead.

Karen, I hope you have a wonderful year. Enjoy your garden and make sure you 'Stop and stare' too! Lovely Daphne as well.

It's stunning. I saw some unusual Fungii growing on fallen logs recently. The logs were used as an edging to stop cars parking on the nearby lawn and were very effective.

Thanks Bernie, I wish the very same to you.

I love your cat, a very noble name too! The Hippeastrum is something special.

Yes it certainly is, I couldn't open the recycling bin lid earlier and outdoors is far too cold to be out so it's an 'Indoor Day' here ... keep lovely and warm Rose.

It is a long time since we have had a really cold winter Shirley.
A shock to the system !

An ice spike is a natural phenomenon where water trapped beneath a frozen surface is forced upwards through a small opening, freezing as it exits and creating a pointed ice formation that looks like an icicle growing vertically from the water source; this typically happens in small containers like bird baths when temperatures drop rapidly.

Great photo and what a beautiful bird.

That would be an interesting experiment...

Happy New Year, Jane. All the best in 2025.

It sounds like our soil and dry climate have similarities. Although, in your driest year is still not as dry as here. Also, you’re lucky your wet season is in summer, here it’s in winter (even though the very hot, dry Santa Ana winds happen from late September through April or sometimes into early May). Most people (from colder climates) cannot understand the Santa Ana’s and how it’s starts during late autumn and winter how it can get so hot in winter.

I read in the Los Angeles area crotons are more drought tolerant than in San Diego. It’s because their soil has more clay and is so much better than here.

Yes, especially when there’s so many flowers.

I’m not sure if this Medinilla species can grow outside here. I may have to experiment with one plant.

Happy New Year Jane! I hope you are soon recovered from your fall.

So sorry you have lost so many friends Seaburn.
I hope 2025 is better for you and will only have your garden to do!
I had to smile when Toria said " if you fancied it!"
They are lucky to have you and hope they appreciate what you have done for them.

A very Happy New Year to you and yours Karen x

happy New Year.

That is such a shame. I'd be tempted to use a fork at the furthest point away from the house. walk backwards and gently fork the dip up to even it out. then dont walk on it until the ground is nicely dried out.
Rolling it, even if you could/wanted to, would compress the soil all over and lead to drainage problems possibly.

happy new year to you too.
Our eldest used to live in Shropshire for a while. lovely county.

Happy New Year, Jane. We have lovely friends who live in Shropshire and simply love it. They have mentioned how beautiful it's been looking over Christmas.

Thank you, and Happy New Year to you Klahanie :)