Ruby Ficus as sun sets...

Really beautiful colour on this ficus, Stan; enhanced only by the lovely Californian sunshine. Lucky you! We’re having rain, rain, rain...

Stan,

It's looking really good. The really hot weather is coming back to San Diego starting tomorrow. Ugh!

No rain here yet Kate. Just perpetual spring temps.
So far Andy,70-74f all month and long range here. Could be worse,SF not getting over 63f. The papaya made it to 18" from the seedling it was in spring. Mango tree's look fine...production was not good at all. Next year. Still two small ones on the tree.

When I was in the SF Bay Area in early October it was really hot there, in the 80's and 90's the whole week.

It was really hot here for most of October, it's cooling down a little in the morning;however, it's still pretty warm to hot during the daytime.

The mango trees here are putting out flower spikes, already. I think it's the hot and dry weather that's initiating the flower spikes.

The weather-climate is getting more..unusual by the year. On youtube Andy,a guy is growing Plumeria in ground in Modesto..and they are small tree's..thick trunks. Modesto!
Kate..I would say Plumeria in Modesto would be as likely as in the UK. THATS how rare this is..and for them to be large shrubs/small tree's..wow.

Stan,

Modesto is much, much hotter than the UK. I know mango trees are sometimes grown out there. The secret would be to keep their roots relatively dry in winter.

I meant about as common. This is the ONLY Plumeria like that in the valley..well,I do watch one other guy who also in Fresno has had one out in ground a 2 or 3 winters now.
Those Modesto Plumeria..were hefty.
I think they were in very sandy soil.
We had a second weekend old farm type home in Lathrop when I was a kid,and it had very sandy soils. At least in that area was very fast drainage.

I saw several in the ground and in pots when I was staying in Santa Clara last month. I was really surprised! Although, I think Santa Clara has a perfect climate and superb soil!

The years since a hard frost are adding up. I would say 2007 was the last time it was cold enough to take down planted Plumerias. I remember the base of a very fat trunked Jade plant I have outdoors turned black right at ground level. But,I don't remember losing anything at a weeks worth of one 30f and a few almost as cold mornings.
So far still low 70's..here...rain for the whole state they say by next weekend.

Wow! I can't believe jade would be affected. In 1990 I know some which were badly burned; however, others weren't even fazed!

The weather here has been very crazy here! It was in the 90's here last Saturday through Monday, then in the mid-80's on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday evening it was in the 70's and pouring rain! We had 2.5 inches of rain here and some places had 4.5 inches of rain around San Diego County (and not in the mountains, either). Today the high was only 66 degrees! BRRR!

The mango trees here are flowering, it's really bad timing for rain, for mango flowers, anyway. We so desperately need the rain, though.

No hot days,no cold days and no rain here. Sunny. Just real solid run of 68f or so weather. The cooler nights mean I'm not watering any where's close to say Sept these days here in the bay area.
I've been doing home projects..lots of painting, and lots caulking gaps in boards..and toilet bowl handles-lol..and more to go.
I'm not sure if I posted photos of my backyard on GOY lately.
It has that..indoor into outdoors leisure...lol..as Sunset used to call the California look.

Stan,

OMG! The dreaded home projects! lol!

I know it's been drier up there than here. There's a huge storm which will be moving in Wednesday, it may last through the weekend. The forecast is for 2.8 - 4.5 inches of rain around San Diego County coast and inland areas...8 plus inches for the mountains. It's turning out to be a good rainy season.

My kid in laws went to Disneyland for T day and it rained. When they went in summer they cut it short since Anaheim was like 105f in the day and hot at night.
The storm door opened in the bay area. No more leaves to rake or blow..the storms emptied the Ash tree and took everything away.
Now,its..will the croton PETRA take a second winter?