Sun-Flower
Seedling
We grew sun-flowers this year from the seeds found in a bird-feed packet. Soaked them for a couple of days in water until the sprouts showed up. Then planted them in moist soil during winter rain and protected the seedlings from slugs by putting a cut cylinder of water bottle around it. Now after about 4 months we have 15-20 sun-flower plants ready to bloom. They attract a number of pollinators. I hope that will be good for near-by tomato plants.
These roses are very hardy – tolerant to infrequent watering and do not attract aphids or fungal diseases common in other roses. Excellent for California spring/summer.
6/28/2008
There are some wild parrots in our area. They are usually perched on the high tree tops in the mornings and the evenings. Quite a boisterous couple. You can see one of them hiding behind the leaves.
They are atleast 1 foot long in size. It is easy to spot them once they are in the area.
If I am correct, these parrots are on the list of endangered species. They are called Yellow Headed Amazon parrots based on the California Parrot Project. You can click on the link for California Parrot Project to find more details.
5/18/2009
This morning I saw them just outside our home. Two of them again, making a lot of noise.
