Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Early Taste of Springtime. At least, in my house.

Springtime in the San Fernando Valley can be elusive. I like to describe our weather like this: on a normal year, we have 6 months of hellishly hot weather, followed by three months of smoky, hellishly hot weather (thank you, wildfires,) followed by a month of extremely windy, hellishly hot weather, followed by a month and a half of overcast, surprisingly chilly days. If it's an El Nino year, make that a month and a half of flash floods. Spring, then, is a dreamy blink of an eye that lasts as long as it takes the blooms of the Jacaranda to appear and then drop in a rain of purple flowers.

I love Springtime and always try to prolong it's visit here by trying to grow things year round in my kitchen garden window. Most of the year is a failure for everything except basil, my aloe, and a few other things that seem to thrive in the heat. This year, that included a little pot of bell peppers I grew from seed. I don't know if it was the pot, or the soil, or the seeds, but none of them got bigger than a golf ball.

The El Nino rains also brought my usually brown and dry back patio to life: lavendar, nasturtium and Oxalis Shamrocks are growing like weeds. Which two of them are. But still. Nothing is blooming yet, it's still too early. At Imbolc I brought in some clippings to Spring the joint up a bit.

What a change it made to my mood, to be surrounded by lovely green things. Happy Springtime to you, whenever it gets there!



7 comments:

jaz@octoberfarm said...

it sure looks different in your neck of the woods!!!

Lynelle said...

Jaz, you have no idea. Los Angeles is like another planet sometimes!

Allan said...

Someone has a Spring in her step! Erm.
Love the pictures.

Rue said...

Pretty green things! Although I do not envy you the intense heat, I am wishing I had green and flowering things outside my window. Soon though...

Cute little peppers!

2MaK said...

Yeah, still a winter wonderland here, but getting there!

Wendy said...

I'm right up the coast from you in Newbury Park and I know exactly what you're talking about w/ the dry and dusty weather . It's so lovely to see pics. of your house and I just get such a warm feeling looking at all the cozy earth mother stardust you use : )

Lynelle said...

Thank you Cat Priestess! Your comment left me all warm and fuzzy inside!