Autumn Splendor

 Those regular inhabitants of the Bay Area know that autumn can often bring us our nicest weather and our gardens are often beneficiaries of that late in the year warmth. If one happens to have plants that are late summer and fall bloomers, those gardens can often shine right now, while gardens in colder climates are starting to wind down.

Today's photos gave a taste of that autumn splendor, with flowers and foliage alike shining. 

Arum dioscoridis. If this spathe looks sort of familiar, that's because it looks a lot like those of several Arisaemas. Both belong to the Arum family so there's the explanation. I waited 3 years for this first spathe so it's cigars for everyone!

It's still small but this Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria angustifolia) is making steady growth.

I wasn't sure it would work, growing flowers out of the side opening on my hedgehog planter but have no fear. Success.

Monardella odoratissima. Though this form of Coyote mint is hard to find, it has proven to be an amazing bloomer. Butterflies love it of course but so do bees. And that scent is so lovely.

Punica granatum Dwarf. This dwarf pomegranate has been a real joy, blooming while still young and even producing a few fruits (though it is considered an ornamental).

Oxalis latifolia. This beautiful shamrock oxalis provides a nice splash of color in my dry garden bed.

My cat Phoebe on the prowl. "Here, mousey, mousey!"

Here's a side angle view of my dry garden bed. The large plant in the right front is an Aloe striata.

It took a couple of years to get established but my Grevillea Superb is off and running.

Hesperoyucca whipplei. Formerly known as Yucca whipplei, this guy's upright spines are not yet deadly. Love that steel blue color.

Aloe rooikappie. This South African aloe is a prolific bloomer.

Thunbergia battiscombei. The so-called 'blue thunbergia' is just getting going, blooming wise. Less of a vine than most Thunbergia, it forms a scandent bush.

Correa species Orange. This Aussie native is a reliable bloomer, putting out a great many small tubular orange flowers in the fall.

Nothing says 'red' like the flowers on a Bouvardia ternifolia! Hummers love them!

My favorite new succulent, this Kalanchoe tubiflora has little tubes at the ends of each branch.

It took forever but my Duranta Gold Mound is now fully established and has, in fact, outgrown its intended size of 4-6'.

The jury is still out on whether this plectranthus is P. oertendahlii or something else. I love the silver patterning on the leaves.

My Begonia Irene Nuss went crazy this year with a bevy of pink-flowering clusters. Happy, happy!

At the other end of the spectrum, I've never been able to make my Begonia luxuriens happy. And it has yet to bloom, though most grow this palm-leaf begonia for its foliage.

There was no variety name tag in this pot of Agastache so not sure of its ID. No matter. Very pretty..

Median strip #1. I've planted out all three median strips in front of our property, each with a combination of plants in the ground and in pots.

The phoenix. My Berberis Orange Rocket was all but dead when I pruned it back hard, moved it into more sun and fed it. It's bounced back gloriously!

Lobelia and Cushion bush. These guys were great choices for filling in a small spot. Neither will get big and I think they complement each other.

Cunonia capensis. The so-called Butterknife tree puts out these fuzzy bottlebrush-like blooms in late summer. Wonderful!

Lepechinia hastata (Pitcher sage). Almost the perfect plant - tough, beautiful, long blooming, with fragrant foliage.

My Azalea Court Jester seems to be a fall blooming variety. It doesn't get started until August.

Calaminthes nepetoides. This relative of catmint, sometimes called calamint, puts on an impressive blooming show in late summer.

Neoregelia 'Marcon.' One nice thing about bromeliads is that they're interesting year round. That's because it's the foliage that's the star attraction.

Begonia Gryphon. This hybrid begonia has yet to bloom in its first 6 years but no matter, it has such interesting foliage.

Here's  closeup of a panicle of Begonia Irene Nuss flowers.

Though not the best photo - the flower isn't in perfect focus - my Haemanthus albiflos was still worth including. A much more reliable bloomer than it's Blood lily species mate H. coccineus, it blooms faithfully each year.

This eye-catching new fern (Phlebosia Nicolas Diamond) is said to be  cross of two fern genera - Phlebodium and Pyrrosia. Lovely!

The Beauty and Mystery of Owls

 Nearly everybody loves owls in one way or another and it's clear why. They are beautiful birds, they possess uncanny hunting skills and we rarely see them as most are nocturnal. They show up in mythology with great regularity and they're one of the few raptors that has never been domesticated. They're both enigmatic and incredibly common. Apart from their beauty, they are one of humankind's most helpful hunters, catching an amazing quantity of rodents. 

So, in honor of our silent flyers, here are photos of some of the more common owls. It wasn't until I began searching for photos that I realized how many species were immediately familiar to me in some manner. I suspect that's also true of many bird lovers. 

Barn owl. One of the most immediately recognizable and common of North American owls. Its coloring emphasizes its already pronounced disc face, used to hep it tune into the movement of prey.

Barred owl or also Northern Barred owl, this large owl is also known as a Hoot owl. It is smaller than a Great Horned owl but larger than a barn owl.

Bay owl. This spooky looking guy kind of reminds me of a vampire. Wikipedia says they are a genus of Old World barn owls. They are mostly found in southeast Asia.

This rather odd looking fellow is a rare Blakiston's Fish owl. It is the largest existing species of owl. It is in a sub-group of eagle owls and does indeed hunt for fish.

Buffy Fish owl. This one really slays me (okay, bad joke, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Another owl that lives primarily on fish.

This eerie looking guy is a Burrowing owl. They do indeed build their nests in ground they have burrowed out. A friend hs seen them out by the Oakland airport, among other Bay Area places.

No that's not the flash camera, this expert hunting Eagle-owl really does have orange eyes. Known as the Eurasian Eagle-owl or Eagle-owl for short, it is one of the largest and most widespread of all owl species, covering all of Europe and much of Asia. It features very distinctive ear tufts.

This pint-sized guy packs a vocal wallop and is commonly known as the Eastern Screech owl. He's only the size of a robin but makes up in hunting acumen what he lacks in size.

The above and below photos are two shots of the Great Grey owl. One of our largest owls, with an impressive wingspan, it is widespread in North America.  Like the Barn owl, it also features a pronounced disc face for expert sound collection.

Great Horned owl. One of the most widespread of owls, it is also recognizable by its prominent tufts. It is completely nocturnal but can sometimes be spotted at dusk or dawn. Its coloring varies depending on the region it is found in.

This handsome gal is a Horned owl. I don't really have info on him but I loved this photo!

There's a Short-eared owl so naturally there must be a Long-eared owl (this guy). They are nocturnal hunters that live in dense forests. Their singular tufts sit straight up, like two exclamation points one birder has noted.

This somewhat rare owl is the Mexican Spotted owl. Conservationists have been hard at work saving this species from extinction.

Northern Spotted owl. Another nocturnal bird, it builds its nests in tree tops, from which it makes night time hunting runs.

Saw-whet owl. Northern Saw-whet owls are mottled brown birds with a whitish facial disk and white-spotted head. They are also distinctive for not possessing ear tufts. Small, the size of a robin, they are one of the more unusual looking of the many owl species.

Here's our Short-eared owl. Short-eared owls are medium brown spotted with buff and white on the upperparts. The face is pale with yellow eyes accentuated by black outlines. Definitely one of the cooler looking owls.

Everybody recognizes this guy - the elegant Snowy owl. Found mostly in the Arctic, these large birds can sometimes be a mottled brown and white, other times pure white. They too lack ear tufts, giving the round head a sleek look. Their flight over snow is virtually soundless.

One of the more curious looking owls, the Spectacled owl has distinctive eye markings that resemble glasses. This colorful guy is found from southern Mexico all the way down to Brazil and Argentina.

Here's our Western Screech owl. A small owl closely related to the Eastern screech owl, it is native to North and Central America. They are superbly camouflaged birds with a base color that can be grayish, brownish, or reddish-brown. The upperparts are flecked with white; the breast and belly are pale with dark, spidery streaks. The face is pale, outlined with dark arcs. 

 Hawaiian Short-eared owl. Found only in Hawaii,.it is known there as Pueo. They are easily distinguished from the introduced Barn Owl by their piercing yellow eyes and the mottled brown patterns across their head, wings and back.