After the Flood

We've had a series of powerful storms that have hit Southern California. Over nine inches of rain in the last week and a half. That's very unusual weather for us.

This pot only collected rain water and was filled to capacity before the storms finished.


Luckily, I put off planting my winter garden until the middle of January, so there was nothing to drown.


By the end of the fourth day of rain, the ground was saturated.


It began to pool rather than be absorbed.



The plants in the planter boxes were particularly hard hit.

These canyon sunflower and mountain columbine are directly under the drip line from the roof.


Believe it or not there's a hummingbird sage under that inch of standing water.


The hummingbird sages that were blooming along the path to the door couldn't bear up under the weight of the water.

Eventually, the rains stopped.


The first sunlight in over a week.



Unfortunately, I've discovered that when it rains this hard, I get standing pools of water on the side of the house and in the back planters.

I bailed over 30 gallons of water back here and barely made a dent. I'll need to put in a french drain.



It's been a week since the floods ended, though we continue to get weekly storms. I went back out to assess the damage.

The container plant is doing great. The seaside daisies are blooming lovely.


The canyon sunflower are a different story.

I don't think this one is going to make it.



These might survive.

I have higher hopes for the mountain columbine.


While this one isn't doing so well, the plant is winter deciduous.


This one does look healthier, though.

I was worried about the chaparral currant, but they are doing great and have new growth.


The blue sages are really sprouting.

The one even has a small flower.

The wildflower mix along the north parkway strip is really growing.

The blue-eyed grass and the indian mallow are also doing well.

Finally, while was worried about the coral bells, they are beginning to flower.

The furthest along fell over as the flower stalk couldn't support the weight of the rain water, but it seems to be recovering. Other coral bells are starting to join it. I'm hoping to see a mass effect in two weeks.

Done (for now)

I'm done (for now) with the external landscaping (until I plant the grass in spring).

Here's the finished walkway:



Here are the wildflowers (poppies by the look of them) coming up in the west side yard:



Here are more wildflowers sprouting in the parkway strip:


I also put in bulbs -- Rudy Ithuriel's Spear (Triteleia 'Rudy') and Queen Fabiola Broadiaea (Triteleia laxa 'Queen Fabiola') -- in the west parkway strip (the dark gashes in the decomposed granite):


[I also put in some Alba Leichtlin's camas (Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba') at the west end of the row of coral bells.]

And here is a container I put by the back porch:


Meanwhile, a few of the coral bells are blooming:


I'll post more photos of the landscaping as it grows and changes.