Photos

Selected photos from the trip:
Sunday, June 24th:



Monday, June 25th:
In El Mercat de Boqueria:




The Ramblas:



Having a snack:


In the Roman temple in the Barrio Gotico:



In front of the Sagrada Familia:



Tuesday, June 26th

In the Sagrada Familia:



At Park Guell:









Waiting for the bus:


Wednesday, June 27th:

At the Casa Mila



Thursday, June 28th:

At the museum of chocolate:

Bulbs

I put in two sets of bulbs in the front yard.  There's on small grouping close to the house that can handle summer water, but most of them are on the west parkway strip, which doesn't get any water from the sprinklers in the summer (I do some watering by hand every two weeks). 

Here you can see the white-flowering bulbs near the house.

The bulbs on the parkway strip are not as tall, but are blue and white.  They are called "Ithuriel's spears," and I put them in diagonal strips across the parkway.  I tried to waver them, to give them a slightly more natural look.  I put more bulbs in the ground in December, trying to fill in gaps in the parkway.

The bulbs are blooming in staggered shifts.  The bulbs I planted last year have begun to bloom. While the ones I put in this year won't bloom for another two weeks or so.

This section suffered a lot last year when they tore up the sidewalk and poured new concrete.  Thankfully, the bulbs grew back this year.

Meanwhile, I have some Farewell-to-spring Clarkia that's blooming.  Last year, I had a whole side of the front in bloom, but I put grass over that area last August, so no blooms there this year.  I may put down some seed next fall. 

I do have to let the front yard look a little "weedy" at times, in order for the wild flowers to go to seed.  That way, they'll bloom again next year.

Spring Wildflowers

The front yard is in full bloom.

 

Adjacent to the sidewalk are the margarita penstemon and the pitcher sage, then there are the blue flax and the desert willow with its new green leaves.  There are a few white chinese houses, and behind them are the clarkia and finally the heuchera.  There are also some poppies scattered about.

Here's a better shot of the blue flax and the elegant clarkia.  On the back right, you can see the reddish-orange monkey flower is doing well, and on the far right, you can see the lilac verbena is just exploding.

 

In the back are the heuchera. I've started dead heading these to get a second flowering.

 

The seaside daisies lining the walkway are all blooming.

 

 

 As is the white sage on the parkway strip.  In fact, the flower stalks on this are so long, I had to trim some back as they were blocking the sidewalk.  

 The pink yarrow is starting to bloom.

As are these blue gilias.