I know what you come here for.

Ceanothus is blooming everywhere.



You know where I'm taking you.



You always know where to find me on Saturday morning.







(Magnolia--very forgiving of bad prunes. Remember?)















Things are shaping up in the new Children's Garden.



All kinds of shapes.











She put a Gunnera next to the faucet, which is perfect. An awe-inspiring plant...the kids will love it.

Apparently, there's quite a bit more Gunnera to be had.



Not exactly a water-wise choice for California. Unless you have a swamp in your backyard.

Which I don't, but sometimes it feels that way.



The swamp of indecision. What am I going to do with all those pots?

The pinyon pines are down there.



They arrived bare-root. I put them in a bucket of water for a couple days, and potted them up.

It's warm this weekend. I'm half-tempted to plant out my vegetable seedlings.



But it's too soon. Maybe next week. If not next week, definitely the week after that. That pot with the blue rim is the future home of a pumpkin vine. One of the pinyons will go in the spot where that terracotta pot is now.



Nearby...



I don't have long to wait. The Geranium maderense inflorescence will be up soon.



I guess I'll be done with this plant by June at the latest.

I got a second round of flowers on my white Ribes, and the Heuchera (or Tellima) growing through it will flower soon too. That'll be cool. It looks cool now.



Hydrangea petiolaris will flower too. That's what that blurry thing is. The camera focused on the Pelargonium instead.



I probably wouldn't have a hydrangea flower this soon without last year's disaster of a hanging basket falling on that plant and breaking it in half. I think stresses like that make plants flower. They think the gardener is going to kill them.

Over in the Italian corner...



Someone's team colors.



Elderberry popping up...



The compost is coming along nicely. Scroll down a bit to compare it with a couple weeks ago.



The pile got warm, but not hot. I love turning the compost. I turned it with a shovel for a year before I got a clue and bought a pitchfork. You know you're gardening for reals when you own a pitchfork.