plantings

I am slowly learning the names of the plantings around our house and neighborhood. Many of the plantings are pretty common, if I could only remember them! Aloe plants, begonias, birds of paradise, bougainvillea, california poppies, camellias, geranium, hydrangea, jasmine, lavender, rosemary, roses, yucca and all types of succulents all do very well here. We have a few varieties I hadn't seen before including california lilac aka ceanothus, heavenly bamboo, which isn't bamboo at all, lantana, Lily of the Nile, the New Zealand Flax pictured below in order.

Hiding in our lily of the Nile are often a couple of quail and at least one lizard. T has made friends with a particular lizard, at least we think it's the same one everyday. It comes out late in the afternoon and suns itself on the pavement. It's a fence lizard, also known as a blue-belly or swift lizard. Since it appears to live in the lily of the Nile, T has named it "tut"!