Grass

I am not a fan of lawns but I am a fan of grasses. I have a couple different drought tolerant grasses planted in my front yard. Lawns are OK if you live in a place where there in no drought and plenty of humidity so it needs little water. If you live in Southern California you should RIP OUT YOUR LAWN. Plant drought tolerant plants, succulents and cacti or fruits and veggies.

Befittingly to accompany the pictures of the latest blooms in my backyard, which are definitely some pretty things is one of my favorite songs: Grass by The Pretty Things. [It turned out to be the most played songs on my iTunes.] The Pretty Things are an English rock band from London who formed in the early 60s who are pushed in a psychedelic category.

I can't remember the name of the succulent, which might be in the kalanchoe family,that produces the beautiful orchid like blooms planted in between all the aeoniums. If you ever come across them at a nursery buy one. They are super rewarding because they have lots of blooms for a couple months. They are ideal if you plant them in their own large bed because they grow super fast and they are kind of fragile. When moved just a little bit the branches fall right off so they need to be in a place that is away from pets and children. My two dogs have been the source of a lot of rearranging in the garden.

Out of all the blooms in the backyard, nothing beats the glorious red flowers of this aloe bloom. These are very special too because I had to move this plant after the dogs knocked it over and it was displaced from it's taproot.

The Caesalpinia gilliesii or Desert Bird of Paradise has a gorgeous bloom on it too. I bought this at at nursery near Joshua Tree. Always look for a local nursery when you're going on a short trip for plants that can grow in a climate that is similar to the one you live in. Plants that are more exotic to us and/or more expensive may be common place at other nurseries. I always find great plants in Ojai and Yucca Valley. I think it is always fun to look at different plants even if you're not buying.

And here is one more Pretty Things song that is off one of their more popular albums called S.F. Sorrow..." Work on the album concluded in September 1968 with the recording of what would be its closing track, "Loneliest Person." "Private Sorrow" and "Balloon Burning" were extracted for an October 1968 single, and the album was released the following month, in the same week as The Beatles' "White Album", The Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet and The Kinks' The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. EMI did little to promote the album." That is a lot to go up against,but S.F. Sorrow is one my favorite of the lot.