I am still getting used to writing 2024, it doesn’t seem real that another year has passed. Looking at our current political scene, this one fills me with potential dread. My garden is my sanctuary.

Unfortunately, January is not particularly cheerful in the garden. There are, though, some blooms to share with you.

This one looks like a little rose. When we built the addition to the house it was moved and it is thriving.

Another pink bloom, a heath. Both heaths and heathers do very well in our climate.

The Hellebores are starting to bloom, they are one of my favorite flowers. These days there are so many different varieties and colors.

The Cupeas bloom almost 12 months of the year. They are a big favorite of the hummingbirds.

The flowering current next to the garage is full of buds. Signs of spring.

In the vegetable garden, the fava beans are quite tall. This afternoon I cut them down and dug them into the soil. It’s the same bed where I will plant zucchini this summer.

The parsley plant has enjoyed the proximity to the favas.

The chives are starting to burst. They were transplanted from another site last summer and seem to have survived.

On a clear but cloudy day this past weekend, I was able to plant sweet pea flowers in a half wine barrel.

Most of the garden looks a bid sad and sodden from the rain though.

We haven’t experienced the same extent of winter storm damage as many parts of the U.S. At least not yet. But the rains have washed out the road to Laguna Point in MacKerricher State Park which is just down the road from us.

Lake Cleone is to the left of the road, there is (or rather was) a culvert from the lake out to the beach. You can see some of the pipe under the remainder of the road.

I think the rest of the road will go when this next storms hit tomorrow and Friday. It’s already dangerously undercut.

Quinn and I took a walk to check out the damage.