Names. Collectively, the Shrub Bed, Oak Meadow, and Back Margins are "The Back". Defining names and making my own drawings made the garden my own too. Late Oct. plantings.

23 December, 2016. The infiltration basin worked wonderfully in this rainy winter. This is about as high as it ever got: just a bit over the base of the rushes. This photo, two weeks short of 2017, could have taken on any of several days in January or February.

23 January, 2017. Ice pellets. Not quite snow, not quite hail. Enough to be visible on the ground and accumulate on the chairs. Not enough to really cover anything.

21 February, 2017. The first things that got going in the Rose Bed were two carryovers: germinating nasturtiums and sprouting bluebell bulbs. And the white flakes? No more ice pellets. These were petals from the neighbor's plum tree.

21 February, 2017. The SW corner has filled in a bit since fall.

21 February, 2017. The SE corner has the Oregon grape beginning to bloom, along with grasses and bluebells coming up. The latter are not Californian, but they go back to the garden before I arrived. I've limited their area, but I'll not weed out all.

22 February, 2017. Oregon grape. First major bloomer of season.

4 April 2017. Five weeks after the earlier shots, the Spanish bluebells are offering an effective presence. Island alum root (Heuchera maxima), right. The wall is awfully bare, but there are some tiny Oregon grape shoots behind the bench that that someday might cover it.

5 April 2017. On the trellis, the chaparral clematis is twining madly.

4 April 2017. By the patio, another early show: the carryover Mexican orange (Choisya ternica) is in full bloom along with some more bluebells. Verbena right.

5 April 2017. To the right of the bluebells -- those are bluebell leaves in the background -- the coastal bush lupine (Lupinus arboreus) has popped a few blooms. I was hoping for yellow, but got a blue one. It's a bit floppier than I had hoped too.

5 April 2017. Around in the Fountain Bed, another the early bloom, this one hidden: the Asarum flowers are tucked under the leaves. It's a treat to find these in the wilds -- it takes looking -- and now I have my own.

5 April 2017. A broad view from near the back door. All told, a reasonably full picture for the first spring. The maple, abused too during construction, has a nice crop of leaves although there is some die-back on interior branches.

5 April 2017. Beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis). They've grown some, and are blooming some, but haven't really achieved ground cover status yet.

6 April 2017. The area by the east fence is still mostly open. The Ceanothus 'Concha' has blooms, but it's going to take a few seasons before it, the manzanitas, and the toyon develop stature.

6 April 2017. The SW corner is certainly more lush than it was in February.

24 April 2017. The fringe cups in the Fountain Bed are intricate and gorgeous, but only if you look close. Very wildflower-like.

24 April 2017. Nearby, the Woodwardia fern certainly is vigorous, as are the surrounding Asarum and Tricrytis. It occurs to me the flowers of the last two have the same general character as the fringe cups: both too have small flowers that demand close inspection.

25 April 2017. A view to the back, just a little narrower than the one earlier in the month. Lots of April flowers. Very much a spring California scene.

24 April 2017. At little far left of the previous picture is Ceanothus 'Frosty Blue'. It was all out in late April, fading by mid-May.

24 April 2017. Hummingbird sage with island alum root in the background along the path. The flowers on the path seem scattered, not massed, as would be the case in a natural woodland understory.

9 May 2017. Two weeks after the last group of pictures, the maple bed continues to be an interesting place. Penstemons add to the color and the yerba buena has expanded.

8 May 2017. The Rose Bed is now at it's first bloom peak. Not a bad show from a distance, although a bit scraggly and rather limited in scope: mainly nasturtiums and roses, plus one very healthy columbine. You can see the lupines, but I was hoping for both more bloom and more sense of structure from them.

10 May 2017. The nasturtiums have visions of taking over the landing.