Along the Hedgerow

Just North of the High School is a section of homes that are set way back from the road. Most of them have chain link fencing along their property lines. These homes are old by California standards; maybe 50 years. The owners have planted and allowed all kinds of shrubs and vines to grow on the fences to hide them.

Saturday morning after I dropped Teen1 off for her Winter Guard performance (they got a FIRST!) and Teen2 for Saturday School (we don't even want to talk about that!), I happened to drive along there and the morning sun was highlighting those plants. It reminded me of the hedgerows of England. A tangle of plants supporting each other and sheltering all kinds of little animals. What a lovely little ecosystem right here in the middle of town.

The showiest plant was Clematis armandii. Our neighbor has one that has grown way up into a tree. Sometimes when I'm out in my front garden, I can catch its heavenly scent. I feel very lucky that a volunteer (seedling for my UK readers) has appeared in my garden and hope to transplant it to climb over a trellis in the back garden.

Along the feet of the "hedgerow" is Vinca. I remember this growing in our next door's garden when I was a kid. It seemed so pretty and carefree. But I think it can be invasive.

And then there were these Callas. We had these along the West side of our house when I was a kid. They were definitely carefree. Bloomed every year with no care whatsoever, but beautiful and dramatic.

I hope you enjoyed our visit to the hedgerow here Amongst The Oaks.