Night Bloomer



I still have not seen one in bloom. Chlorogalum is impressively tall and found in the wetter parts of the ranch.

Clarkia's Last Stand



I'm still finding a few pockets of Farewell-to-Spring in the shade. These are under the shade of the Yerba Santa.

Western Redbud



Cercis Occidentalis planted three years ago forms seed pods.

More Dead Flowers



More faded purple, the brodiaea are a stark contrast to the dead grass.

Larkspur After Blooming



There are few wildflowers now, only the remains. The faded remains of the larkspur are as beautiful as the original blossoms.

Lush Quercus Lobata



Beautiful shade of gray green and lobed leaves -- it must be Valley oak.

Coffeeberry, the Group Shot



Among the live oak

Coffee Berry



Rhamnus Californica bursts with berries.

Web on Wood



Everything we build at the ranch, the animals use.

Toyon in my Front Yard



Heteromeles Arbutifolia blooms and berries begin to form.

Hummingbird at Rest



Resting between sips of penstemon nectar, she perches in the oak tree.

Finished Fremontia Flower



Large blossoms form interesting seed pods. The one in my garden was just bitten off six inches from the root. Sigh. My poor track record with growing fremontia is unbroken.

Buckeye Blossoms Become Seedpods



Watch these as the blooms fade into small seedpods, then grow into large buckeyes.

Ceanothus Berries



Spring flowers become berries which become bird feed.

Desert Willow



Chilopsis Linearis isn't really a willow. My landscaper planted five of these a few years ago. Great to see them thriving.

Gooseberry in Summer



Ribes Californicum adapts to the summer heat by dropping leaves and turning the remaining ones the same color as its berries.

Manzanita, the Berries



Summer berries seem like Christmas in July here at the ranch.

Elderberries



Sambucus Mexicana reaches the berry stage. I consider making jam or wine, but by the time I am stirred to action these small berries have dried on the vine.

Poison Oak



Seeing lots of small clumps like this one, also under live oak twining up the branches. Anacardiaceae of the sumac family thrives this summer.

Herald of Summer



A few last stragglers, incongruous among the dead grass.

Buckeye in Summer



Dropping leaves even as it blooms, Aesculus Californica survives the summer heat.

Canchalagua, Another Late Bloomer



Centaurium Venustum, also known as Charming Centaury is found in meadows late in the season.

The Last Bloom



Great to see these from my window. They are so large in scale with intricate centers and insects swarming over them.

The Color of Manzanita



The trunk of the manzanita nearest to my house provides a full spectrum of rich red tones. The peeling begins.

Remnants of Brodiaea



scattered among the dead grass and leaves. So hot and dry -- the highest temperature I've experienced at the ranch.

Masses of Clematis



All these "mopheads" on the vine present an illusion of bloom from a distance.

Clematis Lasiantha Gone to Seed



Another beautiful after blooming flower, these clematis seedpods decorate the trees as the vines die.

Last Unidentified Plant



Starting to dry up in the summer heat, this ground cover has a delicate pale pink flower. My guess is that it's in the pea family.

Aesculus Californica



This majestic buckeye blooms and defoliates simultaneously. The majesty of these trees eludes capture on film, as always.

Unidentified Wildflower



Another flower I can't identify spring up at the end of the season. Very difficult to photograph as it's so delicate and always swaying in the wind.

One Last Penstemon



Adding color to the early summer, the penstemons still bloom.