Corner of Wild & Homespun

Wild Spring flower show

Having left the UCR garden sale we cruised our old neighborhood to see what our previous house’s landscaping was doing. We had done a major overhaul of that property’s grounds and I guess you could say we (okay, I) like to see what’s up. We also left behind some awesome aloe trees in the front and I just can’t let go of them: I have to see how they’re faring and how large they’ve gotten. I guess I’m also hoping maybe, just maybe, the current owners might decide to stop us and say they’d like to give them back to us. (Fact: I’ve actually asked for them back, offering to install something in their place. But, since I’ve never gotten a reply to that emailed suggestion, I’m thinking they’re thinking I need to move on: sigh.) Anyway, after seeing the old place ( the aloe trees look fantastic by the way!) we came upon the corner of Blaine and Watkins and noticed the cheery sight above. The usually barren corner was awash with wildflowers of every type, and it was gorgeous!

Official orange

Making a spectacle of itself was our state flower, the California poppy. That inimitable orange was everywhere, as meandering clusters of cup-like blooms waved in the very slight breeze. It was almost like they were aglow with pride over their official status.

That showy cousin

Trying to steal some of the limelight, these showy pink poppy cousins were real eyecatchers, too. They, and the purple/blue lupines in the background, brought a cooler color into the mix.

The long view

Looking east up Watkins, I can’t help but wonder how long this wild display will last. The wildflower season for inland Southern California is a short one, so I’m thinking if you want to catch the show you’d better get here soon. Having the same thought, a family group was shooting their Easter pictures here, and an attentive photog was directing a pretty young lady in the finer points of posing amidst nature. It was all very bucolic and sweet for a Sunday. Adding to the homespun vibe was this:

That homey touch

Someone had actually crocheted a cozy for the pedestrian signal button on the corner! In banded colors to rival those of the wildflowers it faces, it included a wooly blossom and a wishful peace symbol. Is this the work of a knitter who wanted to move the floral color story of the flowers across the street? Is a large-scale work that will cover the freight train barricade in the works? Will the overhead traffic light be wearing a rainbow bright hoody soon? Whoever did it, thanks! It’s crafty touches like this that remind us that not everyone lives in a mechanical and hard-edged world. And, to whoever it was that sowed the seeds for the wildflowers, thanks a million!