A Day at Bowers Museum

Bowers Museum entrance
Earlier this week, we spent a day at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. The weather was gorgeous and we enjoyed the museum grounds as well as the many indoor exhibits.
Gold Earrings. Bowers Museum exhibit
These gold earrings were part of the Spirits and Headhunters:Art of the Pacific Islands exhibit. Each earring is approximately the size of a hand.
The photo below shows items that were used as currency. They are part of the same exhibit. currency exhibit Bowers Museum. Beeds and shells

Some of the grounds surrounding the Bowers Museum. I’m so glad that the weather was beautiful and we were able to enjoy the outdoors as much as the indoors.

My dear hubby at the end of the day taking a break and checking out the photos he’d taken on his iPhone.

Lantana in Butterfly and Hummingbird Gardens

Lantana is a wonderful addition to your garden for attracting both butterflies and hummingbirds.  Last week while at the garden nursery looking at roses, I suddenly thought it would be nice to add some plants to the yard  that would attract butterflies. A very helpful employee showed me many different plants, and told me that most plants that attract butterflies also attract hummingbirds.  I was immediately attracted to the lantana with its many beautiful colors.

Lantana is considered a perennial in areas that don’t have hard frosts, but in colder climates, it’s treated as an annual.It grows well in both the ground and in containers, and is very popular because of its extended blooming season. I learned that In some areas it flowers all year round. This is the first time I’ve grown lantana in my garden, so I’m not sure how long we’ll have flowers. I’ll have to let you know.

Lantana should be planted in full sun, because it’s prone to mildew if grown in a shady location. It should be watered deeply, but not too frequently once established. Lantana is drought tolerant which is especially nice here in California. An occasional feeding of mild fertilizer is good, but too much water and fertilizer can actually cut down on bloom. As you can see from the above photos, I have four different colors in the garden. I brought home three last week and my husband surprised me yesterday with the lavender one in the top photo. I love all four colors and so do the butterflies. I’ve already noticed a few fluttering around the new plants, and I’m sure there will soon be more.

My Favorite Spot to Relax and Knit


I was back in one of my favorite places today. At our game table next to the living room window. I am learning to make a Mobius Cowl scarf. I hadn’t felt like working on it lately, but today I was right back at it.This type of scarf is knit on a circular knitting needle. I will continue to knit in the round until the scarf reaches the desired size. I’ll be sure to post a photo when it is finished.Please stay tuned.