About Janice

I love California, both in and out of my garden. My passions are gardening and photography. My goal is to make Plum Bird Corner a happy place to visit often.

Finding My Niche

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Janice

Today my niche is gardening and photography. This is a photo of my Disneyland florabunda rose bush.

I’ve been publishing my blog for a little over a year and I’ve yet to find my niche. I’m always reading one article or another on blogging, and one of the things they say you must do, is find your niche. If you browse my previous posts, you’ll see that I have many interests, including gardening, knitting, watercolor painting, cooking, ceramics, walking and cycling. Not to mention riding my can-am spyder, traveling in our 5th wheel trailer, and writing about it all, at one time or another. One thing I always try to include in my blog is lively colors, and photos that make you feel better having seen them.

Here is one of my very special interests. Our little ShihTzu Fox Terrier mix, Annika. I took this photo soon after returning home from our four days of camping in Chula Vista. Lots of fresh air and exercise tired her out. She was happy to be home and snuggled in her favorite chair catching up on her sleep. Perhaps digital photography is my niche. Well, at least for today, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.

An Early Morning Walk by San Diego Bay

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Janice

My early morning walk gave me this tranquil view of San Diego Bay. Later while looking at photos I’d taken, the one above is just one of many, I found myself smiling. It was then I realized that Plum Bird Corner, should be filled with photos that make me feel happy, and hopefully you too. Photos full of bright cheerful colors, beautiful scenery, flowers and birds. Above is my newest African Violet. It’s a perfect example of bright and cheerful, don’t you think? I spotted it by the door, when entering Trader Joe’s to do some grocery shopping, and I just couldn’t resist

Speaking of cheerful, how could I not include this photo of a sailboat, named Happy. It certainly brought a smile to my face when I saw it resting in the marina this morning.

Fun at the Orange International Street Fair

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Janice

Saturday morning we rode with the San Clemente Scooter Club to the City of Orange International Street Fair. Continue reading →

A Parakeet Named Gilligan

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Janice

One of my favorite birds is the bright and lively parakeet. They are active and playful, and come in a variety of beautiful colors. Though much quieter than larger parrots, they can become good talkers.

Originally from Australia, parakeets were taken to England in the 1800s and became very popular. This beautiful little fellow belongs to my mom. After Mom lost her little companion dog, she found the house very quiet. She considered getting a new dog, but her area has coyote problems, and she was no longer comfortable walking a dog. In July I wrote a post titled, The Coyotes Are Back, after I spotted a coyote through Mom’s living room window.

Years ago Mom owned a parakeet and I thought she might enjoy another. At first she said no, but eventually warmed to the idea and one afternoon we took a trip to the pet store where Mom chose Gilligan.

. It has been amazing, and a joy to watch Mom and Gilligan form a bond. When Mom leaves the room Gilligan strains his neck and practically falls off of his perch looking for her. When Mom eats, Gilligan goes to his food dish and also eats. The funniest thing is after lunch, he starts chirping until Mom takes her nap and then Gilligan takes his as well. He certainly has her trained. He signals Mom when he wants out of his cage, and from there he flies to the top of the china cabinet. Mom reaches up to him with a wooden perch and uses the command words, Step Up, which is a command bird owners use to teach their pets to step onto a perch. I visited Mom today and took these photos. You can see him perching on a picture frame, and the top of the china cabinet. He is becoming quite tame and will sit on Mom’s finger. Recently he sat happily on her shoulder while she walked around the house.

He really is a beautiful little fellow and lives up to the title Companion Bird.

Can my Mandevilla Plant Be Saved?

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Janice

The mandevilla has become a popular patio plant in recent years. Its brilliant flowers add color and a tropical look to any patio. When we purchased our plant, it came with a trellis because it’s a hardy climber and needs to be supported. In most areas the mandevilla is considered an annual, but in Southern California it’s a frost sensitive perennial. They like sandy, well drained soil and do well in the ground and in pots. They grow best in bright indirect light or filtered sun light. Our plant is on the front patio, and gets morning sun. As you can see, it was very happy in this spot during the winter and spring season. In mid August we took a ten day vacation, and unfortunately during that time, Orange County suffered a heat wave, and our irrigation system did not deliver enough water to the plant.

Below you can see what it looked like when we returned home. I’m both sad and embarrassed to post this photo.

Being an optimist I immediately deep watered the mandevilla and pruned the dead wood and leaves. I hope to nurse this plant back to good health. I took the photo below this afternoon, and as you can see, the plant is looking a little better. The remaining leaves are turning green and there is some new growth. I will keep you up to date with its progress. I hope that by next week at this time you will see an even bigger improvement.

Plum Bird Corner

Photography, Gardening, and California

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