Aah... Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve!

The stunning natural beauty of the

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Wildflower season spans the Springtime months, however, the Fall is also a great time to visit this California State Park. Its eight miles of trails wind through western Mojave Desert grasslands.

Watch for critters such as scorpions and lizards, gopher and rattlesnakes, coyote and bobcat.

A Welcome Visitor: U.C. Botanical Garden, Berkeley

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Mantis created by Patrick E

Perfume Roses! Russian River Rose Co.

Russian River Rose Company Nursery and Display Garden

Jan and Michael Tolmasoff harvest more than a half-ton of rose blooms -- that's 130,000 intensely fragrant flowers -- from their Healdsburg, California gardens in order to yield a mere 2 ounces of distilled rose oil.

The Tolmasoffs' gardens sprouted in 1980. And over time, the layout evolved into a historical arrangement of roses, starting with species such as Rosa californica, a California native. A tour of the garden begins across the way, in a setting anchored by antique roses of European and Middle Eastern descent, creating extravagant displays

A naturalistic butterfly garden encircles the house's turret, with annuals, perennials and roses coming together to provide continuous bloom. The relaxed planting features irises and calendulas for color and contrast in spring: summertime allies - verbena, cosmos, pincushion flower and echinacea are outlined by a vibrantly colorful border of miniature, own-root roses.

Look for the entry arch, supporting hybrid musks among a bevy of shade-tolerant roses that thrive in Northern California. Tender tea roses boast an area of their own. Jan mentions Etoile de Lyon as one of the most beautiful, recommending it to people looking for an antique rose, but not a once-blooming type.

A compelling element of the garden design: An allee articulated by seven arches 12 feet high and wide entices visitors to stroll through the vineyard to the perfume rose field.

Garden Valley Rose Ranch

It's high summer, when a visit to Garden Valley Ranch is the order of the day.

North of San Francisco in Petaluma, this plant nursery & display garden offers a cottage rental & more. (Photos Courtesy GVR)

'Trollius'

One of the distinctive garden areas at GVR is a delightful mixed border

inspired by the designs of the English gardening doyenne, Gertrude Jekyll.

Columbines, Cardoons & Foxgloves

The Rose Field - 'Climbing Iceberg' Arbors in the background.

Here you'll find landscaped gardens and rose fields

to tour,

either

on your own, or call ahead for a scheduled docent tour.

Garden Valley Ranch is open for touring Wednesday through Sunday, events permitting.

Ph: 707.795.0919 for a schedule of events, information on classes,

or for tour information.

May through September Tour Hours 10 - 5

Foodie Treat: 'Circus Circus' Tricolor Carrots Renee's Seeds

A tender foodie treat: This new variety for 2011 from Renee's Seeds:

Tricolor Carrots 'Circus Circus' is a winner.

We grow it in T's sun-drenched community garden.

We're harvesting small, tender carrots and eating them straight from the plot. I used a macro setting on the camera so they appear full-size. T hasn't had any luck with carrots in the past, but this variety is already producing an extremely abundant crop and it's only July.