Hornet Nest Cells

What's Growing On (With) Our House?



This is a hornet nest that Seymour knocked off the eaves above our front door. (Usually Ep's Clyde does this for us--without being asked--but he's been very busy and hasn't been over in a while.) Amazing stuff. If you look in the cells you can see amber droplets that are most likely larvae. And if you click on the image you'll get to see a slew of new photos, including Mali poking her bloomer-covered bottom at the camera.

Two days ago we met with the architects to discuss outside treatments, materials, colors, lighting, etc. Once again I am so grateful for their talents--our response to almost every item they suggested was, "That looks great. Let's go with it." I have absolutely no talent when it comes to color design, or composition in general, and get queasy thinking about how the house would look were we more reliant upon my design sense.

Here's how the house will appear as you come up the driveway:



We also talked about landscaping. Seymour and I need to chat about this before we give them final feedback, because he is excited about an all-natives yard, whereas I pop a more generalized boner for drought-tolerant plants.

I told the architects I'd send them a list of the plants that currently do well in our yard and that deer tend not to eat. It's a longer list than I'd thought; I don't think of our yard as having such great variety but I am apparently quite high. The list also does not include all the potted plants getting extra-special attention on the deer-free porch.

Sun Lovers
Ceanothus
Pride of Madeira
Coyote Bush
New Zealand Tea Tree
Westringia
Leonotus

Bush Daisies
Santa Barbara Daisy

Lavenders (Spanish, English, French, Provence)
Rosemary
Most salvias (Cleveland, natives)

Artemisia
Coyote Flower
Foothills Penstemon
Monkey Flower

Wooly Thyme

Part Shade Okay
Buddleia
Penstemon
Flowering Currant

Vines/Climbers
Bougainvillea (with good southern exposure only)
Wisteria
Blackberry

Grasses
Mexican Feather Grass
Fountain Grasses
Blue-eyed Grass

Annuals (that reseed well)
California Poppy
Nigella
Bulbs
Sparaxis
Ixia
Daffodils
Freesia
Society Garlic
Callas
Bronze Fennel

Deer Nibblers That Usually Survive
Olive Trees
Lantana