Re: Christmas is coming

 To John and Gay--

 How I would love to pack my bags and come visit both of your
 gardens! Your descriptions are always so enticing, and I love
 hearing about what Christmas traditions are like where Christmas
 arrives at the height of summer, Gay! All of you are welcome to
 come visit here in the Bay Area, as well--I'm sure I'm not
 the only Bay Area medit planter who feels that way.

 Looking out the window here, I see roses blooming still (I
 haven't the heart to prune them back while they still have
 buds! Maybe this year I'll just trim them a bit). Both Euryops
 (the green and the grey form) are covered in yellow daisies.
 Gay, you mentioned hoping that we spot that plant we've wanted
 for years--my Christmas present of that sort came a bit early
 when I spotted *yet another* type of thyme (T. necefferi, aka
 Juniper Thyme) *and* Tulbaghia fragrans "Alba" (Fragrant
 Society Garlic), which I've looked for for over two years now.
 That one's blooming now, with an umbel of small white flowers
 that remind me of tuberoses somehow, above leaves that look
 remarkably like a small agapanthus. Since I planted the society
 garlic and the juniper thyme together, I've created a parody
 of two of California's most overused landscape plants! The
 juniper thyme looks amazingly like a ground cover juniper.
 It would probably make a great bonsai, if I were so inclined.

 In the back, I've got lots of paperwhite narcissus blooming.
 I also have some reblooming irises, so for the past couple of
 weeks, I've brought bouquets of the irises and narcissus in
 to work to enjoy (they peek over the top of my cubicle and
 cheer up the whole room, too!).

 Thanks so much for all of your garden descriptions, know-
 ledgeable answers to horticultural questions, fun discussions
 about cuttings and stealings (not that stealing itself is fun,
 but the ways some of you thwarted the thieves, and the
 amazing *gall* some people have made the discussion fun
 to follow!)....This is a special group, and I'm glad to be a
 part of it!

 Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

 Cheryl
 Santa Clara, CA

 ps. John: one of my favorite books of all time--The Dark
 Is Rising by Susan Cooper--mentions Maidenhead. It's
 set in Oxfordshire, in a village called Huntercombe, but
 the main character goes Christmas shopping in Maidenhead.
 There's a great bit about him sneaking into a grove on the
 local manor estate to see the first snowdrops of the season.
 Yet another reason to come visit...someday!

 Cheryl and Wayne Renshaw
 Santa Clara, California
 renshaw@best.com
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