W e a t h e r i n g the 'STORM'..........

Wow......now that was a big storm and it sounds like there might be more to follow this season. We haven't seen weather like that in years. The dark gloomy cloud cover really brought out the vivid colors in the landscape! The deep rich colors of green in the garden came alive and the tan and grey colors in the stucco and stonework looked so rich. The warm terra cotta color in the used bricks gave an earthy hue. What a contrast to our usual bright sun. Actually from a design perspective our Southern California sun, as nice as it is, can 'wash out' the landscape.

This is why it is always a good idea to choose deep rich colors in both hardscape and softscape decisions. A deep stucco color like Omega #412 in the landscape makes the greens in the garden really come alive.

Be sure to check on a couple of things in the garden once the rain has passed:

Place cushions on an angle in the sun to allow ventilation and to prevent mildew.

Clear drains if the your gardner has not been able to drop by for clean up. A small pile of leaves can clog the drain and create a small flood in the yard.

Turn off irrigation for a while, the garden is drenched but don't forget to turn it back on when things warm up.

Be ready for the next storm and plan to set aside the afternoon with a fire in the fireplace and a good book.........sometimes we need an excuse like rainy weather.