After a winter of record breaking rain, we’ve had one of the prettiest springs I can remember since moving to Santa Barbara. Yes, we do have seasons here in Southern California, although they are very different from New England where I grew up. No late winter snow here! California spring begins in late February and early March with flowering fruit trees.
The lawns and mountains turned green for the first time since the drought began five years ago. Rose bushes that were pruned in January and February exploded into bloom in early April. They bloom on and off for 10 months of the year but that first blossoming spectacle always seems to be the biggest and brightest.
Wild flowers are sprinkled throughout the hiking trails and it was a banner year for the bright orange California poppy.
The rains have ended now and the tall grasses are already beginning to dry out, but the town is awash in purple Jacaranda trees and of course, those roses are still going strong!
Here are a few photos I took of our Santa Barbara spring…
Flowering branches are in abundance
Happy lawns and trees all over town
The yellow green hue is mustard seed. It covered the mountains and hills of California in great brushstrokes of color.
Water lilies are blooming in this now full fountain and a Great Blue Heron seems to be enjoying the view.
Plants spilling over into the sidewalk from the abundant winter rains.
Poppies in a front garden
Wildflowers along the hiking trails
Wild flowers sprouting from nooks and crevices
And then there are the roses…
The roses at the Old Mission Santa Barbara are not to be missed!
Even my own Iceberg roses had a banner season!
Happy plants downtown!
These jacaranda trees are everywhere in Santa Barbara. When a breeze comes by it looks like a purple snowstorm!
One other noticeable difference in the spring season, is the appearance of the marine layer (a bank of coastal fog) that appears many mornings and sometimes lingers all day. Here in the foot hills it tends to burn off earlier. It helps to keep our temperatures from getting too hot. We affectionately call it “May Gray” and “June Gloom”. The weather can’t be perfect all the time!
There is a mountain in that fog somewhere!
Happy Spring wherever you live!
Isn’t it great? Beautiful photos, Elizabeth. I am enjoying this spring so much! Jacarandas are going crazy all over town…so pretty!
Thank you, Karen and yes, I’m enjoying it so much! 🙂
Happy Spring, Elizabeth! Stunning photos, make me miss California even more. We lived in Berkeley for two years straight and it only rained ONCE, ONCE! I’ve enjoyed the warmer temperatures (as warm as it can get in the Bay Area) but the vegetation was all dried-up and sad looking, no green lawns… Glad that the drought is over! xo, Eva
Yes, it’s been a whole lot of brown for so long. It’s so strange that winter is when things are the greenest! But it’s amazing how quickly things turn from green to brown. It’s already happening.
I will be heading back to CT for 2 weeks and from the amount of rain they’ve been having, I’m guessing I will see plenty of green! 🙂
Just beautiful! What are the purple flowering branches in the first photo? How are gardens/lawns watered during drought times there? In my part of Florida we are lucky to have ‘reclaimed’ water year round, drought or not.
Hi Marianne! I know the man at the Farmers Market told me the name of these gorgeous blooms but I can’t remember. Most people cut back a lot on their watering and some just stop all together. I know other parts of CA use gray water but not here. They are rebuilding a desalination plant that will provide water (at a price) should it be necessary. We shall see.