Friday Flowers: California Blooms

Bougainvillea Bloom

One of my patients recommended that we spend time in the Pacific Grove/ Monterey area of California on our road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. She told me about the Monarch butterflies which over winter in the area and I was determined to stop there. We stayed at a lovely place called Sunset Inn which was just a short walk from the Monarch grove and the ocean. Three days earlier a bad storm had knocked out the power in the area for more than a day.

Strong north winds were still blowing when we arrived and it was actually colder here than it was back at our home in Canada. This was unusual for the date. The winds had scattered the butterflies and there very few to be seen in the grove. Apparently the number of Monarch butterflies was greatly reduced this year west of the Rockies as well as in the north-eastern part of the continent where we live. But I was not disappointed with the grove which is dominated by tall Monterey pines and Eucalyptus trees.

Hummingbird in Bottlebrush bloom

Flowering shrubs had been planted to provide nourishment for the butterflies, and many hummingbirds were in the area. I also saw several warblers, woodpeckers and other birds which I will identify when I find my Sibley bird guide in our renovation mess.

Monarch Butterfly at Big Sur, CA

On the drive south a couple of days later, we came upon more Monarch butterflies around Big Sur. They were sheltered from the wind in the valleys of the mountains. I love Bougainvillea and the bright splash of colour it adds to fences and walls. We came across a lot of it in the area.

Many Canadians go to Florida in the winter, but I would rather travel to the Monterey area for a break from the snow. The beaches here are not for sunbathing but the scenery is spectacular. My patient had been discharged by the time I returned to work, but I took some pictures and sent a sincere thank you to her for directing me to this beautiful place.