the late summer arrival of the "naked ladies"

delightful little weirdos that announce — to those of us in coastal California — that we have firmly arrived in the heart of summer! Their flowers erupt from the earth, snake skyward and unfurl into pale pink trumpets. Though their official botanical name is “amaryllis belladonna," it’s way more fun to spot them on the roadside, squeal and say “Ooo look at those naked ladies!” The brown, leafless stem is what earns them the moniker “naked,” and I love how the earthy brown balances with the playf...