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Peppermint Twist Rose in Bloom
All the roses are in bloom right now, but the Peppermint Twist rose is killing it. It has so many blooms on it right now that it looks like a peppermint tree!
A Hooded Oriole on Watch
This guy is a hooded oriole (Icterus cucullatus) whose mate is nesting in the orange tree behind him. He keeps an eye on me when I'm working from our back deck.
A Rescued Rose
My wife used to look at me funny when I would dig plants out of the dumpster, but she doesn't anymore. I rescued this rose from a trash bin last fall. She wasn't much to look at back then — just a stick really — but she turned out to be a real beauty.
Real Smoked Beef Jerky Recipe
Homemade beef jerky hits a new high point when you add real smoke. Here's how you can smoke jerky even if you don't have a fancy smoker.
Avocado Time!
When you live on the avocado highway, these things literally just fall off the trees
Thyme Finds a Way
The oregano has pretty much taken over my Italian herb garden, but thyme isn't giving up. This one popped out the garden fence to flower in peace.
Camellia in Bloom
Usually the camellias are just a deep green, leafy backdrop for my tropical garden. But once in a while it flowers and outshines all the plants around it. This is one of those occasions. The pink and white of the bloom really set off from the green shades behind it, so the flower is visible from dozens of yards away.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 23, 2020
Weather took a turn from cool and damp to hot and dry, all but putting a spike in what remains of the romaine. For the spring replacements we brought in Genovese basil (front left) and yellow pear tomatoes (mid left, can't see them yet). The cucumbers are fruiting and the frying peppers are really leafing out now that they're no longer in the shade of winter's lettuce.
Wild Poppies Along the Road
Just some wild red and golden poppies growing alongside my road. After years of battling wild mustard, these guys are a nice change.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 13, 2020
Not much new this week. The lettuces continue to putter out and what remains of the bok choi looks like it's about to bolt. On the other hand, the tomatillos and cucumbers are flowering and I've got a couple of yellow pear tomato (the wife's favorite) seedlings getting ready to move into the bed, so we're in good shape.
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