Garden
Holly Wood California
The Toyon is a California native tree whose deep green foliage and bright red berries in December earned it the nickname "Hollywood"
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 6
Picked the final batch of fresh hot peppers and split the fermenting peppers into 2 batches so I could add more to each before they go to rest for the winter.
A Five Star Bee Hotel
I built a bee hotel to shelter the native bees of California and the Southwest. This fall, it's proving to be a very popular spot. Here's what I learned.
Fall Keyhole Garden Maintenance
Mid-autumn is a great time to do a little maintenance on the keyhole garden and get it loaded up and ready for the next growing season.
Squash Parents Mystery Solved
Strange offspring from a perfect pumpkin created a mystery as to what squash was the papa of these odd babies. There were 3 suspects. The answer was a surprise.
Banana Surprise
Banana Surprise! is something you can legitimately shout when you discover a 15' banana tree loaded with bananas hidden in your garden. (Maybe other times too.)
That’s Good Compost
That's no simple pile of dirt! That's a mound of super rich, composted chicken manure and straw "bricks" to recharge the spent beds in the vegetable garden.
The End of a Long Dry Spell
Tropical Storm Kay broke the dry spell and washed the plants in the garden. No rain since March, so tho was only 1/2-in, we'll take the full rain barrels!
Monarda fistulosa aka Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm
While Monarda (wild bergamot / bee balm) isn't native to California, it'll make itself at home even in the dry, desert like climate of my San Diego foothills
The Difference a Month in the Vegetable Garden Makes
Before & After photos of the south vegetable garden in June and July of 2022. Despite heavy losses to ground squirrels, the garden is still going strong.