Garden
Keyhole Garden Progress Update
It's been a month since I posted on the progress on my year round keyhole food garden so I thought now would be a good time for an update with a few photos.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Video: A Mini Jurassic Park
You’d think as a snake that eats rattlesnakes, most of the other members of the reptile kingdom would give a king snake plenty of room. But then again, you're probably not a teenage western fence lizard.
What is this Plant?
Wandering along the shady east side of the acre today, I came across this in flower. The plant is a sort of leggy vine sort that's been growing there for years, but I've never seen it flower. Anyone know what it is? Update: Thanks to Reddit and /u/ArtsyPhartsyWoman, I figured out that it was a Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)!
Giant Agave Flowers
The American Agave produces giant flower stalks that can shoot 30 feet in the air. The dried stalks are a favorite nesting site for acorn woodpeckers.
A Kiwi Love Story
Common sense would tell you that plants don't have feelings, but I have a true story of a kiwi's love, loss and new life that might change your mind.
Unusual Avocado Varieties
The other day a neighbor who's an avocado grower, brought us some rare Don Gillogly avocados from his private grove. It's a dwarf Haas variant with creamy, club-shaped fruit.
Lessons from the Keyhole Garden
A year after building my keyhole garden I've learned a few lessons. Here's a quick list of tips to keep your keyhole garden happy and productive through the growing season.
Video: Timeout With Goldfish
I couldn't afford fancy fish like Koi for my pond, so I went to the pet store and bought 10 tiny "feeder fish" for 23 cents each. Here they are, 2 years later. There's still nine of them and they're all big and friendly (and still way cheaper than koi).
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.