Photos
Photo of the Day: Vintage Red Rose
My mom had this rose in her garden for 20 years before she gave it to me. I planted it, and 26 years later, it still looks amazing and smells absolutely intoxicating.
Photo of the Day: Hidden Lake Hot Peppers
Hidden Lake Hot peppers are a Cayenne / Thai hybrid we grow every year for hot sauce Fifty degree swings between day and night temperatures are making tough for the plants remaining in the vegetable garden, but the Cayenne/Thai peppers we call "Hidden Lake Hot" are still hanging in there. They'll continue to produce right up until rain and frost does them in.
Photo of the Day: Mystery Frog on a Lillypad
Walked by our pond this morning and spied this little guy sitting all fairytale like on a lillypad. I have no idea where he came from. There is a small lake nearby, but it seems quite a hop to get here from there.
Photo of the Day: Happy Face Bell Peppers
Cut the tops off of a couple Olympus bell peppers we were having with dinner last night and couldn't help but notice that they have "smiley faces" inside. Bonus!
Photo of the Day: Gopher Snake!
Our duck enclosure is covered with a very old, thick orange clock vine (Thumbergia). Looks great in bloom and offers cover for the animals, including this guy, a gopher snake that scared the bejesus out of me when I when to pick it up because I thought it was a hose. Next time, I'll look twice!
Photo of the Day: Tomato sprouting from the inside out
This is weird. I pulled this tomato off the vine because I thought it had worms, but it turns out the seeds germinated inside the tomato and were popping through a break in the skin. Anyone know what causes that?
Photo of the Day: Moulin Rouge Sunflower
I like sunflowers so I sprinkle them around the acre to add some visual interest and keep the birds and bees happy. This one is Moulin Rouge, which I picked up along with a number of other varieties from @johnys_seeds. The depth of the red color in this one is a real show stopper.
Photo of the Day: Rose Apple or Jambu fruit
Jambu is another subtropical that does well here in San Diego. This one is Syzygium Jambos or the Rose Apple. In the summer it has feathery white flowers that turn into a waxy little fruit that sort of tastes like rose water. I'm not a fan of the fruit, but I do like the tree.
Photo of the Day: Yellow (Lemon) Guava
We've lots of subtropicals and semi-rare plants on the Acre. Interestingly, they all fruit in fall. This one is Psidium littorale, aka Yellow Guava or Lemon Guava.
Photo of the Day: Red Shouldered Hawks and a Squirrel Lunch
You know what is bad ass? A red shouldered hawk swooping down from a telephone pole and grabbing a ground squirrel on the run. Changes the definition of a "grab and go meal" for me.