We Finally Have Rain

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:36:17 -0800

California has had, so far, the driest winter since 1883. Yesterday, we finally got some rain. A lot of rain in fact. So today, when the sun came out after a particularly heavy downpour, I went out to the garden to check on things. Of course, my Director of Pest Management followed me. She goes stir crazy when she has to stay in the house because of the weather. She immediately climbed to the top of the apricot tree to get a better view of things.

We planted some peas in the fall and they’ve been producing a few peas even though we’ve had some very frosty weather. We planted some more seed today. It’s not too late to get some pea seeds in the ground. These are snow peas but you can plant shelling or English peas as well.

My bok choy is starting to go to seed and needs to be picked ASAP. I’m thinking bok choy with ginger, garlic and cashews.

The cauliflower and broccoli plants we set last fall are starting to grow more rapidly now. There is something about a good rain that just makes the plants jump up and grow. The spinach and chard are starting to grow as well.

My blueberry plants actually have started to produce flowers.

The almond tree has buds. It’s usually the first tree to bloom in the spring.

Happy Holidays

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:32:10 -0800

In the spirit of saving trees, we hung our ornaments in the front window. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends!

Growing Pomegranates

Thu, 8 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800

Two years ago we bought a pomegranate tree. We chose the “Wonderful” variety because of it’s size, soft seeds, high water content and excellent flavor. It thrives in a variety of well drained soils and grows best in full sun. It will tolerate cold temperatures during winter down to 20° F. Pomegranates are self-pollinating and typically ripen in the late fall in California.

The “tree” is more of a bush that is a native to the area of modern day Iran. Pomegranates have been cultivated for over two thousand years. In fact, a pomegranate was found in one of the pyramids in Egypt, probably because they considered them a symbol of prosperity and ambition. Thomas Jefferson planted them at Monticello and he got them from his mentor, Virginia law professor, George Wythe. They didn’t have much luck growing them on the East Coast but then Spanish settlers brought the pomegranate to California in 1769. They thrived here.

Pomegranates, considered a “superfood”, are high in anti-oxidants, and have been used medicinally for thousands of years. According to the Ebers Papyrus, one of the earliest medical writings from 1500 BC, the Egyptians used pomegranates for the treatment of tapeworms and other infections. The seeds and juice have long been considered a tonic for the heart and throat. Ayurvedic medicine considers pomegranates a counterbalance to a diet high in sweets and fats. Recent medical research has shown that pomegranate juice can inhibit the of growth of breast cancer cells as well as prostate cancer. There is also research to indicate that the juice can aid in the reduction of skin cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

For the last two years, our little bush has produced lots of flowers. When the little berry looking bud forms, you think it’s the fruit but it opens into a beautiful red orange tissue paper looking flower.

We’ve had lots and lots of beautiful flowers over the last two years.

But they’ve always ended up like this on the ground.

This summer, we went away for a week and came back to find this, a little green pomegranate...

...and this little mutant pomegranate with it’s bottom on it’s side. Hey, I was overjoyed to find any pomegranates at all. I’ve read that every pomegranate has exactly 840 seeds. Really? Could this little guy have that many seeds?

We watched our little pomegranates closely all through the fall as they slowly grew larger and started to turn red. Sadly, however, they cracked open before they could fully ripen. I’m not sure if the weather/rain contributed to this disaster but considering this was it’s first year, it’s understandable. I’m going to feed my little bush some composted chicken manure this winter and hope for the best next summer.

The End of the Summer Garden

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 17:44:15 -0800

Frost has been teasing me for days with small snow flake like crystals of ice on the windshield of my car in the morning. There have also been some very cold nights. So cold in fact, I was forced to put away the summer bedspread and get out the down blanket. But this morning, the ice on my windshield was no longer teasing me. It was one of those mornings when you just have to wait until your defroster can melt the ice so you can see to pull out of your driveway. Summer is definitely over, even here in northern California.

The first hard frost calls for a final summer harvest. I picked the last head of lettuce, the last watermelon, and the only butternut squash. I also picked tomatoes, onions, carrots and what will probably be the last of the green beans.

The leaves on the trees are turning red....

and the squirrels and spiders are making preparations for the winter. Summer is definitely over.

Happy Halloween!!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:22:45 -0700

My Director of Pest Management would like to wish you a very Happy Halloween!