Further to my post of March 29, it looks like the macadamia is pregnant!
Baby nuts
Tag: garden
Allium schoenoprasum
I am admiring the vase of pretty purple chive flowers here on my table, and feeling inspired by the botanical illustrations of Swedish botanist Carl Lindman (1856-1928). There is so much to learn from artists like him.
Chives are widespread in nature across much of Europe, Asia, and North America. A. schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old Worlds. As well as producing edible flowers, leaves and bulbs, chives have pest-repelling properties that make them a great companion plant for most other vegetables and herbs. The plant also provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. Gotta love ’em!
baby limes
What’s the equivalent of bed rest for a pregnant citrus tree? Compost and rock dust?
Salvia apiana
Carrying ladybug larvae to an ailing plant then watching them crawl all over the leaves is a very satisfying way to spend half an hour. Just sayin’. But then I decided it would be best to plant the sage in the ground. Hopefully it will soon bounce back to good health, with or without the help of ladybugs.
going to seed
“More fresh veggies than you can eat” is a good problem to have. Better than the opposite, that’s for sure. Despite our valiant efforts to eat a basketful of greens every day, they’re bolting.
crimson soup for lunch
Fresh from the garden: a nice fat beet with glossy, full leaves. Coming up: Crimson Soup for lunch. Mm-mmm.
Thomomys bottae
I’m not a big fan of gophers, given the subterranean damage they wreak, but I’ve learned to live with them, and even save their lives on occasion.
tomato day
The garden is still chock full of winter veg, but I found spaces to squeeze in some tomato seedlings. More will be planted as we finish off the abundant goodness that’s currently filling the raised beds.
happy birthday
It’s my birthday, and these chive flowers are all the “candles” I need.
Klambothrips myopori
The myoporum thrips is an invasive species that’s causing a lot of damage to Myoporum laetum and M. pacificum plants in landscapes and nurseries along the California coast. We have five M. laetum trees alongside our driveway; one of them has been infested with this insect for a couple of years now.
Last year we tried introducing lacewing larvae to the tree for natural pest control, but we had storms soon afterwards and never saw evidence of adult lacewings. I’d like to try that again this year, after the winter rains are done.
The thrips can kill even well-established trees so it would be good to get them under control.
hashiworks 