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.
tomato day
Tag: garden
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.
Macadamia integrifolia var. Cate
They say the best time to plant a tree is ten years ago. The second-best time, in our case, is five years ago. We’re happy to see flowers on the macadamia for the first time; here’s hoping that they pollinate successfully. We do have a lot of bees in the yard, so there’s reason to be optimistic.
The macadamia is native to rainforests in south east Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia. (It is not native to Hawaii, as many people think.) Our variety (Cate) was developed here in Malibu, and suits a more Mediterranean climate.
Salvia apiana
Our white (sacred) sage plant was being crowded by a bush sunflower. In pruning back the sunflower, I inadvertently broke two of the sage’s growing tips. I hope I can strike the cuttings—I‘ve had good success with basil; fingers crossed on the sage.
Salvia apiana is an evergreen perennial shrub that is native to these parts, though it wasn’t growing on our block until I planted it. It is widely used by Native American peoples on the Pacific coast of the United States, medicinally and ceremonially. Illegal poaching of wild white sage populations for the commercial sale of ’smudge sticks’ is a concern held by many; if you purchase such a product, you are contributing to the world-wide demand that fuels the poaching. Instead, consider growing your own sacred sage.
garden love
I’ve come home to a very happy healthy veggie garden.
brassicas
The veggie garden’s looking lush and happy, particularly the brassicas, which usually get seriously attacked by aphids and cabbage moths. It’s early days yet, but I’ve got fingers crossed that we get to eat homegrown broccoli and cabbage this year.
Meyer mystery
The lemon tree continues to cause me some head-scratching. I’m hoping that rock dust will help normalise its growth. Gardening is an experiment and an adventure!
Leucadendron
Leucadendron (commonly called cone-bush) is a genus endemic to South Africa. The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences at the branch tips; plants are dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed heads of Leucadendron are woody cone-like structures, giving rise to their common name.
Psidium cattleyanum
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