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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Garden Update for March


I know most of you are laughing at us here in California for a paltry 5" of rain in one weekend. But for us that is a lot. While we needed it desperately, we didn't need it all at once. If that was spread out over a few weeks or even a month it would have been much better. Luckily we will be drying out here for a few weeks with temps back in the 80's so there won't be anymore damage like this:

These pictures are not my house or even my block, but a few blocks north:
At the far north end of the block.
I guess they get the gusty winds that we do at the north end of our block

They were taking some massive pumps into the house.

24 hours after the last rain and water is still streaming out of this backyard.

Dandelions in median strip
Click here for a delightful Dandelion Green Soup recipe.
But I'd buy them in the store and not use them from the median strip.


So pretty and delicate.
 Our damage was relatively minor:
I kind of like the rustic tilted look and may leave it that way.

Foam and algae in the pond - yeck!

Lots of damaged leaves on the turnips.

Sigh! At least he noticed that he was tracking in mud after a few steps.

All of my pink plum blossoms - GONE!
It is the last one that really depresses me. The entire block was just starting to turn pink and then the storm hit. The show only lasts a week or so anyway. Boo! There are still a few blooms though.



A few shots of my other short lived beauties - freesias:








The California natives are looking beautiful:


The view from the living room window.

The reason they are called Manzanita or "little apples".

A preponderance of pink - Arctostaphylos
A plethora of purple - Ceonothus


Betula Occidentalis - Water birch - just starting to leaf.


The edibles are doing pretty well:

Lots of big green leaves on the artichoke.

The first pomegranate bloom

Thompson grapes

Red Table grapes

ready or not, you come out next week, beets.

same to you, carrots.

kale and turnips

Started hardening off the tomatoes, which is why the beets and carrots need to move over soon.

Hope your garden is starting to show signs of spring soon.