Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Another thrift-store find



This one cost just $15. It's been sitting in the garage since last weekend... too hot to do any sanding. It's more damaged than the last one: the scratches and dents are deeper, but I think it adds character.

I like that it's long and low. I may put a cushion on top and use it as a seat somehow.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Two sorts of walnut

As well as the English walnut, we also have some near-native, Black walnut trees around the creek. I thought they were a type of sumac until this morning, trying to cut one of the fruits open and failing badly.

The English walnut is grafted, about a foot above the ground, probably to a black walnut rootstock. It may be impossible to crack the pure black walnut fruits!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Not everyone takes a siesta

It was about 1.30 pm, and already about 96 degrees F (here, temperatures reach their peak around five in the afternoon, not midday), and the dogs were sleepy and taking their siesta. Suddenly, a commotion in the back garden: ten or so turkeys, yelling-gobbling, flew across the creek to our side, followed by the local cockerel (or rooster if you prefer), often heard but never before seen, shiny green and gold and red... all followed by a very-enthusiastic, furry coyote.

I think the cockrel escaped -- he went one way, and the coyote went another -- but there are a cluster of turkey feathers waving in the breeze on the other side of the creek now.

He looked like a furry, beige, large English fox.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Squash!


Quite a few squash plants of various varieties around the garden. This one is "spaghetti squash", and it's quite rampant--climbing up the fence around the pool. Perfect for me--it's gluten-free pasta growing in the garden! (When cooked, the flesh turns to spaghetti. Magic.)

Also planted the ones that look like little yellow flying saucers, butternut (to make soup), and of course a courgette/zuchinni on the compost heap.

I like seeing them grow. I'm less fond of eating them. Have to find some recipes which do not turn them slimy. Rapid stir-fry. Julienned. Not cooked-until-mushy.

Baby tomatoes


Several different kinds are growing, yellow pear grape, red Juliet grape, various "heritage" tomatoes that will hopefully be tasty.

I am letting them sprawl, because they love that and there is the room here.

The pepper plants are doing well too. I now understand why Mexican food uses so much tomato and pepper, because when Sacramento temperatures reach over ninety F, these are the only things that flourish. The lettuces and arugula zoomed skywards to make seed and the radishes tried to flower. Must remember that they are "cool weather" crops here.

Daylilies!






They are all flowering! It's the first year, so there are only one or at most two flower spikes per plant... but they are beautiful, and hopefully, will spread year after year until we have an ocean of flowers.