End of Summer Garden

Well, it's been a while since I've written anything here. The garden has had an enormous growth spurt after the recent heatwave. Everything is huge and needs lots of cutting. I've been a bit under the weather and haven't done much outside lately, but today I put in my new compost maker 'the earth machine'. We bought it last saturday at a composting workshop, which we happened to see as we drove down Manchester Bl. It was only 20 dollars. It's like an upside down trash can and the bottom is the lid. The underside is open so that earth worms can get in there and help make nice compost. At soil level there is a nice little door to dig out the finished compost.

I added some leaves and had some nice vegetable scraps to put in there already. Watered it down a bit, and it's started!

It's not real attractive looking so I put it at the back of the house where you can't see it, but it'll be a lot better than my homemade one, which had no top, and when it rained, the compost would get too wet. (Of course it's been years since we had any good rain.)

My tomatoes are still producing, although there aren't as many future ones. This thanks to some tobacco hornworms, really amazing looking creatures, who just about eat the whole plant, or at least all the leaves, if you don't pay attention for an hour or two.

The roses are amazing again. I thought they were at their peak one and a half months ago, but they've gotten another one. Even the purple ones have loads of flowers now.

My herbs are also doing great. They are flowering as if there was no tomorrow, which there isn't for some of them, as they are annuals and after the flowering and setting seed it's over for them. Especially the cilantro and the basil. So I try to cut out the flowers to prolong the life of the plant.

A very forward little visitor!

One of the many butterflies in the garden.

Pink Day

Today was another grass cutting day. After we went for a walk in the morning Peter cut the lawn. The grass has started to grow very nice now over the bare soil that was thrown on top of the previous grass, so it looks beautiful again.

Last week I started some herb cuttings in my little dilapidated greenhouse. I made it years ago from old windows. Most of the cuttings look great. It's been very windy in the afternoons so it really makes a difference. I have two different thymes, rosemary, two mints, and basil.

I've found a new photo website, it's called Flickr. The nice thing about it is that you can download the pictures straight to your own computer. You can choose if you want to make the pictures public or keep them private.

Today I made a series of pictures of pink things around the house and garden, just for fun. I'm adding the link here: http://flickr.com/photos/merel1/sets/72157601353228139/

Hooray, the cast is off!

Today they took the cast off my wrist. It has finally healed. I'm so happy. Of course I still have to wear an immobilizer, but not all the time. My wrist is very stiff and still a little painfull and it's going to take a lot of exercise and physical therapy to get it flexible again, but even so......
Just to be able to get my whole hand wet again feels great. My skin is extremely sensitive there and water on it is like a totally new experience.

I can't wait to go swimming in the ocean, or even take a shower without a plastic bag around my arm. :)
I made a little herb garden for my niece who is getting married soon, to put on the walkway balcony of their appartment.

More tomatoes

More tomatoes. A whole basket full this morning. I've put them on the counter and we've been snacking from it. They are delicious. Sweet and a little bit tart. The yellow ones were a total surprise. They were all supposed to be red, and I didn't realize until a few days ago the ones on this particular plant weren't going to get any redder than deep yellow. They are even sweeter than the red ones. I'm trying to leave all tomatoes on the plant until they are fully ripe, because they taste best that way, but it's not easy!
I bought some new herb plants at the Farmer's Market yesterday. The ones you see here are summer and winter savory. One is an annual, the other a perennial.
Also note my wooden shoe collection behind the plants. I've picked those up at flea markets in Holland over the years.
Yesterday Peter and I had breakfast in the garden in the corner by the fountain. He recently put in a brick path there. We were joined by Ashau, who likes to sit on Peter's lap, especially when he is eating. First she pretends she is only interested in looking around, but pretty soon she starts to paw at the cup. She knows he is a softie, so he shared the last of his oatmeal with her.

Welcome to my garden.

For years I've been wanting to keep a garden journal, but it just never happened. Writing by hand is just too slow. I'm hoping to do better with the computer. I'm planning to include many photographs to make it visually appealing. I am located in Southern California.

I've just started gardening again after the back wall from our garden was replaced and other work was done on the outside of the house.
I also broke my wrist 6 weeks ago and my gardening has been mostly one-handed. It's surprising what you can do with your left hand, if you try!Luckily Peter has been helping me out with the heavy work. He also did most of the work on the brick paths in the herb garden, my 'formal' garden, in the above picture. When I first started to garden, many years ago, it had full sun. Over the years a bush next door turned into a mighty tree and it became a shade garden. The neighbors cut the tree down this year and it's back to full sun.
I've started planting herbs again and have also put in some tomato plants, the cherry tomato type. They're doing very well. Last week I picked about 30, and there are many more to come.
I usually get the best results with cherry tomatoes. Large tomatoes often have something happen to them before they are ready to eat.



This morning I saw this very interesting insect hang out on my lemon grass. I have no idea what it is. It's about the size of a bee.