Friday, July 22, 2022

The Back Yard in July

The Back Yard in July
(taken at 10:40 a.m., from the patio)

"It's not fair", complained the back yard, "She's always taking photos of the front yard."  So, this morning, I took some pictures of the back yard, but, I didn't realize just how much the sun would bleach out the colors. 

These are the two newest plants I've acquired in the last couple of weeks:

West Indian Lemon Grass

Pineapple from a Rooted Top!

I had given M the money to buy me a bag of potting soil and the lemon grass plant and he gave me the pineapple top he had rooted and potted up.  I use lemon grass in my cooking.  These two plants are being sheltered under the patio roof overhang.

Out in the garden, the vegetables are trying their best:

Beetroot

Broccoli
I'm surprised that the beetroot haven't bolted in this heat!  The broccoli has bolted, of course, but, I am still picking tiny side shoots and the leaves, of course!

Zucchini


I'm down to three zucchini plants, now, with the fourth plant consisting of just one leaf!  This year's plants are not producing as well as last year's plants did (a different kind), although M said he's harvested quite a few squash from his plants.  I think his garden has a different micro climate than mine!  Or, he just waters his plants more than I do!


Okra

Serrano Chili

The okra seedlings are still deciding if they want to keep going or not (several have died out), but the serrano chili plant is in its second summer and still producing.  


Tomato Seedlings


The two tomato seedlings that I grew from seed seem to be picking up after being wilted for the heat.  I'm hopeful that they will grow and produce some tomatoes - I've no idea if these are from Roma tomato seeds or Early Girl!  I forgot to take a photo of the "wonky" tomato plant M got on discount, but, it is still growing, too, under the moringa tree.

The moringa tree is the star of the vegetable garden, right now!  It spent the winter and early spring leafless and playing dead, but, as soon as the temperature went up, it flowered and leafed out:


Moringa Leaves and Flowers

Moringa Leaves and Flowers

And, with the help of the bees and the hummingbirds that visited the flowers, it has started to set pods!


Moringa Pods Forming

Both M and I cheered when we saw the first signs of pods forming!  

The fruit plants are coming along, too:


Passionfruit Vine

The passionfruit vine has yielded four ripe fruit, so far and there are another four, maybe five fruits ripening on the vine, still.  




Peach Tree

Nectarine Tree

The peach tree had a smaller crop, this year, and the nectarine tree didn't have any fruit, but, they are both alive and well and, hopefully, both with produce well, next year!

Avocado Tree

The avocado plant had some leaves scorched during our recent triple digit days, but, new leaves are emerging and I think it will continue to do well.   It has a long way to go before it produces any fruit, but, I'm happy to have it in the garden because I grew it from a seed!


Blueberry Bushes

The blueberry bushes have more or less finished producing their berries (I picked three ripe berries this morning, but, I think they were the last).  They seem to be happy in this spot under the patio and I don't want to move them.  I might have to get them bigger containers, next year or the year after!


Volunteer Lemon Plant

Apple Seedling

The volunteer lemon plant (probably a sucker growing from a root of one of the bigger lemon trees) and the apple seedling I grew from an apple seed!  I'm surprised that the apple seedling survived the recent heatwave, but, it seems to be doing well!  

I didn't take pictures of the other fruit trees (the plum, the persimmon, the feijoa/pineapple guava, the calamondin, the orange, and the three lemon trees) or the loquat seedlings - the two that neighbor S gave me and the one that the other neighbors planted in the parkway (which M uprooted, potted up, and moved to the back yard as they had not asked my permission before planting it in my side of the parkway!), but they are all doing well, although only the lemon trees have any fruit still.

However, I did take a photo of this:

Asian Pear Tree

My Asian Pear tree, with its four types of Asian pears grafted onto the main trunk!  I planted it (well, M planted it for me) last year and we had a total of seven fruits from it.  This year, it looks like we might have a few more!  They are all rather small, right now, but, I'm hopeful that they will continue to grow and ripen without any mishap!  

As for flowers - there aren't many, as I am not focusing on them.


Sunflowers

Squill

Very Sorry Looking Guara

White Osteospermum

Light Purple Osteospermum

Pale Pink Oleander (which looks white here)


There are also some gazania growing near the persimmon tree and plumbago near the shed, but, that photo didn't turn out well, at all!  Too much glare from the sun along the side wall!

Plumbago Hedge

The green plants in the foreground of the photo are a mixture of day flowers (Commelina variety) and gazania.

And that is a tour of the back yard in July!  Hope you enjoyed the tour and the sun was not too strong for you!   

20 comments:

  1. I need to go give my poor plants some water; they are struggling in this heat and drought. Your garden looks fantastic!

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    1. It's a constant battle to give the plants adequate water and still comply with the watering restrictions, isn't it? I don't use the sprinklers and water the plants with a hose, but, I don't want to exceed my tier 1 allocation and pay the higher tier 2 rates, either! Hope you are able to give your plants a good drink of water, Stephenie. :)

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  2. Your back garden is amazing! SOOOO many fabulous fruit trees. I would LOVE a peach or nectarine tree (my favourite fruits!)
    I have been struggling with the watering this past week!

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    1. Thank you, Kezzie. Fruit trees are a good addition to a garden and I hope you can grow both a peach and a nectarine tree. :) I am hoping to add a tangerine tree, next as citrus seems to grow well our climate. Watering the plants are a problem because we are experiencing a drought and there are watering restrictions in place. Hope your garden survived your heat wave.

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  3. You have such a lovely variety of plants! Oleander flowers are so lovely. You've turned your back garden into an orchard, it must be wonderful having such a wide selection of fruits.

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    1. Thank you, Celie. I love being able to pick fruit from the garden! Most of the fruit trees are still too young to produce much fruit, but, I am enjoying all the fruit that I am able to pick and look forward to bigger harvests in years to come!

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  4. It's great to see the peach tree is holding up okay. You have so many amazing plants and I especially loved seeing the lemon and apple trees. Mine have recently had a sudden growth spurt. Xx

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    1. Thank you, Jules; yes, the peach tree seems to be doing well! We might reduce its height, this winter, because we don't want it to grow too tall. I'm thrilled that the apple seedling is surviving the heat! How wonderful that your lemon and apple seedlings have had a growth spurt! I'm sure they will be growing more each year!

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  5. Thanks for the tour of your back garden. It's much bigger than I'd remembered but you are making good use of all the space in creating such a productive area. It looks like it's quite a task to water it each time, and the fact that you are under watering restrictions anyway just adds to the problem!

    I like that you live in the middle of an orchard with all the fruit trees in the back garden and the pomegranate in the front garden 😊

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    1. My pleasure, Eileen. My photos are rubbish because I don't know when is the best time to take them, there's usually too much sun when I take the photos, but, it gives an idea of what is growing. It is quite a task to water it all, but, I'm focusing on the vegetable and the fruit trees for the most part.
      Oh, I didn't even realize that I was living in the middle of an orchard! :D Yes, I have the pomegranate (and a very tiny fig plant) in the front and another feijoa (pineapple guava) tree to the side! The other pineapple guava and cherry guava that were growing in the side yard died and at one time, I had sugarcane growing all along the side, too. :D

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  6. Thank you or the tour of your back garden. You are so fortunate to be able to go and pick your own fruit and vegetables from your garden. I only have a cherry tree but usually leave them for the birds to enjoy. It's a shame you are restricted to the use of water but your plants are doing as well as they can.

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    1. You are most welcome, Eileen. I was happy to give a tour of the back garden. :) Yes, I am blessed to be able to grow and pick at least some of my fruits and vegetables. The water restrictions do make it more challenging, but, I am still able to grow some things and that is something I've very grateful for.

      Ooh, kind of you to leave your cherries for the birds to enjoy! I hope the birds appreciate you doing so!

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  7. I always enjoy a garden tour and yours are fun because you grow some different things than I can.

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    1. Thank you, June! Glad you enjoyed the tour! I love seeing other people's gardens, too. It is fun to see what people are growing. :)

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  8. You have a great variety of plants, lovely to have the "garden tour". I think it is a case of feast or famine with your zucchini, they are nothing like you had last year!
    We still have our heat and the river beach is busy. This morning we went out for breakfast with friends we haven't got together with for 2 years and it was time to catch up, although I'm hoping that we all survived being in the local restaurant. I think we just want a bit of normalcy before we get more restrictions, so for us it has been a mix of mask wearing and one or two occasions where we can't wear them. Lots of people never wear them now. There is a lot to be said for government mandates as they do keep everyone on their toes.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour, Bushlady; yes, I guess I do have quite a variety of plants! Yes, it is feast or famine with the zucchini and even the tomatoes! This year's star performers have been the snowpeas and the broccoli! It's all good and all part and parcel of gardening, I suppose. :) I'll never be self-sufficient when it comes to growing food, but, it's a hobby with benefits! :D
      Going out for breakfast with friends sounds lovely and I'm so glad you are able to do that! My half-sister has been saying she'd like us to meet and go out for a meal, but, I'm hesitant. Her definition of being careful isn't quite up to mine. I'm being super careful. Maybe too careful!

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    2. I don't think you are too careful, given your health concerns. Perhaps there is an outdoor restaurant you could go to. That would be my preference. I don't think I can continue being "reckless", but I was getting desperate to do some normal things lately and I can understand others taking chances. It's been a long time!

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    3. Bushlady, I hope I didn't come across as being critical of your choosing to go out for breakfast with your friends. I didn't mean to be critical, at all. My daughter has gone to outdoor restaurants with some work friends and she's comfortable doing that because the new Covid case numbers are so much lower up in the Bay Area than down here where I am. She wouldn't feel comfortable going to even an outdoor restaurant down here! I might consider having lunch with my sister if we brought the food home to eat. But, I don't invite anyone to my house during summer because it is unairconditioned and most guests would feel uncomfortable in the heat and I am not comfortable asking my sister if we can meet at her house, instead. So, we will continue to put off getting together, more or less indefinitely! We've been topping 8,000 new cases the past couple of days and that's too high for my comfort!

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  9. Wow! What a wonderful collection of plants you have in your back garden. I loved walking around with you and seeing everything.
    Things are looking pretty good considering your drought so you and M must be staying on top of the watering, dealing with the restrictions and doing the best you can.
    I think of you and your lack of rain as we have had less than 1/2 inch for the month of July and things are so so dry. But then I think of what you go through and just soldier on because what else can we do, right?
    The pear tree looks fabulous for being so young as does the peach tree. I am so impressed with all the things you've grown from seed.
    You have such a green thumb :)

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    1. Thank you, Debra. M and I are prioritizing the vegetable and fruit plants, when it comes to watering. I received the latest water bill and I was very happy to see that I managed to stay under the allotted amount of 16 hundred cubic feet of water for the period May 19 to July 20. Had I gone over that allotted amount, I would have had to pay at the higher rates for anything over the limit.
      I hope that you get some rain, pretty soon. If not, you will have to continue to water by hand (or sprinklers). You don't have any water restrictions, do you?

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