Gardening 2021

 In April, I decided I wanted to make a flower bed in the empty space where we replaced the fence (and took out some ugly bushes).  Alex and I arranged some stones, put down wire to keep the gophers out, added dirt, and planted some seeds.  I probably didn't choose the prettiest flowers to go there, but the idea was to plant something that wouldn't require much maintenance.  I thought wildflowers would probably grow well.  I also like wildflowers and the idea that they aren't the prettiest flower out there, but they have a beauty all their own.  I sometimes think of myself as a wildflower, so I guess we have a little in common.  

Alex and Savannah also planted a vegetable garden.  They planted green beans, tomatoes, and zucchini.  

It was exciting to watch the little seedlings growing through the month of May.  We had to put a cage over the top because the dog was digging in there.  (I think she still gets in there now, but we can't keep a cage over it.)  The second picture below is what my flowers looked like when we left for Oklahoma in early June.  By the time we got back a few weeks later, the flowers had taken off and growing well (the 3rd picture).  The last picture is the most recent one, a few weeks after the 3rd picture.  It's fun to see the different varieties of flowers popping up.  Unfortunately, a large animal (likely the dog), has broken the flowers on one side of the flower bed, but it's fun to see some pretty flowers in the previously empty space.   

We have some other things in harvest season - apples, peaches, apricots, and avocadoes (in process).  When we got back from Oklahoma, there were rotten apricots and apples all over the ground.  Savannah and I counted 546 apples that we picked up off the ground and threw away.  I picked up about 415 rotten apricots.  Unfortunately, that was all the apricots on that tree (but I discovered another tree behind the trampoline that produced apricots a little later).  We had lots of green beans growing, but no tomatoes or zucchini yet.  We also have grapes growing, as well as lemons and tangerines.  

I gave away a whole box of apples to the local Food Bank.  Alex made pies and delivered some before we left for Oklahoma and one for our last day of school.  I also made 5 apple pies to give away, 2 pies for 4th of July, and 1 pie for Weston's birthday.  Savannah and I delivered 100 peaches to 10 friends, and we still have a lot of peaches growing.  We can't keep up!  We are winding down on the apples. We enjoyed some yummy pie from them.