Flyaway Fennel

It's one of those rebel, flyaway seeds that decided to make its home in the most inconspicuous corner of my vegetable garden.  This sole fennel seed managed to somehow grow between two slabs of concrete and under a bed of walk-on bark, and looks like it has a good promising future.

Sneek Peek at the Underground

Nature's miracles occur every single day.  Some of the neatest ones are foods that grow just below the surface.  In the dark, silent spaces they wait, snugly fit. And slowly, they grow. Here are my babies coming round the corner this spring season.  A few more weeks and they should be fully matured. These seeds were planted shortly before Christmas of last year.

BEETS

CARROTS

ONIONS

Birth of Vine-us

I gave this young Cabernet grape vine a home last July, not knowing what will become of it. I planted according to the instructions and kept close watch.  I even wrote a little haiku for it.

Shortly after this haiku, my vine began to see its demise, becoming yellowish, nearly dead, as if cursed by my poetic efforts.

In the days that followed, my friend Vincenzo offered 2 big barrels of organic matter he had collected-mostly green scraps and some egg shells which had not fully decomposed yet- and needed to get rid of, as he was getting ready to move back to Italy.  So I said, bring them over!

We dumped one barrel into my large compost bin, and the other, we mixed directly into the ground not far from the vine. In about a month, the fresh organic scraps saw to it that my soil got massive nutrients and a new life.  This became a thriving space for some very interesting and beautiful regrowth. But little did I know it would also cure my sick baby vine.  The other day, as I came upon it and looked closer, I saw not only green and healthy new grape leaves, but what appeared to be clusters of grapes just beginning to blossom. I think nature has a breathtaking way of expressing itself while teaching us some lessons.  Will continue to monitor the progress of this Cabernet vine, but I must say this one blew me away.

Flowering Buds of February

Ah!  Southern California Rain.  And sunshine. Then rain.  Then sunshine. Even amidst these strange and unpredictable weather patterns in good ol' So Cal, I'm happy to report my plants and trees are alive.  And kicking.  One minute it's 95 F, worthy of a surfer's sun tan,  and the next a chilly overnight cold with a nice rainfall.  Sure makes for some strange seasonal harvesting!  But nonetheless, the leafy greens are blooming, the buds are popping, and the citrus blossoms, fragrant as ever :)