Transitional Period

Since I have been back from vacation, I have been so busy moving to a new school. Luckily, the weather has been fantastic for my cucumbers! The tomatoes are ripening and I just harvested the soybeans. The roses need their break as well. The drought has been hard. I think about all that wasted water at UCLA! How crazy is that?

The Story of Wheat

Such a beautiful sight as a ripe wheat field is difficult to get out of your head. We were fortunate to visit a farmer who had a field ready to be harvested. The dew must completely dry before they cut because the grain will become moldy. The harvest takes place in the late afternoon.

The combine is a huge harvester and it was exciting to see the action from the front seat. A duck flew out of the teeth and it was scary! I think it lost its nest.

Getting on and off can be tricky! 

So after the combine makes three trips in through the field, the wheat is dumped into a truck. The guy missed his mark and spilled a whole mess of wheat on the ground. They plant the wheat in the fall. This make this harvest the winter wheat. It lays under the snow in the winter which helps it to develop a strong root system. The whole growing process takes 10 months or so. Just amazing!

Pretty but pokey!

The Sun is Out!

It is a few days into July and the sun is peeking out of the clouds! The June Gloom came at the end of the month and I was worried about the tomatoes. Blight can be devastating! Anyway, the Meyer lemon tree still has some great lemons on it. I had this tree for 3 years in my patio which only gets full sun in the morning-early afternoon. I really recommend getting one of theses dwarf lemon trees. I went to a nursery and spent three times the Home Depot price because I wanted a semi-mature tree. Home Depot citrus trees are great but sometimes, the trees are so stressed. The whiteflies love it too so I have to hose the tree down once a week with a strong spray of water. I know living in an apartment means you don't have a lot of space and light to grow things but you can if you know what kinds of plants can can tolerate the less than ideal conditions. Growing ornamentals can be rewarding as well. Shady plants are happy under my fruit trees. I have a few in my patio as well.

I think I am starting to figure out what tomato was planted where in my community garden plot. The Sungold is a very popular choice because the cherry tomatoes develop very fast in beautiful green clusters that turn yellow orange. The clusters look amazing! I am looking forward to seeing the Black Cherry. Where it is I don't quite know yet. The blight can be seen in the garden now. I have been making sure my leaves are not on the ground and there is enough air circulation. Even with all the care, it just spreads no matter what. It is in the soil. I just pray that my tomatoes stay healthy and happy. My roses have been taking over literally. The early summer pruning has helped but it has to be done regularly because they are just growing like mad. The weather as been perfect. Abraham Darby and a few are stricken with rust but it can be managed. Some of the more upright roses are just blooming in profusion like this Molineux. Jubilee Celebration did its thing and now the Snow Goose is ready for its own show. Mary bloomed all at once and the red roses are waiting for their turn. I find that the roses need constant attention. High maintenance! I miss most of the blooms anyway. The plot is only 2.5 miles away but sometimes, I have to let it be.

I have been rehabilitating this bare root rose sine April. It is finally recovering. There is another one in the community garden that I am trying to take care of. The new growth got broken off accidentally. 

 I went to the school garden yesterday to water. The plants were looking okay. I decided to wait three weeks between the watering. I completely flood the beds. It got mulched before I left for the summer. That seems to help with retaining the moisture in this little garden that is located in full sun built into the asphalt. I tried the timer with the soaker hoses but there are rascals who jump the fence and find the time to do something stupid. The garden is in need of some pruning but I will do that later in the month. School starts in early August.