Bittersweet
-
Eyal and I always knew that it would be difficult building a family from
two different countries. It is just now, however, that we have to really
put that ...
14 years ago
Resident Amphibian
I finally got around to trimming back the calla lilies a bit. I was not surprised to find a lot of snails and slugs, but I was surprised to find this little critter. I'm assuming it's a salamander, but I don't think I've ever encountered a salamander in my backyard in California. Does anyone know what type it is? The video shows it scampering back to cover.
Earth Day festivities
I went to the 10th annual West Contra Costa County Earth Day shindig on Saturday. It's at the recycling center, but I didn't get to go on that tour. I toured the Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was just a little ways down the road. I've posted some photos on facebook, so if you're on fb you can check them out there. The power at the plant comes from three sources: methane captured from the contents of the sewers, solar panels, and from our local gas company. The stink was pretty bad in certain areas, and if I were to take students there I would suggest bringing a bandana to cover over the nose and mouth. Overall, though, it was really interesting. A good thing to see. Everyone should know where stuff goes when you a toilet.
Back at the main Earth Day event, I volunteered at a booth where we let people make paper from paper scraps. Just put the tiny scraps in the blender with water, liquify, pour the pulp over a screen, roll out water, and let dry on newspaper. It was kind of crazy, as it was very popular and there were not always enough volunteers.
Today, Forest and I made a classic cardboard and aluminum foil solar box cooker. It took longer than expected as we didn't boxes of exactly the right size and spent some time re-sizing our boxes. Still, a worthwhile endeavor. Forest is going to try it out on his balcony, which gets hot western sun.
I hope you are enjoying this lovely time of year, where the plant world seems to be noticeably changing every day.
Back at the main Earth Day event, I volunteered at a booth where we let people make paper from paper scraps. Just put the tiny scraps in the blender with water, liquify, pour the pulp over a screen, roll out water, and let dry on newspaper. It was kind of crazy, as it was very popular and there were not always enough volunteers.
Today, Forest and I made a classic cardboard and aluminum foil solar box cooker. It took longer than expected as we didn't boxes of exactly the right size and spent some time re-sizing our boxes. Still, a worthwhile endeavor. Forest is going to try it out on his balcony, which gets hot western sun.
I hope you are enjoying this lovely time of year, where the plant world seems to be noticeably changing every day.
Fruits of the Season
I have just started to read about how to harvest and cook nopales. Anyone have a favorite way of getting rid of the thorns? 
The lemon trees are so productive, we cannot keep up with just the windfall (and there are some strong daily winds here, so there is always windfall).
The fig, which had fruit before it had leaves, currently looks like this. I was just reading about figs last night, and I think this is the small first crop, which will be followed later in summer by a larger main crop.
The peach tree has these fruit now.
Below is the fruit on the first apple tree to bloom.
I am now pretty certain that the two trees at the northeast corner of the house are strawberry guavas. My first thought upon tasting them was, "guava-like" especially the texture and seeds inside. However, I couldn't believe guavas would grow in this climate, and also the fruit were much smaller than any guavas I'd ever seen. Other people have agreed that they seemed like guava, but nobody has been completely certain. I just read that there a couple varieties grow in the area, and one is called "strawberry guava." I believe that is what I have. Today I discovered some of the fruit higher up on the tree is quite large. Previously, we'd only seen fruit about the size of cherries.
The picture shows the range in size of these fruit.
The lemon trees are so productive, we cannot keep up with just the windfall (and there are some strong daily winds here, so there is always windfall).
The fig, which had fruit before it had leaves, currently looks like this. I was just reading about figs last night, and I think this is the small first crop, which will be followed later in summer by a larger main crop.
The peach tree has these fruit now.
Below is the fruit on the first apple tree to bloom.
I am now pretty certain that the two trees at the northeast corner of the house are strawberry guavas. My first thought upon tasting them was, "guava-like" especially the texture and seeds inside. However, I couldn't believe guavas would grow in this climate, and also the fruit were much smaller than any guavas I'd ever seen. Other people have agreed that they seemed like guava, but nobody has been completely certain. I just read that there a couple varieties grow in the area, and one is called "strawberry guava." I believe that is what I have. Today I discovered some of the fruit higher up on the tree is quite large. Previously, we'd only seen fruit about the size of cherries.
The picture shows the range in size of these fruit.
Candid Shots Inside the House
Here are some pictures of the inside of our house because Sophie asked. I resisted the urge to tidy up or wait until everything has a place before taking the pictures, because then of course it would be an even longer wait.
The first picture is a camellia in a bowl on the coffee table. It looks much better there than any of the blooms look on the bushes, which are still rather square (from their earlier severe pruning). The roses are on the back of the toilet in the hall bathroom. I wish I could send smell-files on the internet: these are fantastic old-fashioned really fragrant roses. When the bathroom door had been closed, I opened it and was struck by the noticeable aroma of roses in the air. The roses grow along the west side of the house.
The first picture is a camellia in a bowl on the coffee table. It looks much better there than any of the blooms look on the bushes, which are still rather square (from their earlier severe pruning). The roses are on the back of the toilet in the hall bathroom. I wish I could send smell-files on the internet: these are fantastic old-fashioned really fragrant roses. When the bathroom door had been closed, I opened it and was struck by the noticeable aroma of roses in the air. The roses grow along the west side of the house.
Heavenly Spring Break
I've been busy in the best possible way. Rode over 10 miles on my bike on Monday, on three separate errands. Monday also brought visitors (thanks Laurie and Helen!), which reinforced the feeling of being on holiday. I've been puttering in the house and garden, spending time reading gardening books and cook books. Made my first jar of preserved lemons (thanks for the idea, Heather!), made more lemonade, plus vegan lemon-poppyseed cake.
I've also been solar cooking again, though my box oven needs some refurbishing or something. We've done rutabagas, beets, butternut squash. I cooked some beans today, but they didn't quite get done, so I finished them in the pressure cooker.
Today I had long chats with two neighbors. One offered to bring us some lemon liqueur she made from lemons from our trees. The other offered me free heirloom tomato plants, which I promptly put into the ground. He has been in the neighborhood for 35 years and has been raising tomatoes for 30.
We had our old push/reel mower blades sharpened, and I finally mowed the front lawns today. They're going yellow, and I'm sure there are neighbors shaking their heads and saying, "What a shame! The old people took such good care of the lawn." What will they think when we sheet mulch it and turn it into a native plantscape?
I've also been solar cooking again, though my box oven needs some refurbishing or something. We've done rutabagas, beets, butternut squash. I cooked some beans today, but they didn't quite get done, so I finished them in the pressure cooker.
Today I had long chats with two neighbors. One offered to bring us some lemon liqueur she made from lemons from our trees. The other offered me free heirloom tomato plants, which I promptly put into the ground. He has been in the neighborhood for 35 years and has been raising tomatoes for 30.
We had our old push/reel mower blades sharpened, and I finally mowed the front lawns today. They're going yellow, and I'm sure there are neighbors shaking their heads and saying, "What a shame! The old people took such good care of the lawn." What will they think when we sheet mulch it and turn it into a native plantscape?
Salvaging and Making Due
We transformed this old wardrobe that our friend Steven had given us long ago into a pantry for food storage. Our kitchen, while spacious in the center, is not overly equipped with cupboards, and we'd been living with several boxes in the middle of the floor of the kitchen, trying to figure out where all the kitchen stuff would go. A few 1X2s and 1x4s and it is fulfilling its highest calling.
I was really wanting an outdoor table for the covered area outside the back door. I knew we would eventually find something, but I really was wanting something on Sunday morning since people were coming over that evening. I told Justin as we left to do errands, "I want to find a free outdoor table." He pointed out that we couldn't really fit a table in the car, and I reluctantly agreed.
Nothing at Urban Ore. Went to Berkeley Bowl and got the closest parking space I've ever seen on a weekend. A couple more errands. Back in Richmond, we saw a sign for a garage sale. Before we found the garage sale, we saw some furniture on a lawn with a "free" sign. One of the items was a round formica table, with detachable legs, that just barely fit in our car. And here it is:
By the way, the vase was also salvaged and the flowers are from the yard!
I was really wanting an outdoor table for the covered area outside the back door. I knew we would eventually find something, but I really was wanting something on Sunday morning since people were coming over that evening. I told Justin as we left to do errands, "I want to find a free outdoor table." He pointed out that we couldn't really fit a table in the car, and I reluctantly agreed.
Nothing at Urban Ore. Went to Berkeley Bowl and got the closest parking space I've ever seen on a weekend. A couple more errands. Back in Richmond, we saw a sign for a garage sale. Before we found the garage sale, we saw some furniture on a lawn with a "free" sign. One of the items was a round formica table, with detachable legs, that just barely fit in our car. And here it is:
By the way, the vase was also salvaged and the flowers are from the yard!
Peach Tree Damage
The lovely peach tree had some plastic wrap around one limb and the crotch where all the limbs come out from the trunk. We removed it and discovered underneath some kind of damage/infestation. I can't actually tell if it is active or the result of something that already happened. I'm posting pictures in hopes that somebody will be able to identify what it is and what we should do about it!
Just a Quick Note
About the trees in the backyard:
I think the tree near the house is guava. Although the fruit are much smaller than any guava I've seen, they look and taste like guava. I will take a sample to the nursery.
Other trees that were identified this weekend: definitely one is a fig,then there appear to also be a walnut, an avocado, and an apple.
Several others remain unidentified. Their identities shall reveal themselves when they leaf or flower. Mysteries of a limited time-span!
I think the tree near the house is guava. Although the fruit are much smaller than any guava I've seen, they look and taste like guava. I will take a sample to the nursery.
Other trees that were identified this weekend: definitely one is a fig,then there appear to also be a walnut, an avocado, and an apple.
Several others remain unidentified. Their identities shall reveal themselves when they leaf or flower. Mysteries of a limited time-span!
More pictures, just because I have them
A few more pictures from when we were there on Monday. As you can see, we got the grand old range. We need to buy a refrigerator and a washing machine (clothesline is already in place!). We're going to leave the carpets in place for now, even though they are kinda funky (not dirty, just brown and worn).
Commentary
Here's the text to go with the photos below.
1. House from across the street.
2. Row of roses along the 26th Street (western) side of the house.
3. Square bushes along the front (northern) side of the house turn out to be camellias, I realized.
4. Fruit tree covered with pink blossoms turns out to be peach. The plastic on the branch is because the branch cracked and it is healing and he (the man who made this garden) didn't want the tree to get infected.
5. Close-up of peach blossom.
6. An herb that he said was good for the stomach. Anyone recognize it?
7. Closer-up and further back of a bush that looks familiar to me, but I don't know what it is. Is it buckwheat or some other faux grain?
8. Mystery herb. 9. Mystery tree.
10. Row of aloes. 11. Big bunch of calla lilies.
12. View of back yard from southeast corner of yard, with garage and shed in view behind Justin.
13., 14. Two shots from the same spot, facing the house.
15. This is the rhododendron "tree" whose pink blossoms featured in a previous post as mystery flowers.
16. This mystery tree (followed by 17. a picture of its fruit) is close up to the house.
18. View of the backyard from the driveway gate. House is on the right, garage on the left.
19. Justin in front of the driveway gate. It's not a home without a big iron gate, right?
Please identify any plants you can!
Not featured, but I have to mention again, two lemon trees (full of fruit), several robust prickly pear cacti, a patch of calendula, lots of bolting cilantro in the beds as well as bolting radishes, a few random pots of plants, like a big purple wandering-jew (what's the right name for that?) and mint. There are also two tallish hot pepper plants, the kind with the little upright peppers. The sellers' agent, who was showing us around, warned us that they are very hot! She also said that the man said the peaches are really delicious, and she vouched for the nopales herself, which they had given her on various visits.
My visions are grand and will take years to implement, but I think I've already managed to convince Justin that we can get some hens, maybe even rabbits if we can figure out what to do with them (could we eat them? Could we sell them to someone else to eat?). I'm imagining turning the front yard into a wild garden of California natives, drought tolerant and appropriate for our climate and locale. There are a few non-natives that I really want: bougainvillea, hibiscus or rose-of-sharon, and that purple-flowering tree that is everywhere around the east bay and blooms year-round. I also really like wisteria and jacaranda. Okay, so maybe those can go in the back with the vegetables and herbs.
We want to set up greywater from the washing machine, which will be housed in the garage and easy to set up for graywater. It would be great to also do greywater from the showers, but that'll be slightly more complicated to do.
There are so many things to do! We're not really going to do much until this summer, which I will have off. That is when we will do interior painting, and pull up the carpets. (We lifted it up in two of the closets and saw the hardwood underneath, as the sellers told us it was.) It's tempting to paint now while it's empty, but (a) we don't have any spare time, and (b) it's rainy and cold and we won't be able to leave the doors and windows open to get it really ventilated.
Also looking forward to solar cooking again, in our sunny driveway or in the middle of the garden, maybe even in the front yard. That'd get the neighbors over for a chat, right?
As you can tell, I'm really excited--not just that this process is finally over, but actually excited about the particular house we bought. Thanks to everyone for your supportive words during this ordeal!
1. House from across the street.
2. Row of roses along the 26th Street (western) side of the house.
3. Square bushes along the front (northern) side of the house turn out to be camellias, I realized.
4. Fruit tree covered with pink blossoms turns out to be peach. The plastic on the branch is because the branch cracked and it is healing and he (the man who made this garden) didn't want the tree to get infected.
5. Close-up of peach blossom.
6. An herb that he said was good for the stomach. Anyone recognize it?
7. Closer-up and further back of a bush that looks familiar to me, but I don't know what it is. Is it buckwheat or some other faux grain?
8. Mystery herb. 9. Mystery tree.
10. Row of aloes. 11. Big bunch of calla lilies.
12. View of back yard from southeast corner of yard, with garage and shed in view behind Justin.
13., 14. Two shots from the same spot, facing the house.
15. This is the rhododendron "tree" whose pink blossoms featured in a previous post as mystery flowers.
16. This mystery tree (followed by 17. a picture of its fruit) is close up to the house.
18. View of the backyard from the driveway gate. House is on the right, garage on the left.
19. Justin in front of the driveway gate. It's not a home without a big iron gate, right?
Please identify any plants you can!
Not featured, but I have to mention again, two lemon trees (full of fruit), several robust prickly pear cacti, a patch of calendula, lots of bolting cilantro in the beds as well as bolting radishes, a few random pots of plants, like a big purple wandering-jew (what's the right name for that?) and mint. There are also two tallish hot pepper plants, the kind with the little upright peppers. The sellers' agent, who was showing us around, warned us that they are very hot! She also said that the man said the peaches are really delicious, and she vouched for the nopales herself, which they had given her on various visits.
My visions are grand and will take years to implement, but I think I've already managed to convince Justin that we can get some hens, maybe even rabbits if we can figure out what to do with them (could we eat them? Could we sell them to someone else to eat?). I'm imagining turning the front yard into a wild garden of California natives, drought tolerant and appropriate for our climate and locale. There are a few non-natives that I really want: bougainvillea, hibiscus or rose-of-sharon, and that purple-flowering tree that is everywhere around the east bay and blooms year-round. I also really like wisteria and jacaranda. Okay, so maybe those can go in the back with the vegetables and herbs.
We want to set up greywater from the washing machine, which will be housed in the garage and easy to set up for graywater. It would be great to also do greywater from the showers, but that'll be slightly more complicated to do.
There are so many things to do! We're not really going to do much until this summer, which I will have off. That is when we will do interior painting, and pull up the carpets. (We lifted it up in two of the closets and saw the hardwood underneath, as the sellers told us it was.) It's tempting to paint now while it's empty, but (a) we don't have any spare time, and (b) it's rainy and cold and we won't be able to leave the doors and windows open to get it really ventilated.
Also looking forward to solar cooking again, in our sunny driveway or in the middle of the garden, maybe even in the front yard. That'd get the neighbors over for a chat, right?
As you can tell, I'm really excited--not just that this process is finally over, but actually excited about the particular house we bought. Thanks to everyone for your supportive words during this ordeal!
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