Lettuce Celebrate Cool Season Gardening

Love cool season gardening in California. From the garden, a variety of lettuces, fresh and crisp.  I lvoe the lettuce called "freckles."  If is green with reddish/brown spots (around 7 o'clock in the bowl).

Cherry Chocolate Tomato

 

Who doesn't like a surprise!  A few weeks ago, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a small tomato seedling near the vegetable garden...but in another section of the yard.  Being late in the season, I thought nothing much would come from it. 

Then the heat wave hit.  So hot, I barely ventured outside near the garden except to toss greens into the composter.  

The weather was much cooler this week and I purchased some parsley and thyme to plant for the fall garden.  As I was finishing up, I noticed the tomato plant had taken off, grown with great enthusiasm, and tomatoes were already ripe for the picking.  

Dinner tonight included four of the ripest of these cherry chocolate tomatoes.

Interestingly, I planted this variety officially three year ago. This plant is a volunteer as all of my cherry chocolate tomato plants since that initial planting.  They are very good at dropping from the vine, rolling to a new location and starting a new seedling.   

What's Growing in the Garden?

Tomorrow I will be posting my latest volunteer plant.  It's a winner.

Succulent Magic

These specimens are absolutely stunning.  Great combination of color and texture. These succulents are in an arrangement at Roger's Gardens.  You can find succulents at many of the nurseries.  As a lover of trends in gardening, I've watched as Roger's has introduced us to these waterwise plants in their selections and watched the selections grow.

Yarn Bombed Tree

Sassy Purl has made her presence known at Sherman Gardens.  Perfectly timed for the season, she created a spider web covering for one of the exterior trees.

Test Driving Recipes for Thanksgiving

Bay leaf and sage leaf from the garden adding their point of view to the soup.

It is 95 degrees outside today.  The sun is beating down.  I'm cooking up a pot of hot soup.  The butternut squash is calling me for its cool, dark storage.  Just a few more minutes and it is time to blend to a smooth, yummy soup.  If this "test drive" goes well, this little item could be on the vergetarian portion of the Thanksgiving Meal.

Urth Fountain

New fountain in Laguna Beach.  Very stunning at night with the lights and water.