Notes

11 Incredible Flowers That Attract Bees to Your Garden

The US bee population has been declining at an alarming rate. Other than beekeeping, you can help boost their numbers through gardening. This provides them with a vital food source. To determine whether your location is suitable for such flowers, visit your nearest gardening center or refer to your ...

Potted a Basil start to see if it will grow during the winter months in southern Portugal.

mowed

mowed lawn and watered

New plant

Spindle "Harlequin"

New plants

Fuchsia "Alice Hoffman"

new plants

Today I have planted Pheonix Canariensis (Canary Islands date palm tree) and couple of mini Cyclamens in my front garden.

Grapes in August, 2019

Our grapes are turning from green to red. In a week or two I think we will be enjoying them for dessert.

My plants

Gaura lindheimeri'Whirling Butterflies' Geranium sanguineum var. striatum Delphinium pacific giant ‘Galahad’

orchid

orchid has two flower spikes

Grape clusters for May 30, 2019

So far, our grapes are progressing nicely. This is a picture of our grape clusters for May 30, 2019. We did cut a few clusters horizontally at the ends, because we read that this would yield stronger, bigger grapes. We left most of the grapes uncut, as the picture posted. By late July or August, I ...

shrub i like

Emerald 'n Gold Wintercreeper Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n Gold'

Plants liked

Blue Balloon® Bluebeard Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Korball'

Grapes, April 20th

Our grapes are back! We hope they make it through the summer for harvest. We had a lot of rain this year for January and February. Maybe this will make a nice difference.

Cleaned up yard of trash from storms.

front yard

Front yard in Lewisville took four and a half bags of red mulch and added some to the side.

Spring is Coming

Spring is coming. Our annual flowers keep blooming. They are a happy sign for us. A friend gave me these about 7-8 years ago and they still look beautiful every spring.

February 2019 Lawn

Here's how our lawn looks like this February. It has gotten much greener, because of the recent rains in December and January. It still has some patches of brown dirt. Hopefully, I can cultivate the lawn with some grass seed or patches of grass sod. Obviously, our drought has ended for this year. 

OPEN TUIN / FRUITVERWERKING

Oranges in Mid-January, 2019

This is our orange tree. Fianlly, I have been watering a bit more, thus the fruit hasn't split down the middle. It also seems that the drought must definitely be over in Southern Califonria. This has helped all of the struggling plants and grass. Actually, this whole week has been very rainy.

Grapes in December

Such a surprise to walk out in the garden for December 1st, and see little grapes growing on the vine! I thought I would have to wait until spring or summer. I hope they make it through the coming winter months, even if our temperature is generally moderate for the winter. 

Front Yard, Grass Improvement

Last night It rained, thundered, and the sky lite up with lightening! This is so unusual in Southern California. I wonder if we are still in a drought. Perhaps our lawn will be greener before January or February. I was thinking we had to take out the whole lawn area and replace it with red bark ...

Tomatoes in Autumn

Although our summer tomatoes are gone, this bush seems to have one last harvest! The tomatoes are green thus far, but I hope they ripen. I last counted 25 of them.

Grape Harvest Coming to an End

We were so very happy with our grapes this year! They were sweet and tender, with a melt in your mouth skin. We will have to get used to store bought grapes again, until we try planting and harvesting grapes again.

Greener Lawn Days

Red Dog is sitting on our green lawn. We are trying to get this lawn back to greener days after these few years of water rationing and drought in many Southern California cities.

Grapes in July

These grapes have been ready since mid July. We have been blessed this year with a great crop.