What a friend looks like....

To my delight, I discover a "settlement" of Ladybug larvaes on my Broccoli Raab plants that I was letting go to seed for next season's crop. Marvelling at how different they look from their parents, I wondered how many people actually know what a Ladybug larva looks like? How many have killed there wondrous larvaes thinking they were another garden pest? That's what lead to this post. Don't want senseless killing of a friend because of ignorance!!

What an ugly mess

How much reality is too much reality.....I guess if I am to remain true to this blog being my virtual `diary' of my gardening adventure, the "whole" reality it is.

It pains and embarasses me to display photos of the ugly mess my garden is right now. Being a part time occupant of our Temecula property, a very very part time occupant has meant many a time our garden is an ugly mess as it is right now. The winter rain sprouted lush green weeds and grasses that have over taken the property. Right now the weeds are feeding the aphids and major weeding is needed. The grass seed plumes are almost pretty as they sway in the breeze. Except then I remember that it means a million new grass seedlings will sprout and the cycle will begin again......

Horrors! Is it a wheat field I have grown in my courtyard garden?

Winter surpise harvest

I am sorry if I have been a downer about winter's kiss on my Temecula garden. I made a day trip to my Temecula home today. Winter rains always brings an onslaught of weeds so I was not too surprised or upset. I did lose more of my succulent plants to frost- again, not upset as they extra plants that I was planting to test their suitability to Temecula climate.

It was raining so I was not able to garden. The garden looked lush, although mainly with weeds. BUT, not all were weeds, there were some tasty delights that flourish in the cold and rain. I did some harvesting when the rain stopped.

Chioggai Beets lush green tops covered half of this planter bed! NO, those greens on the ground are not beets but weeds. Lots and lots of healthy weeds which I have to remove as aphids are started to feast on them. Chioggai Beets are those beets which look like a bull-eye. It has light red skin and when cut reveal pink and white rings. Will post pictures of them when I harvest them.