Christmas Jewels

The Pomegranate tree is the star of my Temecula garden this month. The counterpart to the Persimmon tree in my San Diego garden. Like the Persimmon, they are larger fruit than most of their kind. Their size still astound me each year as I go to pluck them. I have to find new ways to use this fruit. My daughter made some pretty delicious chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.

Temecula Half Marathon

I walked into the garden this morning, thinking that the hot air balloons would make a nice backdrop to the tomato plants I tied up to stakes yesterday. I focus my camera to frame the picture, and heard the dogs in the neighborhood going crazy and barking none stop. I hear a low drone of something......Suddenly, into the frame of my shot comes a steady stream of runners!!! Not what I was expecting this weekend.

It is the Temecula Half Marathon & 5 K -The out-and-back course for the half marathon race starts at 7:30 AM on the grounds of Mount Palomar Winery, located just off Rancho California Road in the hills that lie just to the east of Temecula. From there, the course takes runners mostly along the dirt roads that wind through the vineyards between Mount Palomar, Baily Creek Winery and Wilson Creek Winery, and then back again through the same fields on the return route back to the race finish line. It runs through right in front of our house!!

Another new thing I am learning about this new home. Nice!

Public Enemy #1 - Tomato Horn Caterpillar

I suppose I should not be surprised that my tomato plants in Temecula would be visited by Tomato Horn Caterpillars. After all, those tomato plants were earlier attacked by tiny little green grasshoppers that de-leaf the plants.

And the Cucumbers continues.....

I continue to harvest those massive Armenian cucumbers. In less than a week those finger size cuke become huge! The joke around the house is the cucumber come in various sizes - single service, family size and party size. I think I mainly get party size cukes.

Single serving size

3 days later - family and party serving size cucumbers! Busy finding ways to eat them up and giving them away.

What a CUCUMBER!

It had been 2 weeks since we were last up at our Temecula home. I was afraid of what else Mr.Gopher might have attacked! First glance - everything seem alive, particularly the weeds. Promising.

I hear an excited shout from my husband to come look at this amazing squash in the planter. I am puzzled as I did not grow any squash. Maybe a bird drop a seed? My jaw drop!! 

A little gardening

It is frustrating trying to establish a garden when I spend so little time in Temecula. Each time I am there, I can imagine harvesting vegetables from my overflowing planters for the meals. Recently, frustrated by all the travelling of the summer and no creative outlet, I planted some vegetables, herbs and fruits in the planting boxes. I just needed to start.... I accepted that I would have a high casualty rate. I look at it as a learning process, finding out what will grow, how to adapt to the climate.

A creature so evil.........

I stood in utter shock, in front of my beautiful Navel Orange tree that had grown double in size since we put up the walled garden. It thrived from the reflected warmth and wind protection the wall afford it. This spring it was covered with hundreds of flowers, enveloping the garden with the of sweet fragrance of orange blossoms. Hundreds of fruits followed with a promise of sweet delight but it was not to be. My beautiful tree was brought down an evil creature that cut it off at its knees; it ate my tree from underneath. It ate the roots of the tree :(

Young navel oranges hanging on the dead tree....

Who is this creature you ask? None other than the vile gopher. I have not seen the gopher myself but here are some pictures I found on the internet. They are burrowing rodents about 5-6 inches in size.