Rhubarb Flowers!

I have to admit that it's never occurred to me before that rhubarb has flowers. But I guess it's got to reproduce somehow, right? (You can also see my kiwi vines, artichokes, and fig tree in the very back.)

Spring Garden

It's been a sad morning here and I thought I'd take a break from Sweden posts and share some pictures of what's going on in the garden these days.

Late Harvest

Here in the Bay Area, we always joke that summer doesn't start until September, but this year it came even later. This last week leading up to the start of October has been hot and dry and perfect for making my dormant cherry tomatoes grow. Here's a shot of the bounty I picked from the garden today.

Squash!

Looks like I'm going to have some butternuts this fall!

Magic Beans!

Remember when I started my little bean seedlings on the patio a few months ago? I had harvested just five beans from my plants last summer (which I planted much too late in the season to grow more), and in April I sprouted them in my kitchen, transferred them to tiny pots, and put them out in the sunshine (along with a few beans given to me by my friend Christine). When they got big enough, I planted them in the ground and Christine helped me build a bamboo trellis for them to climb. Although, sadly, their growth was stunted about a month ago when a neighborhood cat uprooted several of them, I was able to harvest enough beans today to make me very proud. Even though my harvest was small, it was so rewarding to see these beautifully colored Scarlett Runner and Cranberry beans, and to cook them for dinner! Next year I am definitely going to plant more.

Summer Garden

Spring!

I was out in the garden today, planting some beets and herbs, and potting the bean and melon sprouts I started in my kitchen, and I had to pick some of my beautiful bulbs to share with you! It may be rainy outside, but having these on my desk sure makes life seem bright.

Autumn Garden

Garden Party!

A year ago, my backyard was a bit of a wasteland. Weeds had taken over the lawn, and any plants without very deep roots had withered. And then I met my friend Christine, who helped me tranform it into a wonderland! She finished landscaping in February and I've been enjoying the fruits (literally) of her labor ever since. Every beet I pull, every raspberry I pick, every bouquet of flowers I give to a friend seems like a treasure. I grew up with a beautiful garden that included dozens of fruit trees planted by my green-thumbed father, but I never seemed to catch the gardening bug. And now suddenly, I am finding myself kneeling in the dirt, planting broccoli and herbs, sprouting sweet potato slips and bean plants in my windowsill, feeling the urge to pop into the nursery every time I walk by. And as I know from my childhood, nothing tastes better than produce you've grown yourself. The tomatoes, beets, carrots, lettuces, herbs, raspberries, persimmons, lemons, walnuts, wild strawberries and flowers I've grown this summer have been amazing, and I've snapped a lot of pictures of them, so I thought I'd share some here. Enjoy!