Reaching for the sky

My one and only mother-in-law gave me this cactus for my birthday. It was a tiny plant that fit comfortably in it's new home but after a few weeks it sprouted offshoots and kept getting bigger. Then one day it shot out these long stringy arm and went into bloom!

Low water, high color

Here's another desert plant that lives in my garden. Its common name is lions tail and you can certainly see why. Thomas' granny gave me this orange wonder during her visit last year and I love it.

Cactus flowers

Growing up on the east coast there were always bright, showy flowers to please my eyes. But when I moved to California I had a yard that was nothing more than dirt. I've spent the last four years learning about what kind of wonders can grow in the desert that is Southern California. I certainly never knew the desert could grow such wonders without much water. This succulent called Kalanchoe pumila has soft lavender and eggplant colored leaves to present these tiny pink gems.

Suddenly it's peach season

I've been so consumed by my raised garden bed and my most insane tomato plant that I didn't notice the ripe peaches until the smell wooed me to that corner of the yard. I'm thinking peach pie, peach crumble, peach tarts, peach everything!

A basket full of summer

Let's see, here we have bell peppers, sweet 100 cherry tomatoes, mortgage saver beefsteak tomatoes, roma tomatoes, and yellow boy tomatoes. Phew! My garden bed has kept me in good supply!