I planted two fruit trees in the garden: a Meyer lemon tree and a Royal Apricot tree (to replace our previous one; stone fruit last 8-10 years in this climate before they need to be replaced, according to the classes I took at the extension service, and the previous one had extensive borer damage, so…
I read an e-book from the library, The Women of Chateau Lafayette. I did enjoy this and learned a lot, but would have preferred to known when starting the story that the third character (the one from WWII) was fictional, based on the stories of several women from the area. I was unable to get…
We brought in six cubic yards of topsoil into the garden last week. This was bought in bulk and we picked it up ourselves, saving $130 in delivery fees. We still need to purchase more to finish filling the garden beds. The area above is now filled and I started planting there. We plan to…
We had a simple at-home birthday celebration for my son this week. He turned five, and he wanted a pinata. He likes the show The Number Blocks, which he watches on the YouTube Kids app. My older son made him a pinata of the Number 5 character, using a cardboard box. He covered it with…
I harvested lettuce, some wild white (tiny) mulberries (the birds left me the seedling that is now a small potted tree), parsley, and a lemon from the garden. I gave one son and my husband haircuts. I have been mending the children’s bathmats for years. I finally bought some new ones for $6.99 each at…
I spent my birthday working in the garden, planting fruit trees. I harvested lettuce, green onions, and parsley from the garden. I sowed more seeds for zinnias in pots that I will transplant to the garden when we are ready. I watched a short free photography videos from a photographer whose work I like. I…
I gave a son a haircut. I harvested lettuce and Meyer lemons from the garden. I’m very glad I took a chance and grew some lettuce in some pots this year. I sowed seeds in empty plastic pots from the nursery for zinnias, hollyhocks, and chives. I didn’t use any special seed-starting soil; I just…
It’s getting quite hot here and I feel like we are in a race against the heat to finish the garden. I sowed seeds for sunflowers and butternut squash with the children. These are large enough seeds to have the children help plant. Seeds that are only covered with 1/8 inch of soil (like lettuce)…
I bought a few more plants for the garden on sale. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a tomato plant along with the rose bushes. I accidentally stepped on it while I was moving the roses, cutting the entire top off of the plant. I stuck it in water, and it rooted. I planted…
I’ve noticed a lot fewer sales on items that I normally buy, in addition to higher prices since the start of the pandemic last year. In the most recent article I read about rising food costs, I noticed it said that citrus had risen 11.8% in price. Planting more fruit trees in our garden is…
We celebrated a daughter’s birthday with a simple celebration at home. My mom was getting rid of her garage refrigerator and asked if we wanted it. The one we have now tends to freeze inside the fridge and the freezer door does not close properly, so I said we would love it! We switched over…
I took more cuttings from my bushes in the front yard to start new bushes for the backyard. I hope these take; my last cuttings were not very successful, though I had a few that rooted. Still, try, try again is the method of the day! I need around 1300 plants to make my hedges,…