Grapes!

For an extended period this spring, I was preoccupied with family concerns and paid little attention to my garden.  In that period, certain things got away from me.  My fruits and vegetables probably suffered the most from my inattention.  Despite my neglect, the 'Red Flame Seedless' grape seems to be doing just fine.

The grapevine has overwhelmed the trellis my husband constructed for me last year

I should have tied the vines up against the top of the trellis as they lengthened but I wasn't paying attention

Still, the grapes are looking pretty happy, aren't they?

The grapes are nowhere near ripe yet but, given the volume of fruit, I'm hoping that at least some of these will make it to our table this year.  Last year, the birds and other critters got what little fruit there was.  I've tied "scare tape" to the trellis in a possibly vain attempt to discourage the birds this year.

I haven't had much luck so far keeping critters away from other fruit in the garden.

I think this squirrel knows I've caught him in the act

And he doesn't care one bit!

This ballsy squirrel didn't run off until I came within 2 feet of him this morning.  But the blueberries are producing heavily right now so there was enough for both his breakfast and mine - today, anyway.

What do you suppose will happen to the strawberries when they ripen?

Or the few plums the 'Santa Rosa' tree has managed to produce?

I've asked my engineer/scientist husband to put his creative talents to work to devise a system to protect my fruits and vegetables that isn't hideous; however, he's also been preoccupied with other concerns so I don't expect anything in the way of a solution from him in the near term.  I'd like to construct a screened framework all around the vegetable garden but that's probably not practical.  The former owner of our property wrapped the fruit trees in netting but, after rescuing a trapped hummingbird from that mess last year, I pulled it all out.   In my view, it detracted from the beauty of the garden, as well as making it difficult to harvest anything.  Any ideas?  What's worked for you?

March Bloom Day

This Bloom Day catches me relatively unprepared as I've been pulled in different directions by personal life events.  Still, I didn't want the day to go by without any recognition so here, without much in the way of commentary, is a selection of what's in bloom at the moment in my garden:

Alstroemeria, deciduous type (No ID)

Anemone (no record of variety)

Bauhinia x blakeana

Camellia japonica 'Taylor's Perfection'

Ceanothus (No ID)

Parsley, bolting

Coleonema pulchrum 'Sunset Gold'

Coleonema album

Dymondia margaretae (groundcover)

Erysimum linifolium 'Variegatum' with Osteospermum ecklonis '3D Silver'

Freesia

Freesia

Freesia

Freesia

Geranium pyrenaicum 'Bill Wallis' (sorry the picture's fuzzy like the Lamb's Ear)

Geranium hybrid 'Tiny Monster'

Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola'

Lavandula multifida (great plant but needs a better backdrop than it has here)

Loropetalum  chinense 'Hines Plum Leaf'

Mystery shrub I hacked back a month ago

Narcissus (no record of variety) & Nemesia 'Sunsatia Lemon'

Nemophila menziesii 'Baby Blue Eyes'

Osteospermum 'Serenity Purple'

Osteospermum 'Zion Copper Amethyst'

Pelargonium ionidflorum 'Pink Fairy Cascade' (I think)

Pelargonium hybrid 'White Lady'

Phlomis fruticosa

Plum 'Santa Rosa'

Polygala fruticosa 'Petite Butterfly' (aka dwarf 'Sweet Pea Bush')

Ranunculus asiaticus 'Merlot'

Schizanthus pinnatus (Poor Man's Orchid) in pot with Fuchsia

Wildflowers, including California Poppy, planted at my mother's house from seed by my brother

Zantedeschia aethiopica (Common Calla Lily)

Still not blooming, despite having buds since January, is my Eupatorium corymbosa:

Eupatorium corymbosa (close but not quite there)

Spring is already here and, with temperatures back in the 80s for the last couple of days, it feels as though summer is just around the corner.  More Bloom Day posts can be found at the May Dreams Gardens blog site, hosted by Carol.

Harbinger of Spring

In our area of Southern California, one of the first deciduous trees to bloom in the new year is the ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana).  Last weekend, I noticed that buds had appeared.  This weekend, it's in full bloom.

Pyrus calleryana (variety unknown)

It's not just our ornamental pear that's suddenly burst into bloom - they're all over.  I saw half a dozen in bloom in a shopping center parking lot yesterday.  I passed others planted along the streets on my commute.  For the most part, I don't even notice these trees except when they're in bloom.  They've been used almost to excess here.  But I have to admit that, when they bloom, they're a welcome reminder that Spring is just around the corner.

With one exception, all of my other deciduous trees remain utterly bare.

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'

Fig 'Black Mission'

Persimmon 'Fuyu'

Plum 'Santa Rosa'

Our lone, self-fruiting cherry, does have some promising nubs.

Cherry 'Lapins'

Our orchid tree, which is semi-deciduous, is the major exception in our garden.  It put out new leaves late in the last year and started to bloom in early January.

Bauhinia x blakeana (Hong Kong Orchid Tree)

I inherited all these trees, except the Japanese maple, when we bought the house 2 years ago.  Most were put in by the prior owner in the year before our purchase so they're still immature trees.  A few also have questionable placements.  Only the Persimmon bore any significant amount of fruit last year (which the squirrels and the raccoons got to before we did).  I have my fingers crossed that they'll all do better this year.  Hopefully, more blooms are just a turn of the calendar away...