Bee Happy

It was a beautiful Friday evening and we were winding down the week.  I'd taken out some steaks for dinner,  a Boccelli CD was playing and wine was poured.

My husband went outside to turn on the  gas grill   but immediately came back into the house, very grim faced and said "We have a problem".   Several thoughts went through my head, like a broken gas line or something catastrophic , but instead he said we had a colony of bees building a nest in the top of the grill. 

I looked  through the glass patio door and saw wax combs hanging on the underside of the grill cover and laying  on the grill.  Of course, my reaction was totally different.  I thought how cool!  

He was worried  they were Africanized but we concluded if they were, he would have been stung already.  He bravely went back out,  closed the lid of the barbecue and not a single  bee took notice of him.  Steaks got broiled instead of grilled and  made  plans to  call a bee keeper in the morning.

Flowers in the Desert

Flowers in the desert?  Why of course!  Although there's extremes in temperatures, growing flowers,(I especially love perennials)  in the desert is not impossible, in fact it's rather easy.  If I can grow them, anyone can.  Of course, drip irrigation is a must.   Plant different varieties that will give you color all through the year.  Plant flowers that you can cut, herbs you can use, anf fruit you can eat. 



Here's what's blooming now in the back yard.  

 Coreopsis

Perrenial Geranium - Cranesbill

Radishes

Our first crop are radishes.  Their botanical name is Raphanus sativus, related to cabbages and thought to have come originally from Asia. 

Here are the varieties that should be ready in about a week or two:

Jaune D'or Ovale - French variety that is yellowish-tan in color when mature.  Egg-shaped roots are medium hot, good in salads.  Grown in France for over 125 years.

Nero Tondo - Special Black Spanish type.  Large in size 2" - 4", black skinned with crisp, hot white flesh.  Sounds interesting.

Rat's Tail - Edible podded radish variety that produces loads of tender, large seed pods that adds a delicious flavor to salads and stir-fries.  Great pickled.  An old Asian heirloom that was first grown in U.S. gardens in the 1860's.   Limited quantities.

White Icicle  - Slendeer 6" ice-white roots with crisp flesh, fine flavor.  Mild in taste.  Pre-1865 heirloom radish.

We've Planted More Crops

We have more seeds in the ground, Rick Edwards, our farm manager and his crew have planted these items in the last week or so:

Cantaloupe
Collard Greens - typically planted in the fall or early spring but it's an experiment
Corn
Giant Cape Gooseberry
Lambkin Melon
Lebanese White Marrow Squash
Swiss Chard
Summer Crookneck Squash
Turnips

The Vegetables Are Planted

The vegetables are planted and we are like expectant parents waiting for their baby. The rain yesterday should help them perk up and maybe add a few inches - or maybe I'm being too optimistic.