garden (part i).

I am lucky enough to have a tiny garden at my apartment and the free reign to do whatever I want!  My ideal is a true California native garden with fruit trees and herbs but I make do with drought tolerant plants (propagated from mom & dad's), wild plants and existing landscape. No space for fruit trees but I can do herbs....

Dwarf culinary lavender

Herb garden planter: mint, parsley, basil & rosemary

Easy project - natural plant markers!

Supplies Needed:

Smooth stones (I found mine on the beach)

Rubber alphabet stamps (typewriter)

Permanent ink stamp pad 

lavender + A initial

 Apartment Redux...

To spruce up an otherwise drab apartment entry, I added two large containers with yellow/red kangaroo paws (drought tolerant, especially by the beach) and a railing planter with my dwarf lavender.

The walk between my front garden and my door was pretty boring.  These little CB2 candleholders (at only $1.95 each) with tea lights make add interest while serving a purpose (the lights help guests find my tucked away apartment!)

fresh fruit.

My parents have this amazing property that includes about 15 fruit trees.  My dad and I have a tradition of climbing the hill to the massive black mission fig tree; my mom and I have a tradition of making jam from the figs. 

Sunlit ripe figs....

First bowl of the season....

This year, the tree yielded two crops while the Asian pear trees were a bit early.  Lucky for me - I got jars of jam (the lucky few already got their jars, I am stingy with the rest), a bowlful of figs and ripe Asian pears!