This beautiful pine tree grew over our backyard wall.
As you can see, it’s a whopper. We weren’t very happy when the neighbors planted it. You see, the first pine tree they planted in this same spot fell over in a storm. We were a bit appalled when they simply planted another. There were things we liked about the tree. I used its pinecones to decorate for fall, both in the fireplace and on the Thanksgiving table. When I woke up every summer morning, the first thing I did was look out the window to see where the sun was shining on that tree. I loved listening to owls hooting there on summer nights.
There were disadvantages too. The tree’s roots caused a few expensive plumbing problems. Pine needles and male catkins covered most of our backyard. Yellow pollen aggravated our allergies on windy days. Worst of all was the reason for the tree’s removal. When our new neighbor bought the house, one of the terms of sale was that the tree be taken out. As it appeared to us, twists in the tree’s trunk meant if it ever fell, it was headed right for our house.
This picture was taken from our second story window. It took two full days to take the tree down. Watching the tree trimmer proved fascinating. I’m pretty sure they don’t pay that man enough.
What else is new in our yard? Summer started with our plumeria blossoming and it’s still going. We may not get many flowers at a time but they smell divine.
I never realized how beautiful vegetables can be. Originally, I was impressed by pea plants. This year, lettuce is making my day!
Having faced the reality that I make a pretty bad farmer, any produce we get is appreciated. Since bobcats started visiting our yard, the resident rodents have either moved on or become dinner. This makes for more gardening success than usual.
Many years our pomegranate tree was loaded with fruit before raiders such as raccoons or opossums cleaned us out in a single night. I never minded sharing but I expect to reap some benefit from my labor and water bill. This year, we got a nice crop. I freeze the seeds to munch or add them to a salad to make a bit of sparkle. Maybe I’ll harvest some lettuce tomorrow and embellish with seeds.
After years of neglect, I’m working in the fairy garden. Cleaning up debris and pruning overzealous plants filled up an entire green waste bin! I made a lot of bare spots. When I get things going again, I’ll be sure to put some pictures in a future blog.
Here they are, the last of our pinecones.
Thankfully, I have a couple of grocery bags-full from prior years to tide me over until I can find a new supply. As for the owls, they might not be right in our backyard, but they’re close enough to hear.
What’s up in your garden?