Re: [gardeners] Still no frost!
Ron Hay (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 26 Nov 2002 07:40:22 -0800
Good morning, Penny, and other friends,
We were kept awake much of last night, by really howling Santa Anas.
There were gusts probably in excess of 40 MPH, which caused the house to
creak and groan.
Every time one such gust wakened us, we worried about the macadamia,
which lost a major branch in wind about 2 weeks ago, and about the huge,
gangly kapok tree in the yard...plus what we would find by way of
"citrus bombs" all over the back yard. The Bearss limes are really ripe
when yellow on the tree, and fall off the tree by themselves, ready for
use. However, when the Santa Anas howl, the ripe fruit is slung all over
the yard. I bet there are a good two dozen limes out there for me to
pick up this morning, plus assorted navel oranges and mandarins. I just
hope the wind did not tear the skin at the top of the mandarins, for
they will quickly molder if not used immediately (but then, again, there
is always a Thanksgiving fruit salad as a possibility).
Some trees like figs seem to be easily "confused." I guess that's
because they respond to light which is similar at both ends of the year.
In a Mediterranean climate like ours, one would get two crops, just as
our mums bloom twice a year, as do azaleas.
What a pity that you had to have such a noble tree cut down. I'll bet it
cost a king's ransom to do so; but, on the other hand, when Gino
utilizes that magnificent wood, he will have a something of permanence
to remember you fondly by.
Today, I need to nurture an escrow and do most of the shopping before
heading down to Chula Vista tomorrow. I dread the thought of Costco
today, but will start girding up my mental loins to do battle. Vivian is
lucky that she doesn't have to do any of the shopping. Why, she is not
even familiar with prices or the layout of our various markets (!)
But before I head out to the office, I will mow the front lawn and mulch
the gazillion leaves from our neighbor's liquidamber, which are
blanketing our lawn...along with dead fronds from our other neighbor's
Washingtonia robusta, which absolutely cannot be mulched, as they are 8
feet long and very spiny.
At any rate, it is time to get under way. I hope to be able to get
online tomorrow morning, but in case I can't, I wish a happy and blessed
Thanksgiving to one and all. We really do have a lot to be thankful for.
Ron