Furcraea

Almost twenty years ago I picked up a sprouted seed from a sidewalk and put it in a pot.   As it grew and was re-potted many times, I finally planted it in the ground.   This past June a flower stalk emerged.

By July it  had grown to ten feet tall.

And the flower stalk kept growing toward the tops of the trees by the end of July.

In early August, the stalk was beginning to form buds.

By the middle of August the buds were ready to open into

sweet-scented flowers.

Happy Thanksgiving

Autumn Leaves

In my garden not many trees have leaves that change color, except the persimmon tree and

the pomegranate tree.

The most beautiful fall color in my neighborhood comes from the liquid amber trees.

One tree has leaves of many colors.

Autumn Lunch

More Planting

The mixed greens I planted last month are growing well,

as are the spring bulbs.

I have anemone and ranunculus tubers and

Heliotrope and Serbian Bellflower to plant. The Serbian Bellflower will grow under the trees and have lavender colored flowers in the spring.

The Heliotrope brings in the butterflies.

Shards found in the soil while planting.

Eucalyptus

Many kinds of Eucalyptus trees grow in my neighborhood park.

Some have shaggy bark,

rough bark,

striated bark,

or smooth, dimpled bark.

The largest ones are Eucalyptus globulus, or Blue Gum.

Persimmons

In November the persimmons are ripe on my tree.  This year I picked 33 persimmons. The squirrels? They had twenty?  Maybe more.

I have Fuyu persimmons, which can be eaten like an apple.

Or mixed into salads, with

other autumn fruits.

They can be sliced and placed in the oven,

at a very low temperature until dried.

The pulp of very soft persimmons can be baked in a cake.  The recipe for this one is from the Chez Panisse cookbook.

Shopping for Plants