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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

Critters You Want

Information about all sorts of useful creatures for a healthy and abundant garden, and how to make sure they come to your yard.

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Greek mom and yiayia (grandma), living the suburban life with my family in the heart of California like it’s a Greek village!

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Well, looky what I found!! Our figs are just starting to ripen up. They trickle in at first, then it's like a burst dam and a torrent will arrive all at once. I'm not complaining. I'll freeze a lot and dehydrate the rest for enjoying all year. By the way, I trimmed our tree HARD this last winter, but in typical fig-style the tree just laughed and said "hold my beer". It then went on to completely retake the space it had occupied before and is loaded with fruit. Again, I'm not complaining.

You are likely aware that vast portions of the western United States are experiencing severe drought. This means that it is critical for those of us living here to be mindful of our water use. At the same time, it is still important to maintain gardens, because plants help mitigate the forces that lead to drought in the first place. They provide cooling for the soil surface, reduce the heat island effect in cities, and provide food resources for various forms of wildlife. The majority of plants in my garden are drought-tolerant to some degree or another, and those that aren't are planted strategically to help them survive the hot dry summers. Many think that drought tolerant gardening means having only cactus, but the reality is that there are several attractive plants that can survive with little water. This plant is a perfect example. This is a California fuchsia called Silver Select, a native plant to the western states. Its silvery foliage is present year-round, but best of all is the profusion of bright orange-red flowers each fall. Hummingbirds and bumblebees swarm to them at a time when other food sources are becoming thin. I have more information about this specific variety on my blog. So come on over for a visit to see how diverse your garden can be, even in the most challenging environments!

It's meals like this that allow me to tolerate our hot summers here. I mean there has to be some kind of benefit, right? Getting fresh fruits like apricots is definitely a benefit, even better when we can beat the birds and squirrels to them. And though we love plucking fruit and eating them right off the tree, adding them to baked treats makes them taste rrrreeeeaaallllyyyy good. These waffles are made with whole wheat pastry flour, Greek yogurt, olive oil, and chunks of fresh apricots tucked inside. The apricots get caramelized and release their sweet flavor into the waffle batter as they cook. It's all sorts of yummy! Top them with butter and syrup (or even whipped cream) and you'll feel like you're getting to have dessert for breakfast, even though these are actually pretty darned healthy! The recipe is just a click away so come on over for a visit and let's enjoy the summer in the best way we can!

I don't know that I could conjur up a more decadent dessert than this. I mean, first off, it's ice cream so it's automatically decadent no matter what. But now add rich dark chocolate and flavor filled tart cherries and you've got yourself a treat that's off the charts. Think of it like a chocolate covered cherry cordial in a smooth, frozen, scoopable form. I can't think of a tastier way to beat the summer heat! You don't even need an ice cream maker since this can be put into popsicle molds. You deserve this, yes you do. Besides, research shows that fruit and chocolate are good for you, so it's a healthy treat, right??😉😉 So come on over for the recipe, and let's indulge in a nice cold treat together!

I'm melting and the bees don't care.

Summer gardens have a tendency of being prolific producers when things go well. Depending on what you have growing, you may find yourself with so much of a good thing that you run out of ideas of what to do with them. In Greece one of the most common peppers to find at the farmer's market are the slightly sweet and crispy banana peppers. They are a wonderful addition to a classic Greek salad, and in the garden they provide a steady supply of these golden treats. So what to do with the extras? Pickle them, of course! It's a super easy and tasty way to make your harvest (or that big haul from the market) last all year long. This recipe can be used for any type of pepper, sweet or spicy! I like to add them to salads and sandwiches, or just as a snack straight from the jar. Like I said, they are so easy to make, so come on over for the recipe!

I just came home from a fantabulous "girl's trip" to Las Vegas. I'd tell you all about it, but you know the rules. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. 🤣🤣 But it is nice to be back on my home turf where it's also just a tad bit cooler, though not by much. This morning I took a walk about the garden to make sure my plant babies hadn't suffered too much while I was gone (my human babies are old enough to fend for themselves). To my very happy surprise I discovered that my caper bush is in bloom! As in the capers that you eat! The flower buds of this plant are the ones that are picked and pickled and taste so amazingly good in pasta and seafood dishes. I didn't harvest any this year since my plant is still small and there are only a dozen buds, but I may have enough next year!😊 Caper plants are incredibly heat and drought tolerant, even growing in the cracks and crevices of bare rock. Mine is potted to ensure the proper soil to allow for good drainage. In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy their beautiful blooms!

That moment when your friends show you the pretty flowers because they know you're a crazy plant lady!😁

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