Brindavan in the Bay Area

An early pepper harvest

2012-07-05T21:02:00.002-07:00

A pepper harvest in late June is a rarity for California. Unlike the east cost or the mid west that is experiencing a heat wave, temperatures in the bay area are still not in the upper 70's and occasionally in the low 80s.

Last winter, I dug out some of the pepper plants from my raised beds and moved them into 5 gallon pots and brought them under the porch (not even indoors). They survived the mild winter and have done fabulously well after being replanted in spring. They are yielding close to 2lbs every few days. Needless to say we are sharing the love with friends and family.

The first ever fruit harvest

2012-06-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

For the first time in 4 years, the Plums managed to survive the Squirrel attack

Our first ever harvest of fruits from the garden

Flouting rules

2012-06-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

This was how bad our Curry Leaf plant looked in early March when the winter protection structure (supposedly) came off. I was shocked to see that the top 3ft of the plant was completely dead. And this was supposedly a mild winter.

My worst fear came true...almost. The biggest fear in considering whether to put the curry leaf plant in the ground was its inability to weather the cold. In spite of the structure and all the protection, the plant took a beating. I looked at my friends plant that is pot bound and looked much healthier than mine (with fresh leaves)

Thankfully, over the last couple of months I see a world of difference. My curry leaf plant is much more lush and healthy than the potted counterparts.

The drumstick plant has been sort of a disaster too. This one lost more than 5 ft of height and 2 of the plants in the ground completely died.

There is still some hope.....the plants have started sporting fresh leaves. Even if we dont get to harvesting Drumsticks ever, we might be able to harvest and use up some of the leaves.

Moral of the story- There is a reason why there are gardening zones and plants that are compatible to those zones. When flouting rules, what else can one expect....sigh

Some Instagram Pictures

2012-06-25T17:55:00.003-07:00

Aeonium

Artichoke Flower

Dinner plate Dahlia

Shasta Daisy

Echinacea

Dahlia again

Lace Hydrangea

Asiatic Lily

Red Echinacea

Dahlia

Summer 2012 blooms

2012-06-19T22:25:00.002-07:00

The bird feeder adventures

2012-06-19T22:09:00.008-07:00

When we decided to put up a bird feeder we designed it to be far away from any branch and high enough off the ground. We hoped that this would be enough to keep the Squirrels at bay. We also designed it as a pulley-cable-hook system with a very thin cable hoping it wouldn't give them enough of a foot hold. But they are smart creatures and up for the challenge.

As soon as the bird feeder went up, the Squirrels were all over it. Within a few hours, they had mastered the subtle trick of getting on to the feeder. They seemed to have taken some cliff hanging lessons from Sly Stallone.

Our first step was to mix in some cayenne powder with the seeds. This didn't seem to bother them one bit. In fact they seem to enjoy the added spice and kick and were coming back for more. We then installed a squirrel baffle that we rigged using a cheap metal salad tray that was picked up from Smart-n-Final.

That has seemed to do the trick for the last few days enough to "baffle" them. But the Squirrels are content eating the scraps the birds drop as they feed.

Construction of the Thulasi Maadam-Part 1

2012-06-11T16:01:00.001-07:00

An idea that has been in our head and hearts for all these years took shape (using insulation) over the last few weeks.

The Thulasi plant aka Holy Basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum) is commonplace in most south Indian households, and typically housed in a concrete structure.(This is how ones in India typically look like-click here)

The next and the trickiest step is to encase this in cement.

The 2012 veggie garden-new beginnings

2012-06-11T15:39:00.001-07:00

Indecisiveness in doing a vegetable garden in early 2012 together with all the turmoil over the past couple of months, the vegetable garden did not take off in time.

Over the past few weeks, we picked up some plants from the local big box store and threw in some bean seeds directly into the ground.

The plants we had saved from the 2011 garden are thriving well, we even have a nice bell pepper ready to be harvested.

Back on our feet

2012-06-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

When I was blogging (bitching) about a bumpy March, I wasn't counting my blessings. April and May have made me see the bright side.

1. Living in a country that gives me access to some of the best doctors in the field and the best of the technological developments

2. Having a job that provides a good insurance coverage to pay for those expensive doctors.

3. Having the rainy day (year) fund to pay for the co-payments

4. Having the support of my parents who flew in half way across the world to help us, and all the family and friends that have helped us along this path in so many ways.

5. Being young enough to be able to weather this storm and come out in the end.

6. Having discovered such an enormous health problem just by accident without any symptoms. Had we not spotted it, things might have just blown up in our face later.

Well, things are beginning to look up, even though we have more than a couple of visits each week to see the docs. We still need to figure out how the long term strategy will play out, but hopefully all the bad karma is done.

Artichokes

2012-04-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the summer of 2011 I received 2 artichoke plants in a blog giveaway from www.groworganic.com

They were planted in the ground in the fall, and one of them sported a healthy artichoke that we did not harvest and sported a very beautiful flower. Over the winter and the most recent and abundant spring rains, the artichoke plants are thriving. Actually one of them is doing really well, whereas the other is just starting out. I am wondering if the smaller one is set at higher level in the ground and all the water that it is getting is draining off into the more healthier plant just below it.

The struggling one

The bigger of the two plants

And there was a vision

2012-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Over the years, both Guru and I have had a fascination to have a really massive Buddha statute in our garden. That wish came to fruition this past week(end).

Over the last couple of months or so, I made a resolution to steer clear of unnecessary shopping, and I did that fairly successfully. I happened to stop by a store to return a few things that had been in my car forever. I accidentally spotted this massive Buddha statue and fell in love with it. I didn't buy it, not figure out even how much it was priced for, but mentioned it in the passing to Guru. Friday evening we decided to check it out assuming it would be too pricey for us to buy in any case.

It turned out to be marked down significantly, because it was super heavy and 6 people had purchased it but never took Buddha home. After much debate, we made the purchase, and went back to pick him up on Saturday.
He is happily placed under the Oak tree in the backyard. (facing east and on a couple of stone pavers to keep him off the soil). We also picked up a couple of tuned wind chimes (one of which you see here)

As we went around, on the shelves, hidden in the back, I spotted another Buddha statue (just the bust), a rather sharp looking one might I add. With a fairly cheap price tag, we decided to buy that one too. Here is a comparison against the original one I had.

We set it out under the Maple in the front yard. A concrete cinder-block as a base and river rock piled up all around. Ideally we could do with some more river rock to go around. That will have to wait the weekend. In the interim, here is what it looks like.

A headstart to 2012

2012-04-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

When I talk to people (mostly Indian) that have no idea about gardening, the most common question is "do you have to start from scratch each year?". I am assuming that tomato plants in tropical climates never die like they do here in winter, and hence the question.

It has had me thinking for a while and thanks to the very mild winter in 2011, I actually did one such experiment. As you can see in the picture below, my Eggplants continued to survive in the raised beds in February.

I also dug out some of y pepper plants that i could not protect in the planter beds and kept them in the porch.

Now that the weather has started to warm up, I put them back into the raised planter beds. They seem to be thriving well. Hopefully they have a decent head start into the season and I have some yummy eggplants and peppers in spring.

New(er) trellis

2012-04-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

After multiple tries at getting the trellises set up in 2011 (read here), we decided to let go of the biodegradable twine and switch to a more permanent solution i.e. a coated galvanized wire. The coating help us set up the trellis fairly quickly (unlike the biodegradable twine that was super difficult to thread through the eye hooks). Hopefully, even if the coating weathers off, the galvanized wires hold up for a few years. Considering how expensive they are, they better last.

All the seven beds now have the new wire trellises and are ready for the emerging seedlings.

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it

2012-04-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
~ J. Lubbock

After thinking about it for over a year, we finally decided to get a pair of "Chaise Lounge". We set them up on the concrete patio and have been thoroughly enjoying the sunshine and getting some much needed rest.

Bloom Time - April 2012

2012-04-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

New Hydrangeas added to the garden

Calendula Officinalis

The potato tree that was recently moved out of the pot and into the ground (nice sunny location). It still needs some pruning it get it back in shape. (These are original to the house and had been badly pruned over the years)

The eerily gorgeous Borage (notice the tiny Caterpillar)

My Jasmines aren't blooming

2012-04-16T12:26:00.001-07:00

Almost everyone that has winter Jasmines seems to be overloaded with blooms. Mine are just barely blooming. What is causing me more heartache is the fact that there is a lot of browning at the base of some of the plants. Did the dry winter lead to this (we promptly turn off the irrigation when the first rains start in winter)?

This one is from the same time last year (early April 2011)

More Fuchsia therapy

2012-04-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

It is the time of the year when the local Costco is flooded with plants. Yet again, the Fuchsias were there. With the Rohee's Blacky from last year dead, and all the crazy stuff happening this month, some Fuchsia plant therapy was in order.

Two new varieties were added to the collection,

.........and I have vowed never to let them sit out the winter.

The original Fuchsia from this house that was languishing in a crappy plastic pot was transferred to a nice big ceramic planter and is so lush and healthy...and sporting some new blooms

Amaryllis Belladonna

2012-03-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

When we dug out the Amaryllis Belladonna's last year, we were not sure they would make it. (Read here). They were planted under the Camellia's and did not seem to be in great shape.

They got planted inside the well like structure we built around the Magnolia tree earlier in 2011. They seem to have taken to the place and also multiplied well.

Can't wait for the pretty flowers to show up in summer

Circle of life

2012-03-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

I am so relieved that the month of March is coming to a close. It has been the most craziest roller coaster month in the 30+ years of existence. The painful lessons have been learnt- what cant be cured has to be endured and what does not kill you makes you stronger.

Now, to the happy moments that helped us pull through this month.

A sweet wedding in early March

A dear friend's baby shower (she pushed it out by a week, so I can attend). I had a great time and also enjoyed a really yummy Japanese cake that was by far the best cake I have ever eaten in my life.

And just a couple of days back, this beaten up trash can brought us immense happiness and cheer

The big haul of Oak leaves we had rounded up over a month back is still being loaded onto the weekly pick up. It sat around for most of this month, waiting for us to get back to our routine. Lo and behold, there was this tiny little bird that we totally scared. Inside was this beautiful nest with 5 little eggs. And, the nest was built with nothing other than dryer lint that we haven't gotten around to cleaning.

Life is a road with some bumpy patches, but hopefully for most of us the road is a smooth one and the odd bump doesn't deter us.

Fuchsias

2012-03-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

The first time we spotted this lovely flower was at the "Mystery Spot" in Santa Cruz. We were stuck in their long line because we didn't know about their online booking system ...duh

These were the days when we knew nothing about plants. We were drooling over the beauty of these flowers whose names we didn't know.

When we bought our house (in April 2008), we spotted the same flower in the garden. After some research, we figured that these were Fuchsias.

In 2011, we added to the Fuchsia collection - one called Fuchsia- Rohee's Blacky

The lady who sold us these said we should put some Christmas lights over them in winter or bring them in. We did neither. The 3 Fuchsias in the hanging baskets did not make it past this winter.

The old one (original to the house) is on the front porch, protected from the cold and is producing some pretty buds

A new fence

2012-03-12T12:07:00.001-07:00

We finally have a brand new fence on the south side of our property. I have come to the realisation that it is actually good to have the 6 foot fence, and here is why.

The neighbors side is the one where you cant see the difference between where the lawn ends and where the weeds begin. We also saw dog poop littered all over the frontyard.......ewwwww (Remember the unruly dog that charged at me more than a few times and is always outside in the yard).

We also saw that he had a plethora of boxes along the side and guess what- they were rabbits and chickens. We later heard that he was offering the rabbits for free to the guys who were there putting up the fence.

One can see the stumps of the many vines that literally held up the fence, when they were taken down, along came the old fence. The alpha male creature (it is a shame to even call it a dog) going at it all the time didn't help much either.

As the fence came off, it took down the section that held the gates for most part. So we now have new gates too ! But not without its share of drama.

The post that holds up the gate (above picture with the new frame) is right along where the water main line runs on its way to the house. Of course the guys broke the water main when they were digging out the old concrete (I don't blame them for breaking it. But it took them a while to realize it was the main and call for our help to shut it off....cant imagine how bad the water bill will be now)

After patching things up, they put down a box to hold up the cement that was going to be poured for the new METAL posts (no more sagging gates)

Even though the bank balance took quite some beating, I now feel a lot safer to venture out into the yard.

Now for some after pictures

Neat huh?

The new raised beds

2012-03-12T07:12:00.000-07:00

Firewood rack

2012-03-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

This was one of the last minute DIY projects in the Fall of 2011. It got bundled up in tarp right away and seems to be holding up very well.

The firewood is off the ground, leaving no room for those damn rodents, and all those leftover pieces of lumber that the resident packrat has been holding is also put to good use. I am a happy camper.

When spring is here can summer be far behind ?

2012-03-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

The wait is finally over, hopefully we will have some homegrown Plums this season.

Our very own Chupacabra

2012-02-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

We have had a long tumultuous history with animals of all kinds in this house. Over the years, it has gotten more and more challenging.

Summer of 2011, we had to deal with mysterious cracks in the ground. These ruined the look of the landscape, but was not causing much trouble.

A couple of props were added to the landscape, knowing fully well that they wouldn't be helpful ;). But a girls got to have her retail therapy.

Then came the attack on the vegetables. This we suspect was the squirrels that had inhabited this place all along but had mysteriously developed a love for vegetables.

Then some nasty things started happening over the fall. Squirrels (or racoons) started chewing up our drip irrigation heads and the elbows in random spots. We ended up with 350$ water bills and the slugs having a party !

But the worst was yet to come. Over the winter of 2011 the cracks in the garden became more rampant, the soil would just cave in beneath your foot and the mounds started appearing everywhere

We are still trying to do damage control and figure out a longer term fix to this issue