Apartment garden & fruit garden

It's been difficult to commit to maintaining a garden this year, and for the last few years. My gardens aren't a 5 minute drive or a walk out the back door anymore, so I have resulted to focusing on the fruit trees and fruit bushes. Also, I have been attempting to have a Fall garden at my apartment. 

The Kieffer pear trees are still growing strong. 

My blueberry and blackberry bushes are growing great, but the birds are eating all of the berries, and the briars have taken over my patch of fruit bushes and my old main vegetable garden. 

I used to grow a ton of different veggies and lettuces, pumpkins, corn, beans, tomatoes, but it is now but a wasteland of briars, grass, and tangled mess. 

Until I can totally devote my time to gardening like I used to, I won't be able to maintain anything but what I'm doing now. 

As stated, in my despair of not having plotted gardens this year, I have experimented with potting vegetables at an apartment. As you know from years past, much of my gardening has been a hugelkuktur garden on one property and a tilled garden at a second garden. Plus, I've kept a mini fruit orchard that I used to be proud of. 

Alas, time flies when you're having fun and working your ass off, so I'm happy to say that I will have a massive pear harvest; my peaches will drop to the ground and nourish the earth; the blueberries, grapes and blackberry bushes will feed the birds; fig trees will fruit as long as I keep looking at them; and I will try my best to water my apartment garden.

Pear fruit growing late June

Kieffer pears

Alberta peach...not looking to cute

Here I have taken pics of my rose, houseplants and veggies.

ABC ROSE

Houseplants 

I've been attempting to grow some summer vegetables in pots at the apartment. It's all very experimental, I've never done it before. I have 2 Cherokee beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, radish, garlic and potato growing in my pots. I am trying to germinate kale and lettuce. I sowed Kale seeds (blue curled) variety on  July 9th 2024...these are 60 days till harvest, so that would be October 1st. 

Additionally, I sowed Lettuce seeds (grand rapids) on July 8th 2024. These are 45 days till maturity; sowed sparkler radish, 25 days till harvest, and bloomsdale long standing spinach which is 45 days till harvest and I'll be able to harvest August 22nd. 

Cucumber and zucchini plants

Obviously you can't see all of the houseplants in this photo, but they're doing the beat they can in these hot, hot months so far.

Tomato 

I can't show off my couple of garden gems without showing my grandmas beauties as well...

And some of my other snapshots from the beginning of Summer...

Blooming cactus

May Adventures (California Road Trip)

 I did it (sort of)! I had always wanted to drive across the country and drive around cool spots in California. We took the easy route, and flew to California then drove to some of the most iconic places in California. 

The occasion was for our honeymoon. We tied the knot in front of our closest family, friends and coworkers at a local park. We had planned to do so in the creek there but it rained all day and the creek was up.

We contemplated where our destination honeymoon would be. We suggested London, Scotland, Grand Canyon, Redwood Forest, Oregon, Bahamas or some other cruise-like situation. I couldn't fathom going out of the country when there's so much to explore here. Plus, I'd like my feet on the ground as much as possible. I was afraid that the Grand Canyon wouldn't be as fulfilling for a whole week, so we landed on a road trip through California's beautiful, scenic National Parks.

Here, I'm giving you a look into our week. Enjoy.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

SKULL ROCK TRAIL AT JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, San Bernardino County, CALIFORNIA  

It was all pretty surreal 🏜 I wish we would have been equipped to hang out there all night... 

When we arrived at Joshua Tree, the sun was almost setting, at around 6pm. We stayed 2 hours, walking around aimlessly- looking at the landscape of large curved rocks that felt like concrete- and the Cholla Catus/cacti spanning across the driest windiest place on earth. I came across a spider as big as a tarantula; saw something that looked like a desert fox. There was only like 6 people amongst this vast desert.

It seemed like no matter which national park we went to, you're not escaping all of the people you're encountering, we came at a time when there was a handful of people at Joshua tree. 

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't take any of it for granted. I worry about these places because of pollution. Even in the most cool, hip, and nature oriented places here in California, it felt like there was so much capitalism and pollution. There were warning signs about the air quality coming into Palm Springs area, Joshua Tree and through the Mojave desert. 

Monday, May 20, 2024

GENERAL SHERMAN TRAIL AT SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Tulare County, CALIFORNIA 

There were so many of us tourists-- particularly at Sequoia national park and Yosemite. Here at Sequoia National park, people were staring up at the general sherman tree watching a researcher inspecting the tree for pests and disease. The very next day, the public was going to be reported at the state of health of this ancient tree. 

Tuesday, May 21st, 2024

YOSEMITE VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

This. Is. El Capitan. An epic hunk of rock that touches the clouds...

I think this was Castle Rock...

Yosemite falls...

It was freezing near the waterfall.  I'm glad I brought raincoats, hoodies, and longsleeves.

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024

San Francisco, California

We saw the pink lady houses, golden gate Bridge, Tennessee Beach, watched Ashley get a tattoo of the sequoias, and eat at a delicious quick in-and-out vegan restaurant. 

Thursday, May 23rd, 2024

Big Sur, California 

It was cold everywhere we went in California...along the beaches, coasts, and any body of water,  really...McWays falls and along Big Sur...which was heaven on earth. 

This was the famous Highway 1 going across the Bixby Bridge.

This was the Gallapta State Park.

Afterwards, we drove nearly all day on Friday back to Santa Monica, and then took a plane back home on Saturday.