PALO VERDE AND POMEGRANATE

 Kawtar and I finished dumping gravel in the last few meters of the diversion ditch. Although the chances of getting irrigation water from the oued are few and far between, the ditch was necessary to keep any overflow water away from the sites for the studio and the house. This (kind of) French drain will also act as a swale during those infrequent times of flowing water. Also during a heavy rain, if we ever get one again.

Aziz from Aghmat delivered two palo verde trees (known as Jerusalem thorn in these parts) and a pomegranate, pictured above. The pomegranate was planted in one of the small garden beds between two zeitouns, as was one of the palo verdes. The other was planted next to the zai pit bed.

 

The palo verde has been a favorite of mine since my Arizona days. There is something remarkable about these elegant, graceful trees-they have the ability to photosynthesize through their branches, which are a bright green color. They grow like weeds here-there are hundreds on the side of the road in the 25 minute drive from Marrakech to the garden home.

More plants are producing flowers but still, no pollinators in sight. Not all plants require pollinators, and I think I recall that beans are self-pollinators but I still look forward to seeing bees in the garden.

Our old neighbor on Riad Zeitoun, Hassan, brought out a roof he made for the bamboo palace. It was too small so he will have to redo it but the color is perfect. It matches the color of the bamboo perfectly on the outside, and on the inside, the sun streaming through turns the palace into a warm, , golden, glowing space.