RAIN AND GROWTH

We have had a lot of rain over the past couple of weeks, and the garden is responding. There is new growth in many areas, and the fall plantings are bursting with vigor. The mustard forest is approaching 7 feet tall in places, as are a few of the sunflowers.

 

Barley is such a robust, beautiful plant! The wheat (you can see some peeking out from behind the barley) is also nice, but it can't measure up to the barley.

A few weeks ago I picked up three branches that had fallen in the garden from the place next door, and cut them into pieces. They have been sitting in water and this week, there were many buds and a couple of blossoms. They are apricots (Siberian apricots, which I find amusing) and while apricots are not my favorite fruit, I can not turn down a gift. I will stick these in the soil someplace and see what happens.

After no olive harvest last year, it is really satisfying to see so much happening on these branches this spring!

The ostrich toe has produced another couple of flowers, and it is fast becoming my favorite succulent.

I have been trying to start leucaena from seed for months, ever since I found a public area in the medina with a couple of these trees. Zero success. A few days ago I was walking past the area, checking to see if there were a lot of seed pods on the ground, when I spotted some small seedlings. Because of all the rain recently, I was able to pull some out of the ground, just ahead of a city crew who were doing the same thing. Two days later I planted 27 seedlings. Here is hoping that a couple of them may survive!

 I don't know if these calendulas are volunteers or if they came from the bird seed but they are a beautiful addition to the garden.

A couple of days ago we visited Souk Tlet in Ait Ourir, on the never ending search for wood chips. No success in that quest, but the consolation prize was a couple of these Blue Fingers. Succulents are an excellent ground cover in this semi-arid location and I will be planting every one I can get my hands on.