Natural Confusion

 

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  That sure came and went quickly!  Here in our house, it's pretty much Santa free.  We are staunch supporters of Boxing Day - December 26.  On that day, we are up early and we dismantle everything remotely related to that Jolly Old Elf.  I guess that's why everything goes up Thanksgiving weekend - in four weeks, we're done!

This period of time always has a somewhat confused feeling.  I still feel a bit holiday-ish, but I'm ready for the new year to begin.  I love the cold weather and intermittent rain, but look forward to spring.  I like having the garden go dormant, but can't wait for new leaves to start popping out.  As I took my pruning shears to the rosebushes this morning (yes, without a walker!) I noticed a few things:

Our trees are confused.  It's the end of December and they are dropping leaves like crazy.  Oh and the leaves are turning red and orange.  Oh yeah, and some leaves are still green.  Go figure!

 

 

 

My winter fruit bearing trees are doing well.  We have a new avocado tree that has three, count 'em, three avocados perilously hanging from the lower limbs.  We are waiting until January and hoping that they will be as delicious as the ones that come from my mother's 50 year old backyard tree.  We have quite a few lemons waiting to be picked as well!

 

 



Rosebushes are in desperate need of pruning.  Last year we just let them go wild because we wanted as many flowers as possible in May for our daughter's backyard wedding reception.  So, this year, big time cut backs.  But, as you can see in the picture, the nastursiums are going crazy (no seeds planted, just leftovers from last year!)

 

 

As I was trimming the roses, I noticed that my milkweed plants, which I usually pull up and throw out and struggle to keep up with all the seedlings, is host to a few monarch catepillars!  They're a bit late as well.  Most monarchs have emerged from their chrysalli by this time.  But these little buggers are gettng their eat on!  They are mowing through the two plants I have left.  Had I known that we were hosts to these marvelous and somewhat endangered butterflies, I would have scaled back on the milkweed reduction.  Next year I will let it run rampant!

 

 



So with 2012 almost behind us and 2013 looming in the not-to-distant future, I wish all of you a Happy New Year filled with blessings!