We had quite a few caterpillars feeding on the milkweed, but didn’t see much happening beyond that. Seems like maybe birds got them or they are very good at hiding.
Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz is the place to be during Monarch season.

I’m in California so winter doesn’t really apply, but we have red sage, milkweed, blanket flower, garlic chive flowers, oregano flowers, and gaura pretty much year round for pollinators. Dried flower heads are left for the birds.
Leaves left or composted.

And surprisingly easier. No mowing. Much of my yard reseeds itself.

Hope you are doing better. Take it easy easy and heal … like people, gardens are pretty resilient

I’ll check out her videos.

Well you found the master of soil microbiology in Dr. Ingham so I’m sure you are on the right track. Happy planting!

Wow, that is quite the plan. I used mycorrhizae inoculants on many of my fruit trees at the time of planting. Don’t know how much difference it makes but they are doing very well. To switch your soil to fungal dominant takes time, but personally I think the easiest route is composted wood chips.

You found the right source for grafting videos. He’s amazing. Some people in the mango community have some great grafting vids as well, like Truly Tropical. Good luck

Found a bunch of monarch caterpillars on the milkweed plants today. They have long journey ahead 🌱

Higher organic content helps retain moisture and resists compaction so the soil can drain. Kind of like having a sponge next to the roots - the moisture is available but the plant isn’t sitting in a pool of water. Soil biology can also build soil aggregates which help retention and drainage.

Cool. I have a few date palms popping up too.
I tend to plant things without marking them, so sometimes takes me awhile to figure out what it is. In this case the seed shell stays around. 🌱

Congrats! Ten years is a long time to wait, but growing a seedling to a productive tree is pretty rewarding. I get impatient sometimes, so have been learning to graft.

Let the pods dry on the plant. I think the seeds require some cold stratification so keep in the fridge a few weeks before planting in early spring.
The plants behind the lupine will be ready when the flowers get sticky 😬

Thanks. It’s quite a bit smaller but I get to visit every day 😀

Spring approaching. Peach and pluot trees in bloom. Yellow tree is one I planted from seed - still need to figure out what it is. Has like seed pods that look like snow peas.

Nice! Hopefully nature can help in the recovery. Only seed I have now is gaillardia that overwintered. Should have lots of poppy, delphinium, guara, and calendula later in the season.

So sorry. Grew up in west Altadena and still have family there. Just devastating. When you get to the point you are ready to replant I have lots of extra fig and mulberry trees.

If you have any side shoots maybe you could dig one up and root in peat moss and give her a little blueberry plant that will last for many years. Most of mine started 35 years ago.

Wow, that is pretty early, or a very late second set. Nice of you to share with the neighbor.
I've got 8 bushes, and the birds actually aren't too bad if I pick early enough. I also have a mulberry tree overhead that helps keep the birds away from the blueberries (more to feed on).

Looks a lot like a pineapple plant, particularly the way it sends up pups (slips)

Bare trees shows your handywork. Nice job shaping them all to open vase structure.

I should do the same, but there isn't any room in the yard left for them to plant 😆 Way back when I was a kid I planted an avocado. Took probably ten years to fruit and the neck on the fruit was long like a banana, but they were delicious. Even the Hass was just random, so you never know ...

Cool, glad to hear someone else has the same idea. I've planted dozens of avocado, citrus, and mango from fruit I've eaten. Even some odd ones like jaboticaba and paw paw. Genetic lottery for sure, but it's fun seeing the trees come up from seed, and up-potting them as they grow.

Nice. Mine are all the same "everbearing" variety, but I'm mainly getting one big crop in the spring unless I strip them back to force fruiting again. Love that mulberry is so easy to grow from cutting.

Yes, plumeria or frangipani. I assume they are tropical, but they can handle some frost. In Hawaii they are used to make lei's. They smell amazing.

Wow, that is a chance of a lifetime! Congratulations! 🏆

You can save a lot if you propagate plants from cuttings, but that creates a bigger space problem 🙂

Nice. Glad to know there are good people down under trying to save the environment 🙂 Happy planting! Look forward to seeing more pictures of your harvests.

Yes, I'm very happy with whatever I can grow. Here in the states Florida seems to be the place to be for mangos. I assume you must be down under since you have the fruiting season just starting?

I've managed to find low chill apples, cherries, plums, and pluots, but probably still on the edge for getting enough chill. Being able to grow mango is definitely a silver lining. I grew roses and other ornamentals for years, but growing food has definitely been more rewarding.