The earth laughs with fruit and flowers

Jules smelling the amaryllis given to me Christmas before last by Jacki.
 It's the gift that just keeps on giving.  It's blooming again in my garden!

 

Talk about the gift that keeps on giving, this is the white amaryllis given to my Mom when they moved out to South Phoenix in the early 50s by Rev. Tate pastor of Neighborhood Congregational Church.  Mom and I both have it in our yards.  I call it Rev Tate's Amaryllis and think of him fondly when it blooms

 "The earth laughs in flowers" is actually a quote by Emerson, but I think it is perfect for this time of year in my garden.  Flowers nourish the soul and fruit and veggies nourish the body.  My garden in abundant with both in spring reminding me of God's bountiful gifts.  This is the first blooms of my roses after their January pruning.  Mom always has beautiful hand sized roses and I learned from her.  She learned from her Mom who helped her plant her first roses in Arizona when she was visiting from Australia. 

The first blooms seem to have the most vibrant colors

The first blooms of the season are always the biggest

 

Spring means time to eat and juice my Arizona Sweet Oranges.  They are most delicious and it always amazes me that most of the neighbors just let them drop to the ground, but then go to the store and buy oranges.  I can't quite figure it out.  When I was a kid we used to go to the Roll's house who lived in a citrus grove and pick boxes of AZ Sweet oranges.  We would juice them and freeze them.  Then in the summer when it was really hot we would get to have an orange slushy.  That was our big summer treat!

Jules and Faye helping me juice oranges this year

Here are the boys Nathan, Niko and Maceo juicing oranges when they were little.  They are now all over 6 feet tall!

This is the flowers of the milkweed plant which are the only leaves the Monarch caterpillars can eat.  All butterfly's are also attracted to these flowers.  I currently have many seeds which I am giving away to anyone who wants them.  Let me know and I will give you seeds.  We must plant milkweed in our yards to save the Monarch.  It takes them 5-6 generations to get down to their winter grounds in the forests of Mexico or California.  Most of U.S. milkweed has been killed by application of the herbicide Roundup.  In the spring they head north and east towards the summer breeding grounds.  The Monarch population  has declined 80% from the average numbers during the past 20 years.  There is hope because in the 2014 winter, the Mexico population actually increased the first time in  recent years

Harvest Time

Peaches almost ready to pick.  I have 2 varieties of peach which ripen about a month apart

It is wonderful to walk out my door and pick fruit or veggies.  I also have herbs, lettuce and kale now

Apricots ripened first this year

Mom and I have already made 3 batches of apricot jam this week