I potted up a peanut cactus (Echinopsis chamaecereus) earlier this summer and propagated some of the stems that broke off during the process. They have rooted and I even got a surprise late summer bloom. These grow well in the desert. Even tolerating our cold winters as long as it is in a more sheltered place. #flowstr #gardenstr

That was more labor intensive than I thought, but now they are drying. In a few days I will grind them into carob powder. 🤞#gardenstr I remember my great grandmother used carob in place of chocolate in the early 90s. I hated it! I also remember my grandma using it around the same time as a health food. (She and my grandfather were homesteaders of a sort. In the early 90s, my grandfather remodeled a 100-year-old, four-wall cabin, transforming it eventually into a large home. He said it would have been cheaper and easier to tear the prior home down and build again, but he couldn’t bring himself to destroy something that had stood so long, and so well. I’m trying to connect to that wisdom.)

Harvest from the carob tree. First time doing this. Pods are soaking now. Next step is to remove the seeds. Then I’ll let the pods dry in the hot greenhouse before blending/grinding them to a powder. Carob is high in sugars and fiber. It’s supposed to be helpful for lowering LDL cholesterol. I’m planning to add it to smoothies.

Rewatching Global Gardener episodes tonight and it is inspiring me to grow more food. Since moving to the low desert almost three years ago I’ve been a bit lost in the edible garden so I’ve really dug into all of the tough shrubs and incredible perennials, mostly succulent, that grow so well here. But I miss growing my own food. There are many edible perennials that grow well here. Hell, I have a beautiful mature carob tree in my back yard and I’ve never even harvested the pods! So this is my goal and intention as the hot season slowly begins to subside and planting can resume: grow more edible perennials and desert-adapted annual foods. Get back into what made me fall in love with gardening over 20 years ago: growing food. #gardenstr #foodstr #nature

Doing more creative stuff and frankly I’m terrified, but it feels good too

Everything in the garden is rough from the hottest summer we’ve ever had here, but you can’t beat the look of native brittlebush combined with bougainviella #flowerstr #plantstr #gardenstr

Ipomopsis arizonica found on a recent hike in the sky islands of the Mojave desert. Wish I were as tenacious #flowerstr

Oh there are flowers on nostr! I can do this! #planstr #flowerstr

Been a year since I posted, and just so happens to coincide again with a hike near Mt. Charleston. Some of these trees, Pinus aristata, or bristlecone pine, are over 3,000 years old.

Visit to Mt. Charleston today to be in it. Indian paintbrush, my favorite dry land wildflower