This past week, I was blessed with harvesting produce from two different gardens. One was from one of my vegetable gardens… Harvesting produce About a 1/4 of my side vegetable garden is planted with cauliflower. Over the…

*This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support in this way. When much of the nation is freezing their socks off,…

If anyone asks me what is on my list of succulent favorites, Santa-rita prickly pear would be near the top. Santa-rita prickly pear with new pads. This beautiful prickly pear is also often referred to as 'purple prickly pear'. I…

When you envision a drought-tolerant landscape, does a landscape covered in colored gravel with a cactus or two come to mind? Believe it or not, this type of landscape style was popular back in the 70's and some people have never moved…

Where do you expect to see vegetable gardens planted? Most of the time, vegetable gardens are found in the backyard. But, have you ever  thought of locating your vegetable garden somewhere else? This home in the Encanto district,…

Today, was a very special day in the garden and it took almost 2 years to reach this date. Today marks the first harvest from our young orange tree.  When planting trees, it is best to dig them 3x as wide as the rootball…

A week ago, my husband and I took a stroll through our past, visiting the campus of Westmont College in Montecito, California, where we met 28 years ago. What is special about this place is not only the memories, but the beautiful…

Last weekend, our family loaded our suitcases into the car and headed out to Southern California to visit my second-oldest daughter, Rachele, who is stationed there at a Navy base. I was excited to see Rachele, but also to visit that part…

I love Christmas… Not just the day itself and celebrating our Savior's birth, but I love all the preparations and celebrations that occur this time of year. At this point, I can usually take a deep breath and sit back and enjoy the…