Succulents

Drought in California is entering the 5^th year; Northern California has had average rainfall this year but not the Southland. State officials are still asking residents to conserve water and reduce water consumption in the midst of the ongoing water crisis.

To reduce my water consumption, I cut back on watering my lawn to once a week sometimes once every other week when days are cloudy. I also planted drought resistant plants like succulents which are thriving very well with very small amount of water.

These are a few of my succulents and they all are thriving well. All were bought at Lowes and Home Depot and some are cuttings from the original plant I bought. They are thriving with very minimum amount of water.

Pomegranate Fruit

My pomegranate is almost six feet tall with lots of fruit that are almost ready to be harvested. Last year it only had few fruits but this year there are at least 30 fruits. Although they are not as big as the ones sold in supermarkets but at least I know they are free of pesticide.

Pomegranate fruits are actually berries and they are ripe when

they have turned red in color and make a metallic sound when tapped. To avoid cracking oven, the fruits need to be picked before they over mature.

The pomegranate fruit would last very long in storage. It can be kept as long as seven months if they are refrigerated. The fruits improve will improve if kept longer, they become juicier and more flavorful.

The circular end of the pomegranate fruit looks like a little crown and it is said that King Solomon used this as a model to fashion the crown that he wore.

Itoh Peony

Itoh peonies also known as intersectional hybrid peonies have the characteristics of tree and herbaceous variety; they have huge and colorful flowers like most tree peonies and the perennial growing cycle of herbaceous peonies. They have vigorous growth habits and huge colorful flowers like the tree peonies and the bush will remain green after the flowering cycle. They have woody stems which can support bigger blooms.

 

I purchased from the Spring Hill Nursery catalog several years ago and finally bloomed this spring. The label is gone so I am not really sure the name of this Itoh peony. It has huge flowers, about 7 inches in diameter with a coral color and large flare in the center. It comes back every spring but has not bloomed since I planted it then dies back in fall. It has several flowers this spring and perhaps will have more next year and the next.

The foliage stays until early fall then cut back when the stems and foliage turn brown.