Fruit and nut trees: “Last April we purchased a self-pollinating All-In-One almond tree for our Sierra Madre yard,” wrote Bill Cosso. “It had just finished flowering and was starting to set an abundant crop. Unfortunately, a squirrel discovered this new diner and cleaned it out in a day. This year, the tree is loaded with beautiful blossoms and we hope to get a crop to actually eat ourselves. Do you have any advice on how to protect from squirrel decimation?”
With the proliferation of urban wildlife, it is increasingly difficult to harvest tree crops before the squirrels, rats, and opossums get to them. The only solution is to cover your entire tree with 5 mm mesh netting, available from Internet vendors. All-In-One grows to a maximum of 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide, but it can be kept as low as 8 feet, as is recommended for fruit and nut trees in general, so as to make them easier to harvest. Anyone who has grown All-In-One almonds successfully is invited to share their story with me.
Vegetables: Okra (Hibiscus esculentus) is a warm-weather crop whose seeds should be planted now. As a member of the Hibiscus genus, you might be expecting attractive flowers, and you will not be disappointed with its large yellow blooms. Okra is a perennial that can last for several years, growing as tall as six feet. Should it reach this height, cut it back for more vigorous growth. Okra loves the heat and is also drought-tolerant in relation to most vegetables; it will not need to be watered more often than once a week after it is well-rooted. Okra progresses in only four days from flower to harvestable pod. This vegetable is called ladyfinger since that is the size of the pods when they should be picked. If allowed to grow more than three inches long, pods will become tough and less edible.
Herbs: Borage (Borago officinalis) is a delightful addition to the herb garden. It displays myriad star-shaped blue flowers throughout the summer. The flowers — used as a garnish or tossed into soups or salads — nod with indisputable charm. They have a cucumber flavor, as do the edible young seedlings. You can also make a tea from chopped-up borage leaves, which has been known to soothe a cough and reduce stress. Borage plants grow three feet tall and two feet wide and self-sow with ease, so that you will enjoy their garden presence for years to come.
Flowers: No flower captivates our attention quite like columbine (Aquilegia). Speaking of the fancy hybrid varieties, each flower appears to be a flower within a flower, since each typically consists of two contrasting floral stars, lying flat upon one another. Columbine needs regular watering in our part of the world and requires a partial sun to lightly shaded garden spot. It is supposed to live for 3-5 years, but you will be lucky to have it for two. If soil is to its liking, however, it will self-sow. The word “columbine” originates from columbo, meaning dove, and references its floral appendages that resemble a dove’s tail feathers. Aquilegia, its scientific name, is derived from the Latin word for eagle since those same appendages are said to resemble an eagle’s talons as well.
Although All-In-One almond trees can self-pollinate, having bees around will produce a larger crop. Lacking hives of European honeybees, which are brought in to pollinate commercial almond orchards, you can invite native bees into your garden, many species of which can pollinate fruit and nut trees and vegetables. You can construct a bee hotel or nesting block to encourage them to take up residence. This may be as simple as a two-foot-long, 4 x 4 piece of wood into which holes from 1/8 -3/8 inch in diameter have been drilled, taking care that the holes do not go through the wood. Make sure your bee hotel is protected from afternoon sun and rain by attaching it to a garage wall, for example, under an eave. Native bees will nest in the holes, which should be cleaned annually to prevent bee parasite build-up.