The weather in my corner of Southern California has been very eerie. The late summer has brought with it a summer storm that dumps cool rain and hot gasps of rare humidity to the region. The storm brings with it a primordial scent of wet earth, dank plant material - a veritable perfume bottle of life and growing things. I do not mind this hot weather with nuisance rain. I love its strange alien quality for we seldom have such an adventure in the temperate dessert.
The storm brings with it the turn of the season, the lazy summer days shortening as we race to the Autumn Equinox. As with the season, so go my tomatoes. I hacked down the Black Pearl, Copia, Aszoycha, and both Momotaros. They were spent from their harvest, their burnt brown leaves crackling in the humid breeze. The work was tough going, not because I regret the loss of the tomatoes or the season, but the storm's impending deluge distracted me with thunder and bursts of wind that sent the wind chimes into fits of laughter.The end of season brings with it strange dichotomies, vegetables dying on the vine, dried up annual flowers, basil bursting with seed while the roses continue their late summer bloom, and the plumerias coat the garden in a tropical veneer.  |
| Overgrown Marianna's Peace and basil |
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| Spent Tomatoes |
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| Copia |
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| Mother of Pearl Rose |
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| Hybrid Plumeria |
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| Visitors cannot escape the fragrance! |
