Garden update: January 31, 2024
For 12 years, I watched a lemon tree grow. Last summer, I watched that lemon tree die. The relentless heat got to be too much for it, and I couldn’t give it the bottomless supply of water it craved. It was sad to see this beautiful tree pass, but climate change is dictating a new future.
I’ve been looking at the blank space where the lemon tree used to be for almost six months, debating what to put in its place:
The days of growing citrus are officially over in my yard, so I’ve decided to give that space over to the birds. The building of a “bird sanctuary” has commenced:
So far, the birds seem to dislike the new changes because I think they are afraid of the metal figures and the color of the dishes. This is only phase one and I’m already thinking of ways to change it. These are all items I already had lying around, except for the pots I recently purchased for this purpose. I thought they’d really like the dried branches, but, no, they are clearly not fans. I don’t really like the way it all looks, either, so this will be an on-going creative process.
Hope you’re having a nice week!
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Krista Marson 
So sad about your lemon tree! That was a beauty. Alas, there are those adaptations we are all having to make in our gardens due to climate change, as you say. We lost a lot of trees a couple of years ago to the exception drought here in CA. Luckily, we’ve had more rainfall since then and the trees that made it through are getting revived. I hope your new bird habitat will thrive and be a great source of life and joy. And, you’ve got some gorgeous cacti!
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Indeed, nowhere will be safe from the heat. Vegetation habitats will certainly change, and best I can do is pay attention to the climate and plant what is appropriate for the warming future.
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I hear that. We used to have fog roll in about 3pm when we first moved to our current home. That was about 20 years ago. The previous owners, who had lived here for 30 years, said the same. Then about 15 years ago, the fog stopped coming and what does well here is different now. I think they’ve even officially stated that our planting zone has changed. … I’m happy to have discovered your posts about your garden there and look forward to reading/seeing more. So good of you to care for the birds. -lisa
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Sounds like my romantic memories of a Mediterranean style CA might just be that—memories. So sad about the loss of fog—an essential ingredient for redwood trees. Sigh.
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Well, many areas still have fog. It’s just rare in my specific micro-climate now. We’re about 30 minutes drive from the coast, and the fog used to roll in along a valley to us. Doesn’t reach us anymore.
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