When we recently had to remove a mature Arizona Ash from our back yard, we went from a shade garden to one passionately caressed by the hot reach of the Death Star. A couple of plants curled up and died before they could adjust, but the resilience and flexibility of most truly surprised me. They've merely gotten a bad sunburn and the new foliage seems to be growing in tolerant of the increased sun. Having plants that are native or well adapted to our area must give them a healthy resilience in extremes. It wasn't just the plants that needed time to adjust. Mourning the loss of the tree and considering the changes ahead were a bit overwhelming to me, and I'll admit to being fairly grumpy for about a week. Finally I could see it as just another dang opportunity. Here's a peek at the good news that grew out of the bad. As you may know, my garden is all about supporting pollinators. A variety of bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and fairly benign
If you're particularly interested in rainwater harvesting, see these posts: "900 and Counting" on 4/28/08, "First Crop" on 4/10/08, "Ongoing Saga of the Rain Tank" on 3/2/08, and "The Debate" on 2/7/08. Vermiculture was covered 8/12/08. Pond construction was covered in "The Heart of Our Garden" on January 22, 2008.