After suffering through a scorching hot year without our seasonal monsoon and winter rains, it has been a real delight to have our winter rain return! Our best gift was rain on Christmas Eve that lasted into Christmas Day.
The steady gentle rain was perfect for our front yard basins.
Our jujube basin was full of fallen leaves ready to hold the moisture....
... and nourish the soil as it breaks down.
One of the best techniques we've found for our basins are Leave the Leaves and Chop and Drop.
While waiting for our Christmas Eve festivities to begin, I spent some relaxing time in the garden cutting palm fronds into mulch for our basins. It was nice to use what nature gave us in our own yard.
I put another layer of palm frond mulch in the greywater basin - where the previous later was breaking up nicely.
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| Jeremy and Lillie with the sign he drew. |
We were also blessed with lovely weather for our traditional Christmas sing-along party.
I directed guests to walk on the gravel path to protect the native plants in our front yard basins. But late season purslane was growing in some of the gravel, so I made a sign with the back of a repurposed rocking chair that read: WALK ON GRAVEL, NOT PURSLANE.
I directed guests to walk on the gravel path to protect the native plants in our front yard basins. But late season purslane was growing in some of the gravel, so I made a sign with the back of a repurposed rocking chair that read: WALK ON GRAVEL, NOT PURSLANE.
My sweetie surprised me by lighting it up for the party!
Hmm... Maybe we'll have purslane scramble for Christmas breakfast!
Hmm... Maybe we'll have purslane scramble for Christmas breakfast!
We celebrated the holiday by enjoying one of our favorite traditions - singing!
We are so thankful for the Christmas rain that pepped up the native plants in our cherished basins.
