Harvested the total of the kumquat fruits, and the tree seems to be happy.  This has been another mild and dry winter, which is certainly not my preference, but seems perfect for establishing citrus.

Given the dryness of the hour, my friend Kate – she of A Garden in Bootjack fame – recently asked a poignant question:  “How do you think your plans will change?”  I’ve given this question a lot of thought in general over the past couple of dry years, and even more so since asked directly.  The answer (in a threefold nutshell) is a) probably fewer experiments in out-of-region plant husbandry, b) more drought-tolerant plants, c) more effort and energy into edible natives, which of course are probably more likely to weather local conditions than, say, kumquats.

This doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll dig up the citrus or forsake entirely the various unusual and possibly thirsty experiments that I’ve attempted over the years.  It does probably mean I’ll devote more space to things like olives and pomegranates, and that I’ll put more effort into establishing toyon and manzanita and dogwood and other natives, especially if the drought is a permanent or semi-permanent feature of living here.  It seems as though it might be.