Community Garden

On Magnolia Blvd in Encino, right off the freeway is a large community garden. Most of the plots are occupied although a few are left fallow. In my friend’s plot the squash is growing!This cabbage is ripe, come pick it already!Plenty of rabbits are on the ready to harvest these.Ooops, if you don’t pick the artichoke this is what happens. Yes, the chock turns into a beautiful purple flower, but too many artichoke plants had this happening.This is a major operation, wonder if these are table grapes or wine grapes?  There are people around who make their own wine, not very good. Beer making is simple and easy, wine – not so much.Then there are the decorative touches, very large sunflower. Which can also be useful, all those seeds dried and salted make a perfect snack. When I first moved to Israel I ate the whole thing and choked on the shells. I quickly learned how to shell and spit out the spent shells. A real Israeli talent and very addicting.A cacti and succulent garden. This is a group effort, not just one person. Notice how the thorns by the delicate flowers are the biggest and nastiest. Of course soon the flower will turn to fruit, the source of the next generation, must protect at all costs.Other cacti have very strange and unusual flowers.Some decorations are meant to keep out the birds. I’m thrilled that I actually caught this in motion.I wonder if this is a more effective bird deterrent?  Look up! Always look up. the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom right now and what a beautiful bloom it is. although most drivers who are forced to park under these trees would not agree. These purple flowers are quite a mess as they fall.Finally, the Magnolia tree in bloom. The namesake of the street and yes , there are plenty of these trees alongs this long boulevard.  Actually these trees thrive throughout the valley, now they are in bloom, in a few months they will drop their strange cone like fruit.