I love this photo. A brown, dead leaf that has fallen from the tree is wedged among the blossoms. Some of the spent flowers have fallen on top of the dead leaf…as if resting in a cradle among the blooms that will soon become new fruit. Avocado trees drop their leaves all year long, but during bloom season lots of leaves fall as the flowers come out. Then the flowers begin to fall too, covering the ground with tiny dried flowers. Then the baby avocados begin to appear!
Tiny newborn avocado forms where the flower was pollinated.
And here is a newborn baby avocado! The tiny fruits begin to grow right where the little flower used to be … after the bees and bugs have come to pollinate the flowers.
So many flowers on each avocado tree! It’s amazing that the flowers come out on spindly stalks … and the tree seems to explode with blooms. From a distance the blooming trees look like they have yellow foam on them…. and then the new growth begins to appear….reddish new leaves that will provide shade for the fruit and eventually turn a deep dark green color.
I have received several notes from avocado tree owners who are concerned that their trees might be dying. The leaves do fall off the tree when the tree begins to bloom, and some of the trees can even look like they’re naked exept for the flowers. The new leaves begin to grow during the bloom period and eventually the trees will be full of foliage once more.
The new leaves are so colorful! When the sun comes up in the morning, there is a reddish hue … fresh and shiny! These are the leaves that will help sustain the tree and protect the fruit as it grows during the coming year.
And look what else is blooming! I bought this cactus last year at Lowe’s … haven’t even taken it out of the pot yet! I wanted to find a place where it would be happy, and hoped it would bloom again. Well this year it has even more flowers than last year! Best to admire it from a distance…those needles are sharp!
It has been a glorious year here on the ranch after all the rains! Wild flowers have been spectacular right here at home and all over California.
It’s amazing that the seeds are waiting for years, but nothing grew because we were in a drought. Once the rains begin, everything grows and blooms!
Succulents are blooming!
These came from wildflower seed mixtures that I sprinkled before the rains.
So much color this year!
Our days are getting warmer now. The lizards are out sunning themselves and we have to watch out for snakes too. We’ve started harvesting the largest avocados so that the trees can direct their energy to the baby avocados that are beginning to grow. It is a glorious time of year!
Have you seen California avocados in your produce markets yet? We’re shipping fresh California avocados from our family farm every week now! Earlier this year we were comparing three varieties: Fuerte, Bacon, and Hass avocados. Now the California Hass avocados are in season and they are extra special now! Check out our website at California Avocados Direct.