Every six months ago, I look at real estate with the desire to move to the coast. It's a half an hour drive to the surf and sometimes I think I'd love to be by the sea more than anything.

Actually, I think that all of the time. But it's far too expensive. These days a beach shack will set you back 1.2 million. We'd sell our five acres and half way decent house for that - and still have to renovate, and live on a quarter acre block. Every time I think it'd be worth it to live by the sea, I go look at real estate and...

^{The grape vine shelters the main vegetable patch from the afternoon sun}

..change my mind. Because essentially, it's still the suburbs - with the sea down the road, unless you can afford a 2.5 to 3 million for a new ish build with a view of the ocean. So instead, I come home, and look around, and think - man, it's just not worth swapping. Besides, our garden is so well established and user friendly now that I just couldn't give it up after all this hard work, now, could I?

^{Artichoke flower - what a queen of the garden!}

^{Two sorts of elder - an American (I think) and a native one to the right, which smells more elderflowery}

The artichokes are flowering now. I didn't actually pick many - I just didn't get around to it and thought I'd let them be.

^{For the succulent lovers.}

The elders are providing their shade - every time I go into the garden I end up with a bridal shower of white flowers in my hair. They are a nuisance though - I end up having to pick tons of little seedlings out of the ground every year.

^{Gah - I'm so in love with white sage! Not least because it's so dry tolerant!}

^{I planted a couple of smaller varieties of tomato in the hugelkultur raised beds}

The purple flowering broccoli has been amazing, though it's at the end of the season now - I'm still picking bunches for stir fries - so good!

The tomato plants are doing well in the raised beds. ONly three as I'm going away this year. I'm just about to net the raspberry as I should get tons if the birds don't get them first.

Everything is already drying up - it's been a dry Spring unfortunately, now that El Nino is here. So I find myself watering more than usual. A bit of a pain, but then, it does make me appreciate what I have, and stop me thinking moving to the coast is a good idea.

^{red cabbage starting to do it's thang}

^{Is that a dill squash I see before me?}

At least this way I don't have a mortgage and can spend more money on plants, right?