Garden Gush: Birds and Purps

I just noticed something. I am partial to purple flowers. That's right. I ain't afraid to say it. 

If I see a purple flower at the nursery, chances are I'm going to buy it (especially if I've never seen it before). I bought a flower today. And then surveyed my garden and noticed that purple flowers seem to be a recurring theme. 

My favorite might be this one. 

It turns out it's a jalapeno plant. I didn't know they came in purple. 

People who come to Los Angeles from other states often claim to "miss seasons" this is always sounds ridiculous to me. L.A. has seasons too. They are subtle. But they are there.  My favorite is when the Jacaranda are in bloom. 

Now... I'm growing tomatoes. I grow them because I got tired of buying tomatoes that get overripe or rotten too quickly. I figured if they just hung out on the vine until I need them then they will always be ready. But this morning I was anxious to pick my first tomato to use in a sandwich. I walk outside and find the tomato has been eaten off the plant. It was eaten practically all the way to the stem. I could tell it was  a bird. 

Damn! Now I'm going to have to wait for the next tomato to turn red. 

But later the afternoon I saw the damn bird struck again. 

Then standing at the washing machine I saw the culprit. A bird sitting there on top of my tomato plant. Fearless. 

I went to the hardware store immediately. It turns out the guy there new exactly the bird I was talking about. He called it a "bobo" but I think officially it's a  bulbul. Red-vented bulbul to be exact. Word is they like to eat anything red.

And it is kind of cocky. While I was gone my girlfriend told me he came back and was eating a different tomato.

 

When she walked outside, it didn't move. She walked closer, it didn't move. It wasn't until she was at the plant that it finally flew away. So now my tomatoes are in a cage of bird netting. 

Hopefully that means "bobo" will have to find a new place for lunch.