Old Olives at Mission San Miguel Arcángel

Olive trees at the mission.

On the way to the central coast of California for some exploration of the oceanic portion of the hydrological cycle we stopped at an old mission site. The Mission San Miguel Arcángel is in a state of restoration and we were able to visit inside the adobe structure. The old kitchen and living area were open to the public, as was the church. The interior courtyard garden was not available to walk in, only view from a roped-off area. I was hoping to see some old fig trees, but saw none. They had olives though. Some had been cut to the ground and were re-sprouting, others were still large and producing fruit that the birds were enjoying.

Exploring the hydrological cycle

Olives

I planted three olive trees in January 2008. The first olive fruit came this year and is on a tree that gets the least amount of water and attention.
Olive trees can live many hundreds of years and are evergreen. I planted the olives along the back fence to provide some greenery in the back yard during the winter when other plants have gone dormant. I chose olives because they are drought tolerant, live many years, and can produce a useful fruit. I planted two Maurino and one Taggiasca olives. The fruit is on a Maurino, which is a Tuscan oil type.