The backyard here in Malibu used to be one big, thick slab of concrete. Good for shunting rainwater into the neighbor's yard, not so good for gardening. So when a wind storm blew down not just the rotted rear fence, but five rotted trees as well (welcome to homeownership!) we took the hint.

We sledge-hammered the concrete slab and hired a very nice guy to haul it away. Then, because the Cove insisted we had to replace all five trees, I put in two California peppers, plus a peach, a fig and a nectarine. It all went well until the peppers found a source of water that turned them into hulking giants. They blocked all the sun and the fruit harvest slowly ground to a halt.

Last week, a friend helped move the peach and the nectarine trees to his house near the barn. We planted, watered and waited. And yesterday, here's what I found - a peach blossom. (Six, actually.) And some big fat buds on the nectarine. That doesn't mean the transplant was a success, but we've got our fingers crossed. (And my ice cream maker ready.)