I’m struggling in the garden this month. Tomato plants – FAIL. Kishu Tangerine tree – FAIL. Oklahoma Redbud Tree – FAIL.
The tomato plants didn’t set fruit and then got diseased so I yanked all but one of them. The remaining plant is a Cherry Tomato growing in a recycle bin. It looks horrible but I am harvesting some fruit. I just planted another round of plants with high hopes that I will reap a crop in a few months.
My Kishu Tangerine tree was little but mighty last year with an incredible fruit yield. I may have sealed its fate by not thinning the crop. The tree struggled through the spring, then rallied for a couple of months, growing a fresh set of leaves. Last month the little tree suddenly died. Bummer. I will dig the tree out, but I’m not sure what I should do in its place. I’m not quite sure why it died so quickly.
My little Oklahoma Redbud tree in the front yard looks like it is in shock and I think I know why. I had some irrigation redone and I have a feeling that a major root may have been damaged. I am thinking about whether I want to baby this tree along or just pull it out. I have another redbud tree, beautiful and healthy, in the backyard, so it would not be a huge loss.
Well, when one door closes, another opens. Looks like a trip to the nursery is in my future. Yay!
Brooklyn Grange is the largest rooftop farm in the country (and possibly the world), spanning some 40,000 square feet on top of a building in Queens. The farm produces over 40 herbs and vegetables. They also boast the highest flock of chickens in New York City!
I just love this and if I ever get the chance to build a house with a growing rooftop, I’m doing it!!! It would help with my land envy problem.
Living in Southern California to coastal central California, we reside in the coveted 2% of total land mass on earth that shares this idyllic Mediterranean climate.
All mediterranean climate areas in the world lie between about 30 degrees and 45 degrees of latitude, about halfway from the equator to the poles, and they are all near the coast on the western edge of continents. California is said to have the driest Mediterranean climate in the world.
Well, we’re halfway through July and I don’t know about you, but I’m struggling a bit out in my garden. I’ve completely failed with my tomatoes and my squash harvest is minimal. I will be yanking a lot of things out of the ground this week. :-(
Onward and upward!!! Here’s a collection on things I’ve stumbled upon in the last week.
I’ve got one out of five of these in my garden, but given my dismal result this year maybe I need to step it up a bit: Five Flowers to Plant for Pest Control
If she’s getting 93 days, considering the way my front yard is growing, I’m a candidate for six months in the slammer. And then there are the chickens….gulp…. I could be in BIG trouble. :-)
Oak Park, Mich., resident Julie Bass faces misdemeanor charges for refusing to remove a garden from her front yard. (Huffington Post - Julie Bass)
There is a online petition available to sign if you are so inclined, but seriously, the only person who needs jail time is the official who decided to push this issue. …sigh….
This incredible website is a wealth of information about farms, farmers’ markets, farm stands and restaurants in your area. Real Time Farms
In the garden with Yvonne Savio, head of the L.A. master gardener program: Her own garden is a wonder and I hope I get to meet her someday.
The weather has cooled down significantly today and I think I’ll go enjoy some time in the garden. I wish you could smell my gardenias!
Campbell's grafted gardenia - This is their fourth year in the ground and their best bloom ever. The bushes are covered with blossoms and the scent is incredible in the front yard!
I like the ebb and flow of my garden. I spent the weekend assessing and cleaning up out there. Cucumbers finished their cycle so they got yanked. Lemon balm was taking over and I’m not sure what to do with it anyway so it got chopped waaaaayyyy back. Same with the basil. I had planned [...]
We’re smack in the middle of growing season so the plants are working hard and they are hungry. Here’s a Fertilizing Basics Guide from Anderson’s La Costa Nursery & Garden Design Center in Encinitas. Some basic info to aide in selecting fertilizers: All Purpose Fertilizer (4-4-4): 4-4-4 means 4% Nitrogen, 4% Potassium, 4% Phosphorous (by [...]
On Tuesday at the monthly Master Gardener meeting, our guest speaker was former Master Gardener, Nan Sterman. Nan is now the weekly garden columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune as well as drought tolerant planting guru. I first heard Nan speak at a Master Gardener seminar many years back. I signed up for her class [...]
