I’ve have had a garden hobby for several years now and had a blog devoted to it however maintaining that became too much with other things. I still love to garden and spend just as much time out there escaping from the chain of the computer.

Over time I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t for my area of rural California in zone 9 with hard rusty well water and hard clay soil. I don’t think you stop learning though.

I have two “houses” for gardening. One I call my flower/fern house with flowers, vines and other green things. It’s purpose is a little retreat to sit and watch the humming birds and other critters fight for territory.

The second house is a vegetable house where I can attempt to grow things in a controlled environment away from horses, peacocks, voles, squirrels and other pesky critters. These blog posts are of my trials and tribulations as well as celebrations of my successes.

Not outdoors though is my tomatoes because I just couldn’t wait for Spring. Shown here is a Christmas present I bought for myself a couple of cherry tomato plants growing in my hydroponic aerogarden! It seems like every time I look away they get bigger and bigger!

What follows are some of my notes

Outside as of today in my vegetable garden

• bin 9 Calendula leaves are growing but no flowers yet
• bin 7 tulip and daffodils are emerging
• bin 8 Swiss chard sprouts are emerging
• bin 6 Harvested some Swiss chard but plants are pretty small at the moment – added some ammonium sulfate to get bigger leafier greens.
• bin 3 leaf buds are swelling on wisteria – chocolate mint at the base appear tangled and weak
• bin 5 Cilantro is getting pushy – snap pea seeds and used legume nitrogen fixer in the soil – Planted fern leaf dill seeds
• bin 2 onions should be harvested – planted radish sprouts last week – blue gold blueberry has leaf buds but my misty blueberry does not
• bin 1 Swiss chard is emerging
• bin 10 pathetic orange tree

In the flower/fern house

Aloe Very is growing well

Outside the houses on the grounds

• Pink breath of heaven needs pruning
• Several things need transplanting (holly, ca pepper and italian cypress)
• the Leyenda Cypress need pruning
• The humming birds are fighting for territory

In the portable Green house

Potato plant that were growing well have black mold on the leaves. Leaving the doors open to dry out and it is getting warmer. Other red potato sprouts are starting.

Until next week!…