It's a nice hanging pot, but it needed a little more interest. I found these great pentas which are a super-pale lavender (Maybe "butterfly blush" color?), complimenting the orange nicely.
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Yesterday I bought a hanging pot from CVS that was on sale for $9.99. It is filled with my favorite color of Million Bells ( Calibrachoa ) - Tequila Sunrise, which has a great, dynamic, orange color.
It's a nice hanging pot, but it needed a little more interest. I found these great pentas which are a super-pale lavender (Maybe "butterfly blush" color?), complimenting the orange nicely.
It's a nice hanging pot, but it needed a little more interest. I found these great pentas which are a super-pale lavender (Maybe "butterfly blush" color?), complimenting the orange nicely.
I read an article on growing your own sprouts and it seemed so easy I wanted to try it.
I have the seeds and the jar, now I just need some cheesecloth...
I have the seeds and the jar, now I just need some cheesecloth...
I'm starting a bit late with planting veggies this year, or maybe I'm not all that late, but it seems like it.
Today I added garden soil and compost to the raised bed, and planted three tomatoes that I grew from seed earlier this year. I also planted three cherry tomatoes, two yellow squash, a cucumber, and three leeks. I'll add some more soon.
Today I added garden soil and compost to the raised bed, and planted three tomatoes that I grew from seed earlier this year. I also planted three cherry tomatoes, two yellow squash, a cucumber, and three leeks. I'll add some more soon.
This weekend I bought a bunch of plants. I couldn't resist...
From Nauvlet's I bought:
- A six pack of Tobacco plant (Nicotina)- 'Avalon Mix'
- A six pack of Salvia 'Salsa Purple'
- A six pack of Savia 'Forest Fire' (Purple/Red)
- A Penstemon - 'Ice Cream Blueberry Fudge'
From Orchard Nursery I bought:
- A six pack of Echinacea - 'Magnus Deep Rose'
- A Tobacco plant (nicotina) - 'Hummingbird lemon lime'
- A Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'
- Monarda - 'Violet Queen'
- Monarda - 'Blue Stocking' ('Blaustrumpf')
I was expecting, a rich medium blue color, based on the seed package(see photo below), but they came out a deep, royal purple instead...still gorgeous, and I found the perfect companion sweet pea for it (assuming the packaging on this one is accurate).The seed packet I used was a lake valley brand seed, that I purchased probably four years ago. The package says "sell by 12/08." Regardless of that date, they worked fine for me this year, and I planted about four seedlings in wine Barrel #2
I purchased the seed packet on the right just a couple weeks ago, This one is from Burpee, called "Lilac Ripple." I plan to grow it alongside the "Royal Blue" next year, I think they will look gorgeous together, assuming of course, that Burpee does a better job of representing color on their seed packages than Lake Valley.
I thought I lost the Hops vine I bought last year, but I just noticed that it has sprouted back up! I'm very happy to see that I don't need to buy another plant to try this again.
A Guide on Growing Hops: http://www.americanbrewmaster.com/growing_hops.htm
If this vine grows and does well this year, I may get this book, and see about brewing my own beer from my own crops...
I put them outside in their little peat pots, and forgot to water them! The leaves shriveled up and turned brown. Luckily, the blooms were already setting, and that plant put all it's energy into producing those.
I've transplanted them into a pot, where I hope they will recover, and continue to bloom.
The fruit on my happy strawberries have been devoured by pests! Luckily they are an ever-bearing type so they should produce some more blooms and berries. I'll try to cover them to prevent pest damage again. I've heard those little nylon footies from the shoe store work really well on peaches, maybe I'll try them on the strawberries.
Companion plants in the strawberry pots include: Stevia (growing back from last year), Parsley, Onion and sweet woodruff (also growing from last year). I also stuck a couple of annual petunias in there left over from planting on the windowsill pots.
Companion plants in the strawberry pots include: Stevia (growing back from last year), Parsley, Onion and sweet woodruff (also growing from last year). I also stuck a couple of annual petunias in there left over from planting on the windowsill pots.
The crickets ate my cherries and apricots, but my blueberries are doing really well this year, and I'm looking forward to some tasty fruit in a couple months.
I currently have the following varieties:
The Bluecrop and Jersey are new purchases and pretty tiny, I'll probably only get enough to taste off of those two plants.
Blueberries are acidic- soil loving plants(4.5-5.6 pH), like Azaleas and rhododendrons. They need pretty moist and rich soil with good drainage. Add peat moss, leaves, or straw. using a bark mulch will help keep the soil moist.
They should be fertilized in the early spring when they flower, and they produce fruit on one-year old branches, because of this pruning is necessary to encourage fruiting. This should be done in the early spring, when the buds begin to swell. Plant bushes in the fall, 1-2 inches deeper than they were in the nursery pot. Blueberries can self-pollinate but do better with another plant.
I have this book, Grow the Best Blueberries, which is a handy little guide:
- Duke
- Jubilee
- Darrow
- Sharpblue
- Misty
- Bluecrop
- Jersey
The Bluecrop and Jersey are new purchases and pretty tiny, I'll probably only get enough to taste off of those two plants.
Blueberries are acidic- soil loving plants(4.5-5.6 pH), like Azaleas and rhododendrons. They need pretty moist and rich soil with good drainage. Add peat moss, leaves, or straw. using a bark mulch will help keep the soil moist.
They should be fertilized in the early spring when they flower, and they produce fruit on one-year old branches, because of this pruning is necessary to encourage fruiting. This should be done in the early spring, when the buds begin to swell. Plant bushes in the fall, 1-2 inches deeper than they were in the nursery pot. Blueberries can self-pollinate but do better with another plant.
I have this book, Grow the Best Blueberries, which is a handy little guide:
I have a shelf full of Gardening Books, Here are some of my favorites:
Sunset's Western Garden Book
A must have for any Western Gardener
Plants and Landscapes for Summer-dry Climates
This is a great book but together by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (where I get my water bill from). They've put together a great collection of information on planting in Mediterranean climates for maximum water conservancy.
California Native Plants for the Garden
A great book focusing on California Natives that looks great in your garden.
How to Grow More Vegetables
Detailed book with everything you need to grow vegetables.
The Organic Gardeners Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control
The title of this one is pretty self-explanatory.
Sunset's Western Garden Book
A must have for any Western Gardener
Plants and Landscapes for Summer-dry Climates
This is a great book but together by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (where I get my water bill from). They've put together a great collection of information on planting in Mediterranean climates for maximum water conservancy.
California Native Plants for the Garden
A great book focusing on California Natives that looks great in your garden.
How to Grow More Vegetables
Detailed book with everything you need to grow vegetables.
The Organic Gardeners Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control
The title of this one is pretty self-explanatory.
On some hikes this spring I've seen a great collection of CA native wildflowers. I'd like to share a few of the photos I took with you here.
Indian Paintbrush - The color on this one is gorgeous.
Gilia
Columbine
Also, the local Lowe's had a impressive display of wilflowers in their parking lot this year.
Also, the local Lowe's had a impressive display of wilflowers in their parking lot this year.
So the purple-flowering Mystery plant is a Tragopogon porrifolius - more commonly known as Oyster Plant, or Purple Salsify.
Here are some more photos from CalPhotos
Description from Wikipedia
Apparently, the root is used as a vegetable, and is noted for tasting like oysters, which explains the name of oyster plant;
Here are some more photos from CalPhotos
Description from Wikipedia
Apparently, the root is used as a vegetable, and is noted for tasting like oysters, which explains the name of oyster plant;
What is this thing? it appeared in my yard two summers ago, and I didn't cut it down because of the strange leaves that has a white stripe down the center.
At the time, when it went to seed I gathered some and saved it to try to plant the next year. Then I promptly forgot about it. This winter, I remembered, and tried planting some of the seeds. A number of them sprouted, I accidentally killed a couple of them, but I got three of them into a planter, and they took off (like weeds). Now the first of them is actually blooming.
I can now ask you all what is this thing?
At the time, when it went to seed I gathered some and saved it to try to plant the next year. Then I promptly forgot about it. This winter, I remembered, and tried planting some of the seeds. A number of them sprouted, I accidentally killed a couple of them, but I got three of them into a planter, and they took off (like weeds). Now the first of them is actually blooming.
I can now ask you all what is this thing?
I am so happy I bought this Painted Lady Hibiscus. It has been blooming like crazy, and is so gorgeous!
This salvia greggi is just beginning to bloom this season. I really like how this plant compliments the container it's in. The buds on the plant are kind of a charcoal gray which looks dynamite with the bright pink, in the charcoal gray pot.
I grew this from seed, So happy it's blooming! This year's experiments with seeds have been much more successful than any other year. I attribute this to starting the seeds earlier, taking the lid off the seed trays earlier to prevent dampening off, and compacting the soil when planting the seeds.
Even though the plant is not completely gorgeous (it;s a little leggy), I'm still counting it as a win.
I planted this guy in a hanging pot last summer, and it was pretty happy this winter, it pretty much died back, but now it's looking like it's making a comeback. There is still some dead foliage that needs to be removed, but it should look pretty good this summer.
I attribute it's success to the hanging pot, it's got a built in tray to hold excess water, and that keeps it hydrated a little longer in the hot summer sun. Also it's location is shaded during the hottest part of the day by a large maple.
This year I planted it in time to get a few blooms. I love it. Next year I hope to plant even earlier, and have even more success.
I was just reading this post from Danger Garden about having a plant maintenance facility area. I totally have one of these, of course it's not quite as neat and organized (you'll notice I use my recycling bin as a potting table- except on wednesdays), and thanks to Danger Garden, now I now have a name for it.
Yesterday I went to about 7 gardens on the Bringing Back The Natives Garden Tour.
Clearly, based on the name of the tour, the gardens must have some significant percentage of CA native plants. I went on this tour last year too, and it was a lot of fun to see what people were doing with their spaces.
The stand out this year was a garden in Clayton. The owners had very distinct and complete garden areas. which were separated out by type Edible, Fall, Succulent, Native, and Dark
The Edible garden was really fantastic, the owners had so much crammed into it, but it was still beautiful! and it was in their front yard!
Here's a shot from the other side
and from the street:
Clearly, based on the name of the tour, the gardens must have some significant percentage of CA native plants. I went on this tour last year too, and it was a lot of fun to see what people were doing with their spaces.
The stand out this year was a garden in Clayton. The owners had very distinct and complete garden areas. which were separated out by type Edible, Fall, Succulent, Native, and Dark
The Edible garden was really fantastic, the owners had so much crammed into it, but it was still beautiful! and it was in their front yard!
Here's a shot from the other side
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