Warm weather has returned to SoCal because I caught a Black Soldier Fly in the house today. Most people would say that the flies and larvae are gross! However, I was thrilled to catch it, and I promptly gave her to my neighbor who has been hoping to establish them in her own compost without having to buy them. I also gave her a few scoops of our compost that has had plenty of the larvae present in the past….
Spring has officially begun. As a gardener I watch the pattern of shadows move across the yard throughout the year. In December my Camellias were in full sun in the back yard against the house, and now they are covered under the canopy of the Chinese Elm tree again, where they will be safe from the harsh summer sun. The vegetable garden is almost fully exposed to the sun again as well. By June it will all be sunny, and…
About 5 years ago, I read about promising early results with newly developed low chill sweet cherries called Minnie Royal cherry and Royal Lee cherry. Well, when I told my neighbor/ friend / fellow gardener about the new trees, she was up for the experiment and had a little bit of room. I grow all sorts of low chill fruit trees, but ran out of room myself for new stuff quite awhile ago. After 3 years of her “testing” the…
Average Local Fruit Harvesting Calendar in chronological order* Limes – Nov 10 – Apr 30 Strawberries – Feb.10 – June 30 Loquats – March 30 – May 10 Blackberries – May 8 – July 8 Blueberries – May 1 – June 30 Boysenberries -May 10 – July 5 Cherries – May 1 – May 31 Peaches – May 20 – August 15 Nectarines – May 20 – August 15 Plums – May 15 – August 5 Figs -(breba crop/ crop…
Local Spring Plant Sales, Classes, and Garden Tours 2010 – Scroll down for listings When it comes to Spring plant sales and tours, I am like a anxious child anticipating Christmas morning. I have had many of these dates blocked on my calendar since the fall. I don’t always buy stuff, but I enjoy looking, learning new techniques, and seeing what’s out there. Here is a short list of the sales and tours around me that I recommend or am…
As a gardener, weeds are a fact of life. Some weeds are worse than others. My current battle is with burclover in the front lawn. It has a velcro spiral seed following the pretty tiny yellow flowers. At first glance the foliage looks like other clovers, until it sets seeds. My next door neighbor has a lawn full of it, so I continually find it sprouting in mine in spots. Some of the weeds found in my yard: dandelion Taraxacum…
For many years, I have kept a little statue of Saint Francis in the backyard to remind me to be thankful for what we have in our little home and yard. We have been generously blessed by our Lord in so many things. The feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi is October 4th, so I thought it was appropriate to post about this today. His feast day is often celebrated with the blessing of the Animals in many Christian…