Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gardening. Show all posts

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Yardwork and Rain

Our front landscape was beginning to look a little sad. Basically it has sat untouched since we planted it, well almost. We have done a little work but basically it has had the freedom to do what it wants. Apparently it wanted to die more than anything. We have lost quite a few plants, namely the fan flowers and the flax. I contribute this primarily on poor irrigation and drainage.  In the case of the flax it was too much water. When I removed it, the root was completely rotted. I think it was not enough water with the fan flowers.

When we had the irrigation installed it was a one size fit all with drips for everyone. The problem was that we had a great variety of plants/succulent so this did not work well and the casualties were high. So now we have the hardy/just right bunch still around.

Our blue chalk sticks are doing OK but some parts shriveling up and dying. I think once again it is poor irrigation/drainage.  I pruned back the Mexican Sage and cleaned up the blue chalk sticks throwing away the dead parts and propagating the healthy parts.

I really need to address the Lions Tail but will wait till this fall to do some dead heading, I learned this from YouTube.  No it doesn't mean I will sit around smoking weed and listening to the Grateful Dead. Dead heading plants is to cut back any dead parts/flowers so that it will stimulate growth. I learned how to do it with the Lions Tail and will also figure out the best way for our Pride of Madeira and Licorice Plant. Both of those are out of control.

One thing I MUST  do in the next few weeks is to re-work my irrigation. There are a few other plants that are hanging on but for how much longer I am not sure.

We actually received some rain today, IN AUGUST!!! OK, for most everyone else it was a light sprinkle, but for us it is RAIN. We actually got more than what is in the picture, that was the beginning. Water actually came off the roof, we take what we can get.




Sunday, July 8, 2012

Salad of Vegetables

Today we finally decided to plant our vegetable garden. Well at least a small one. I always wanted tomato and green/red pepper plants and "A" wanted sweet basil and cilantro.  We are attempting to try and grow them in an existing planting bed, unfortunately it doesn't have full sun due to the trees. If this doesn't work out then I have one other spot that might work.

We raised the bed slightly with cedar and added four bags of miracle grow panting mix. I wasn't too sure on the type of tomato that I wanted so I went with the smaller stalk and got a champion tomato plant.

I will keep you posted as to the progress of our garden.



Sweet Basil

Cilantro

Big Bertha

Bell Red Beauty

Champion Tomato


P.S. I do know that tomatoes are a fruit, and basil/cilantro are herbs. Smarty pants (you know who I am talking about)