Nothing new, ruminations on soil again and leezard!

Weather is a bit breezier today so not as warm but still toasty in the afternoon. The pea plants are a goner but haven't pulled them yet as I'm still not at 100% hope to get those dealt with tomorrow.

 I have mentioned the 'June Gloom' with the ins and outs of coastal clouds, this is a picture of the cloud cover that was over us early morning but has receded and hangs around the coast most of the day. We're in the 80's here but on the coast they're only in the low 70's.

The rose bushes are looking rough as they should this time of year, if they aren't being taken care of. The ones down the street that were in full bloom a few weeks ago, still blooming their heads off! This one is done for the season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have to be careful or I'll start whining again about not having a 'proper garden'. I loved this little 'tunnel' under the bushes. Only animals that would use it are the stray cats that come through once in a while. I might try and turn that into a painting sometime soon.

I must have been in such a fog lately didn't notice how tall the peppers had gotten! I am going to have to spare a few dollars and get some fertilizer for them. Can't afford mulch unfortunately which they also need badly.

The marigold are just popping with flowers, which is great when the peppers start blooming  I hope the marigolds are still going too. Not that peppers need pollination, they do fine on their own for the most part. 

Watered everything well but even as I thought I did, went and pulled a few tiny purslane in the potato bed and sure enough, water only went in about 1/4 inch. The potato hole had a puddle so that's the only thing that really counts. 

Something moved in my peripheral as I was watering the peppers and one of the local lizards had made a dash for the wall. Caught it as it peeked around the corner keeping an eye on me and as I tried to fumble with the hose and phone it scurried up the wall.

Nicknaming this one 'Stumpy' due to the regrowing tail. There are two more lizard holes at the other end of the garden so they're keeping busy for sure. Good to have reptiles in the garden, love the little things as it's a sign of a healthy garden. Despite my results with plants.

Looking at the details on Western Fence Lizards, apparently the females lay their eggs in rich, damp soil.

Uhhhh... Not very damp, nor rich. So maybe they're adapting to the area and doing what they can like me. I didn't notice the holes until a while back so it may have been more damp then.

And speaking of soil... I have finally accepted that what I am growing in is not really soil but is still dirt. I have not amended it sufficiently to call it 'amended soil'. It's dirt. If I were to replace all the dirt with bagged soil as deep as I could manage, that would be soil. Proper proportions would be 2:1 of amendment and native soil, mine is just the opposite if that. More like 3:1 soil to amendment but seeing as how this is not my actual property and I don't have the budget to make it a better garden, not making much of an effort. Because once I'm gone or not able to garden anymore, no one will care, otherwise there would be more people using it. 

There is no local community garden I can use, I looked and the only one belongs to a school. Since it is called [School Name] Community School Garden and it's on the school property, it seems to be obvious.

Anyway. I'm just a dirt gardener with dreams of being an actual gardener. With real garden soil that is healthy. I'm also dreaming of playing the lottery and winning enough to get a house of my dreams so...