Rain again but more like drizzle

 It drizzled last night and it was just cloudy this morning. Now, at 1pm it is drizzling again and has been for about an hour. Yay for rain! Last day of the year ending on a cloudy day with more to come in the next few days.

I took more scraps to the compost pile and then promptly made some more because I made mashed potatoes and salsa. Well augmented a can of Ro-Tel with chilies by adding red onion and cilantro.

But meanwhile, there was a lot of 'construction' type noises yesterday and today I discovered what some of those noises were.

Cutting the larger roots that were on the surface of the lawn and as you can see one was big enough it had been mowed over a few times in the last several years. Whoever did it does not understand about trees. The tree isn't going to fall down and since it's winter cutting roots that big isn't a problem. The issue is what parts of the roots are left can still be a tripping hazard.

Meanwhile I realized that they had removed all potted plants from the patio area that had been sitting on the wall.

I was like, there were some sanseveria in pots there and a geranium at the end of the wall on the right as well as a hanging pot at the corner of the pergola frame on the right. I think the new manager is trying to get things 'safer' and less trashy looking. In other words, safe but sterile.

In the other lawn there is that cluster of roots that are an absolute trip hazard and wonder how they're going to handle getting those out of there.

Not to mention that cement patio bench that is absolutely trashed somehow. All those surface roots need to be cut out. There is one that is actually sticking up at an angle over by the table and benches that I actually caught my foot on (but didn't trip thankfully).

 Not in chronological order but in addition to the 'worm sign' are snail trails, or possibly worm trails, hard to say. Then, once again the gophers are using the compost as a vent hole location. All good, just turn the compost over and through and maybe by summer that will be some nice soil to use. 

The other lady has decided to plant (possibly fenugreek again) seeds in one bed and again with using cuttings that won't necessarily work just plopping them into the ground

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can't see them very well in the picture but the lower picture has lots of small, round leaf seedlings coming up. Could be peas but fenugreek is more likely given what she planted last time. I *think* that might be a cutting from a citrus tree but that would be absolutely insane. A sprig of rosemary and possibly a curry leaf plant (not real curry, tastes like it apparently). She may have been able to do this wherever she used to live but it may not work here as well. As was seen with previous cuttings she did.

The gophers have completely ruined all the beds and she had a good stand of mint but, despite what some 'experts' say, mint does not deter rabbits or other rodents. Some even love it. So that's dug under and she's planted two aloe plants. Sigh.

And the garlic is growing! Doubled in length for the growth on top so will have to see if the gophers leave it alone or it continues to grow and (crossing fingers) at least give me some tops to use as chives.

So, somewhat of a high note ending the year, I will take a picture of the garden tomorrow and do a 1 year difference and see what I was posting about. 

Stay safe, keep on gardening!

It did rain!

 Started raining around 10pm last night and stopped before the sun came up. The ground is very thoroughly wet which means, so is the garden. Hardly any wind came up before I went to bed, maybe a good stiff breeze but nothing noticeable. The windchimes downstairs usually tell us when there's a good wind going on.

While the rest of the country back east is socked in with snow, we are thrilled to have what rain the skies give us. Oh yeah, and the gophers are still undermining the compost. The potting soil I put in the raised bed is nice and wet which means the leaves below are going to be soaked as well. All good for the garden!

This is the size container I'm using for scraps. So today it was apple peel, pear core, potato peels, egg shell and other bits of onion and tomato. I dumped that on the pile, noticed flies flitting around and stirred everything really well. The hole from the gopher was very deep, could lose my trowel in it so I just dug everything through. I suspect that there is getting to be more dirt than compost but if it enhances the dirt underneath it's still good.

On our way out to the store yesterday I noticed a hummingbird hovering near a nandina bush then saw why.

Despite going down the stairs and back up twice today, I forgot it was there. This at the bottom of the stair landing and there she is making a nest right there in the open. I tried to peek into the nest but wasn't sure if I was seeing feathers or little fuzzy chicks. Didn't stay too long so she could get back to sitting on it. Yay! With the downstairs neighbor having full feeders all the time I think this little lady is a regular in our section of the complex.

Beautiful weather right now, birds are flitting around, I heard the hawks returning to the nest this morning. I think I even heard doves at some point so as far as our end of the world is concerned... it's Spring!  Not even the end of the year yet guys, the worst weather usually comes in January so we'll see how that works out. 

I hear the rooster from next door and up at the front of the complex. Since we're in an unincorporated little pocket area I guess having roosters is allowed but not in the surrounding area. Years ago San Diego had a law pass that chickens were allowed in certain areas and you had to have distances from buildings and all that as well as not allowing roosters due to noise. Just looked at the ordinance and it has to be with an unattached single family home and in the back of the property. Well... guess who's breaking all the rules there? At the front of the property, the houses are attached I think, maybe they're just row houses so they really don't have a yard other than the front. I bet you anything they don't clean up the runs or the chicken house either on a regular basis. I'm glad we're at the back of the complex.

Anyway, chickens are a lot of work, stinky and have pokey beaks and feet. I much prefer ducks. They waddle, they quack, don't crow like a rooster, just as stinky and they need a pool at least but they just seem to be more fun. The eggs are slightly larger and better for you too. If I ever get a property, gonna have ducks. Chickens always look either totally confused or angry and will peck at you even if you're feeding them. Ducks just give you this look like they're just as confused but they're willing to just go have fun.

So new year in three days and will see what the coming months bring.

Almost daily compost run

 If I keep using all these veggies I'll have a nice pile to use soon. IF the gophers leave it alone that is.

Not happening.

Went out to dump the much smaller collection today and what do I see? Gopher hole. They are taking advantage of all the wonderful scraps being thrown in there and I am now tempted to put something down to put the compost on top of. What's the point of trying to make your own compost if someone else is getting to it before it's finished? Now, in theory I can use one of the buckets. would need to drill holes in the side as well as the ones in the bottom. Will think about that though. Some of the logs would work as well as larger pieces of bark. Whatever.

Orange peels, celery bits, cucumber peels and bits, all kinds of wonderful vegetation for them to nosh on. Need to remember those coffee grounds in the morning. 

Still daydreaming about a burgeoning garden next spring. Oh! I planted a single garlic clove because it was starting to sprout.

That red metal rod is about 12 inches long and I could run it all the way into the ground in most spots to 10 inches at least without any resistance. Will see if the little varmints discover this morsel and consider it edible. From what I recall, garlic is supposed to be a repellent. Will see.

So yes, still daydreaming about planting in the spring with wonderful pristine soil in my raised bed. Will know what happens when I get my monthly check in January if there's anything left over for extras like soil.

A good portion of the country is having horrific winter snow storms. I'm sitting comfortable in two short sleeve shirts, my long jeans, shoes and socks with the fan on low and the window open. It got to about 80 today I think and by Wednesday it's supposed to rain. I will mark the day when it gets windy because that is the sign of changing weather. It is dry and calm right now, barely a leaf moving and have had to put lotion on twice today. 

I'm feeling industrious about making sure any and all vegetable scraps are put in the scrap bin, my last run had avocado peel, garlic bits, some onion and tomato. Nice salad right? Hee.

I'm dreaming of a green garden.....

Finally have some pictures

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Solstice and Yule! 

As for the garden, still the same. Have been adding to the compost pile and dirt somehow miraculously is being pushed up from the bottom. Wonder how that could happen? Or maybe it's ... compost?? Nah.

I did a lot of veggie kitchen prep yesterday so I filled my (new) kitchen compost containe (aka tall Ikea plastic storage container) completely with scraps. Orange and orange peel, bell pepper, celery, carrot peels, all the things. Just need some of those coffee grounds again but the leaves are slowly breaking down and are being overtaken by dirt and the scraps. This is a good thing. I stir it almost every time I dump stuff there so it's getting mixed.

One of the tenants who we've struck up a friendship with his having to move out. She really needs to be in a  managed care place but she'll find somewhere to live. Anyway, she had about a third of a bag of potting soil left over and gave it to me.

Me not thinking straight just dumped it in the raised bed, it could have gone in the north bed instead. Oh well. It's a start at least and will likely filter through the leaves when we get rain again but hopefully before that I'll have other soil to add in there and be able to plant.

Still nothing exciting  garden and otherwise. Going to head out to daughter's place and spend Christmas morning with them then come home and do the same thing I've been doing.

Planning to take over the (garden) world!

The year is almost done

As years go, this was better than some but could have been better. With Christmas three days away, the typical crunch for me this time of year is already here.

No  money, low on gas (I don't have enough gas to get to Amber's for Christmas this year), food in the kitchen at least (one of the things we are well stocked on) and the only gifts purchased were candy for me and sardines for Jon because those are special treats and we could use my food money on them. 

On the plus side, going to see the new Avatar movie today, been looking forward to it for years and yet am not that excited about seeing it now. It's like, it may be too much and cause too many emotions but I am obligated as a good friend (thank you!) gave me the money to buy tickets as a Christmas present. Besides, am I going to wait for 12 years for it to get here and then say, 'nah I'm good'? Hell no! There are so many things that will spark my creativity and imagination I can't miss this!

Will I watch the other ones, if they come? Maybe... we will see what happens in this one and what happens two years from now.

News from Amber, the friend that she had been doing home hospice for the last 10 years is moving to Montana to be with his brother. That's not necessarily bad but the way he told her was by way of his daughter who called and asked if she had talked to him. In other words, he's known for two weeks that he was moving and hadn't told her yet. He already put in a 30 day notice to the apartments he's in so... she's now out of a job. Good for her she has 10 years experience but her schedule with this one was so much to her advantage that she doubts she can get another one that pays as well with those hours. Needless to say she was pissed. She had already spent her usual amount on gifts for her kids and other people which means she has no check to look forward to in order to make up for that. They have been a one income house since her boyfriend is going to UCSD and has another year and a half before he's done. She worked, he went to school and when that was going to be done he was going to work and she was going to go to school.

Oh and her ex Dan is back in San Diego and wanted as much visiting as possible to see the kids, which she had to put a kabosh on because she has custody at this point and calls the shots. So two major upheavals in as many weeks is very stressful for her and her family.

We are hopeful that the COLA boost to our SSI will give us a little breathing room next month and going forward, as long as they don't raise the rent here again. Trying to stay hopeful and positive but you know how that goes. 

I'm doing a lot more cooking lately because we have the supplies to do so. Right now going to go put some potatoes and other things in the crockpot for a loaded potato dish and when we get back from the movie will cook a steak on the stove and make a mushroom sauce to go with it. Mushrooms courtesy of another friend that we did a food exchange with. Gave her all our surplus rice, beans and canned goods as well as some other things and in return got fresh veggies and a fresh loaf of home made wheat bread.

We have a bounty of food...life and love are there too.

Happy Solstice and all the holidays to come.

Ah the winter weather

how it just goes static now. Overcast, cold, slightly breezy and yesterday it was clear mostly with some wind. Weather person said there was a Santa Ana condition coming and I think it came and went. In cold weather it just means it's dry and cold instead of dry and warm.

I took some more scraps out to the pile and noticed some little piles of dirt and some dirt pushed up into the compost as well.

Hard to get the dirt color corrected to look like dirt when it comes out pink but it's the same color as the other dirt. 

Anyway, the little specks are worm poop! Yes, worm castings which is why the dirt is mostly clay and not anything organic. The dirt pile in the compost is almost in the middle, might go out there tomorrow and stir it up. Mostly onion skins and ends as well as two tea bags. I picked up some 'Sleepytime' tea for the evenings, rather tasty with chamomile, peppermint and other herbs in it so it's perfect for the compost pile. Will have some potato skins soon and maybe some green onion and other trimmings later.

So other than dirt, the camellia continues to open it's one flower slowly all the other plants are asleep except for the tree that is over the fence where we park It's in full bloom, shedding pollen and... it sounded like there was a hive of bees in it. I may have to post that on fb as blogger only likes videos from youtube or my computer. It was luckily quiet enough when we went to the car that was the loudest thing but since the sky was not as cloudy and the bees and flowers were so small it was hard to see anything unless you focused on one cluster of tiny flowers. (I don't remember the name of that tree unfortunately it might be an ash tree.)

The iris that was left behind is still growing and actually doing better. Someone is taking care of it for sure. It should be dormant and cut back by now but this is San Diego... anything goes when it wants to.

I think when I get a little extra money next month I can get my soil and do spring planting. I hoped for winter but that's how it goes.

Gardening is not cheap for initial set up but if you save seeds and do your own seedlings, have a ready pile of compost and a few other things already set aside, the maintenance is not as expensive. Self-sufficient/sustainable gardening. If you are lucky enough to have a friend with a farm or livestock, there's a part of your fertilizer. Gosh to have all the animals my friend has, you will always have compost and manure of all types (except cow).

Suburban/city farming is different though. I would not be able to use manure at all due to how close the garden is to the building. So, organic fertilizer and purchased compost and soil is necessary. I have looked in the local area for community gardens but there's only one and it is not close enough to make it an option. As for anywhere that has horses or other animals for manure, one of the neighbors has chickens, I can hear the rooster every day. But going to a random neighbor that  may or may not have a good grasp of English, much like the gardener, and ask for chicken poop? Nope.

So it will be a spring planting next year when I get soil and here's to a more productive and less destructive growing season!

Rainy days!

 (I forgot I was posting this three days ago ooops.)

That view is from Saturday when the rain was moving in.

 It has been definitely chilly and rainy the last three days. Four days ago it was breezy and clear, got windier the next day with encroaching clouds and cold. Then, as predicted, Sunday wind and rain with clouds all day. Same for today with rain early in the morning, temps in the low 50's to 40's and sort of cleared off middle of the day and now it's dark and threatening rain again.

Needless to say, I didn't get out to the garden until a few hours ago. Haven't even taken Rocky out yesterday or today due to wet and cold. There's no wind at all right now, dead calm and maybe rain in the next couple of hours.

I remembered to take my bags of scraps down at least and just dumped them on the pile. 

Had to do color correction on the left hand picture, another pink one. Need to use up the last of the eggs soon for more egg shells, I'm using more onion and bell pepper lately and the bulk of today was potato peels. The ground was still very wet so walked carefully, sandy soil not slick mud thankfully. No disturbances visible until I looked at the north bed.The stringy thing is a dead weed and has nothing to do with the pile of yellow yuck.

Hard to say which end that pile came out of from a cat but scooped it up and threw it toward the wall. Don't ask why I didn't throw it in the jade bush but since it came from a cat, I wasn't going to throw it on the compos pile.

So it is still very cold, dropping into the mid 30's at night so some places are getting frost, the Sierras have gotten some snow as well as the local mountains. It's winter! Funny how technically 'fall' starts in November but december is three months later? It's winter here now folks! Can't change the way the earth turns and the weather is going to do what it does.

Short plant trivia: Ever notice how some trees and plants (at least in the west) are not dropping leaves and even some are blooming? It depends on where their origins are. I could make a blanket statement and say that they're usually from the Southern Hemisphere like South Africa or Australia but how does that explain Camellias? Well it still does sort of. They come from a temperate zone and one group blooms in the fall and the other in the spring. Which in some areas means it's warm weather and not cold when they're blooming. Bird of Paradise are from Mexico, Jacarandas that are still in leaf in winter and bloom around March when they have no leaves...they're originally from Central and South America. 

This does not apply to 'evergreens' as in pines, fir, redwood (most), 'California' pepper, juniper...you get the idea. These trees are why it's sort of green in winter for us but the grasses and weeds are only just coming back from finishing in the summer.

Ah how the seasons change and are marked by flowers in the garden.

 

Winter garden thoughts and things

 Again with not much happening in my garden so pictures and notes from other things in our complex. I suppose I should take a long walk down to the house with the rose bushes and get pictures but it's a Saturday and don't trust the neighborhood. My garden is sad and pathetic still.  No recent incursions from rodents so far that I can tell but have a full bag of potato peels and some other veggie scraps to take down to the compost later.

Christmas decorations in the planter behind the bench and the Debutante camellia is in bud. Only one sadly but that is due to being in total shade all the time. And since we don't have holly we do have Nandina for red berries this time of year.

There is a native 'holly' in California that gets berries this time of year. It is the bush/tree that Hollywood is named after actually and is botanically Heteromeles arbutifolia aka 'Toyon'. 

I grew up with one of these at the edge of the canyon in our backyard. I didn't know what it was called until I was an adult but it feels like I've known the name forever. It is one of the many shrubs that is in the same family as apples... the Rosaceae family which, you see that, is all under the Rosa family. That's right, apples, Pyracantha, Toyon, crabapples and dozens of other bushes are all related.

This one can be found in coastal scrub areas and canyons which is why a city was named after it as it covered the hills surrounding Los Angeles when the city was just a stage stop on the way to other places. The second name arbutifolia refers to the leaves resembling another plant, the arbutus which is a native aka madrone and includes manzanitas. 

Talk about a branching family tree! 

Even though we had one of those trees we never really cut any of it to use for decorations. It could very well have been cut down when the paths for our backyard was made but I think the landscaper and my dad left it alone for a natural edge. Wish I had pictures of that yard because it was a great blend of native trees and bushes and landscaped areas with pathways weaving through.

Anyway, it's sunny and clear but cold inside because of the breeze. Very cold.. need to get my jacket and close the window a bit.

More plant talk later!

Stirring the compost and other things

 I meant to post this yesterday but closed the window and forgot it wasn't finished.

 Supposed to get rain somewhere in the county but only a 20% chance not good odds but who knows. It's breezy and the clouds have moved in but they aren't dense clouds. It's winter here, what can I say.

Other than the garden I'm trying to come up with another informational topic. Will see what I get to by the end of my gardening. No pictures as I forgot my phone yesterday when I took scraps to the compost and stirred it around. The big leaves aren't breaking down very quickly so I tried to dig them under and get dirt and stuff covering them. Was tempted to pull the larger ones out but didn't feel like getting my hands dirty. I'm a gardener, that's part and parcel of the whole gig right? 

So for topic I will talk about bugs, a particular bug I discovered on the trumpet vine yesterday.

My initial response was mealybug but then got a closer look (as much as Rocky would let me) and realized it was a form of Cottony Cushion Scale. Another wild guess of course and after doing an image search I am correct on the second guess. If you click on the left picture and zoom in close to the leave stem you'll see two brown lumps with some white and a telltale scale snugged right next to the main stem. Also that cluster of brown shells on the other leaf is a give away. These are a type of soft scale the other type in the family is armored scale which are harder to get rid of.

Mealybugs actually move and are a different shape, these were stationary and other signs were evident as well. (There is brown papery stuff at the joints of the vine branches but that's something else I need to research.)

Where did they come from? How did they get this bad when it's been so cold? 

First, they walk or are carried in by ants. The males are winged and the females are stationary and have that typical scale case when they mature. So all it takes is a male coming in to find a female and you have an instant invasion. 

Now how to deal with them. Because that white fluffy stuff is essentially a kind of wax it sheds any type of spray you may want to use other than an oil spray. Across the board the recommendation is Neem oil, which I have mentioned previously. Organic, high temperature tolerance and the only draw back is getting all the parts where they may be hiding. I haven't found any suggestion using a systemic but I suspect that may help as well. As long as it isn't on something edible.

And thus an accidentally delayed post is finally finished. I may address using organics or the new line of systemics for vegetables next time.

Back to the basics

 When I first started this blog I had hoped to make it informative as well as a semi-daily account of my own gardening situation. The information part of it has been pushed aside due to my own mental and monetary issues. 

So due to not much going on in the garden I 'll address a gardening topic that I hope is either informational or amusing or inspiring.

Let's first say that I took the scraps from the kitchen to the garden, mostly coffee, an egg shell and a few scraps of celery. Not very inspiring or nutritious but it's what I  have and combined with the leaves, we'll see what I have in a few months. I then watered everything despite not bringing the nozzle down with me.

 The raised bed is basically the same, threw some water on there as well and it's compressing nicely though I do hope I can get some actual soil on there soon.

Oh another thing is a surprise appearance in the garden below us. A marigold, surviving despite all odds and bad position.

Not sure how long it's been there but it's in mostly shade and in a pot but it's blooming. Due to the way it's bent over maybe she got it from somewhere else. A nice surprise at least and adds to the dark pink rose that's in bud in another bed for some lasting fall color. We're getting down into the 40's and 50's at night so nippy and in low lying areas likely some definite chill and possible frost if there's no wind and high humidity.

Now on to the informational part, let's talk breeding.

I've been seeing a lot more posts on my feed about daylily and bearded iris seedlings from growers due to me seeing one pop up and liked it and you know how that works. But it's a wonderful topic about creating new color varieties and your own new plants from letting your flowers go to seed. Or purposely crossing two varieties to see what you get.

Now the issue is with the bearded iris posts is they are from a grower in Australia which means it is summer for them which is why they are posting a lot of photos and a few videos. It's great to see wonderful new colors on flowers in the middle of winter. They list names with the pictures and who bred them I guess? Ex. 

Smoky Dusk (Keppel 16) TB

 Doing research, Keppel is the name of a breeder Keith Keppel and the 16 is the year it was registered and TB of course is for Tall Bearded. With many hybridizers of all different flowers, naming the parents of the flower gives a clue as to where the colors came from. 

Despite what we learned in high school or middle school biology, genetics are not always cut and dried with flower colors. So the parents of Smoky Dusk are "Adriatic Waves" on the left and "Hearty Burgundy" on the right:

You can see very much how the two colors combined so well to get a deep almost smoky purple. Sometimes colors don't always come up well and it will take maybe a few seasons to find just one that bred well. If you get enough seeds all the seeds may be winners. Much like any family tree you can then go through all the parentage of the parents and so on to see where the colors were derived from.  It's fun and fascinating for me really.

It's a genetic luck of the draw really with crossbreeding plants and especially flowers. Roses are even more tricky and have many more wild variations. There are breeders that only grow flowers for the florist trade which means they breed for color, bud form and length/strength of stem. Very, very few florist varieties are crossed over to the garden market because most gardeners want fragrance and stunning color. That is a rare combination in roses and the genetics of scent can be traced back to only two parent plants from the 1500's (or earlier if my memory is correct). Yellows have only recently gotten some fragrance as opposed to dark reds and purples that have had it for hundreds of years.

Iris do have scent but they aren't bred specifically for that because they are less a 'cutting' than a 'garden' flower. 

It's fun to tinker with your own crossings if you have enough flowers, knowing the right time and how to pollinate them is the key. That's too much detail for the average person but a basic knowledge of botany and plant parts is helpful.

Not going to get into GMO because that's a WHOLE other bag of chips to digest.

Missed opportunity and fall weather

Weather is the same, overcast, slightly breezy and very cool. Yay! The screen trash can was gone by the time I got out there. I thought I heard it being rolled down the driveway in the morning oh well. There was no further dirt disturbed from yesterday.

I got the shovel and dug up the south bed because at first I just used the trowel to scrape the oxalis out of existence. For now. Then started digging and turning the soil over and stopped..I have a shovel for doing this! Went and got the shovel and discovered brown roots and white new roots that looked suspiciously like potato roots. I broke a few of them up and sniffed...smelled like potato. Not going to worry about it really, the gophers can have that if they get in there. 

 In order for that bed to be useful I need to add some barrier at the back. Piece of metal..... pause....the extra panels from the raised bed! I would need a rubber mallet though to pound them in at the back though. Don't know if we have one of those and not going to ruin them with the shovel or a hammer. Will see what I can do.

 

Just a shot of the dirt I threw on the bed and compost. I forgot the scraps again dangit! Will have to try and remember that later.

You can see how even though it's been cool and overcast, the soil dried out rather quickly. We're supposed to get rain sometime but if not I'll have to throw some water on both piles. The garden is still looking dry and desolate though  I have some hopes of a spring/winter planting even if it's in the south bed.

Could I live in this kind of weather full time? Well for longer than a few months at least, maybe. The Northwest is like this for at least nine months of the year. When we went up there in the spring it was 70 or so but lightly raining so cloudy and rain but not cold. They just got their first dusting of snow up there and was icy enough to close some schools but it doesn't last long.

In the meantime... dry brown dirt for me.