Quick post before going on errands.

 Something I haven't mentioned in the last few posts, the doves are back and so are the hawks. I hear them every morning both the Mourning Dove and the Eurasian Collard Dove. Yes, the pair that was trying to make a nest on one of the Jacaranda branches are back. Oh and there was quite the coyote convention last night as well. They usually start up around midnight or so and it sounded like they were a lot closer last night but I was in bed and wasn't about to stand at the window in the cold to see if I could hear where they were. San Diego spring is here!

I have an offer of seeds from a friend and she asked me what I wanted. Hooboy. Thought I knew. Lettuce, green onions, radishes, what else have I mentioned? Speaking of green onions, update on how fast those are growing

About four days apart and almost an inch of growth already (took the bag off for better picture). Tried to find my previous post on what plants I could do from seed and couldn't find it. Carrots, radishes, bell pepper (which I have), pinto beans (nice bonus), cilantro is already growing, lettuces, peas, another tomato maybe, not much else that I will eat. Zucchini was a bust and it's too early to plant it anyway, any other squashes would take up way too much room and need that south bed completely in sun.

Okay enough for now, have an errand to run, more updates as they happen as I say.

Guess my prognosticator is broke

 Not only did it not rain, we're having Santa Ana weather. Clear, dry and breezy. Go figure. 

Should have paid attention when it got windy because that is a sure sign the weather will swing the other direction. In any case, still haven't gotten back out to the garden but have given a go at restarting green onions like one of my thrifty friends has.

Had to put a bag over them for two reasons: 1, cat. 2, they were smelling up the kitchen. I don't intend to plant them but if they grow long enough I can cut them again. Going to ask friend for some seeds from her stores and hope to get some planted when I get money.

Other than that haven't gotten out for pictures or gardening so keeping on the topic of reusing/recycling/composting.

Found seeds are always a thrill, like the cilantro that I got from the plants that went to seed. Small bag of pinto beans someone left on the table and bell pepper seeds from one that I bought at the grocery store. This is how our predecessors did gardening as well as trading plants and seed with other gardeners. I went on about this a while back and since I don't have the  money for seeds, getting them from existing veggies or finds is a bonus. So I guess I should grab what I have to plop them out there today. And maybe water.

Oh yes and the ever popular saving rain water. I don't pay for my water so not worried about it but...if you have plants that are sensitive to the quality of your water (orchids, violets and other houseplants) then getting rain water is an idea. We did that at the nursery and at one point saved three large trash barrels of water. Any dirt or whatever that came off the roof settled to the bottom and we used that for watering the houseplants. There was also an air conditioner for the office that dripped condensation constantly and they were throwing it out. The guy in charge of the plants told them to not do that, shuffle it right over to the houseplant section and he'd use it. So for a year we used very little tap water (which the plants absolutely thrived on) and only had to use it when the barrels literally ran dry and they replaced the AC unit.

The weather is really nice for walking and gardening at least.

 

Cloudy with a chance of rain, yay!

 It rained last night, good enough to rinse the pollen off my car and give the garden a good soaking. Judging by the clouds, we may get more rain today.

Looking East

To the North

So, looks like I don't have to water today either which is good. Free water from the sky is a bonus. I tucked some of the branches in on the tomato, not having my pruners with me I let the top branch go and then added one of the other cages to the side for another branch that was running along the ground.

More cilantro was discovered at the base of the tomato and also it looks like the other 'gardener' lady planted some seeds and seedlings. As far as our area is concerned it's planting season!

Looks like she's got a tomato, a couple of onions I think and some other undetermined seeds coming up. I need to get going! You would never think all three of those photos are taken in the same location and minutes apart. Lighting is everything!

I've got the bell pepper seeds and the beans so could throw those in the ground. Perfect time for them if the weather keeps going the current direction. We may not get more rain, not sure which direction the clouds are going. Might put the beans in the south bed since that will get direct sun, try the peppers again in the north bed next to the tomato. I'm really shocked the tomato is continuing. I always tell people to rip them out at the end of the season but here's my take on that.

Typically yes, tomatoes, peppers and the like are meant to be annuals. Where it gets cold and freezing. Around here, with proper care and pruning a plant can last more than one year. If it has turned brown and lost most of the leaves by all means rip that sucker out and toss it on the compost pile. In my case, the stem was still strong, there were still green branches and I decided to give it a second chance. Speaking of chances.... I run the risk minutely of attracting nematodes (microscopic parasitic worms in the soil) by keeping the tomato there. The ground is not very healthy as far as organic material is concerned so might not have to worry. I will be putting more effort in once I get some money as I've said.

Thriving weeds

The weeds and 'naturalized plants' are loving this weather. This is their time to get going and take over. I might pull a good portion of them to throw on the pile. You can see the tall one and others are the prickly lettuce and the low flat one on the lower right  is dandelion. This picture was taken yesterday and I swear they've doubled in size today. Like they do.

Now is also the time for peas and lettuce and leafy green stuff as evidenced by those just flourishing. Now I want to run back down and put some seeds in the ground lol!

 

 

No walkies, weather interference.

 I got food money so I'm counting walking around Costco and the grocery store this week. As a result not many pictures or things to talk about. 

A friend with her husband and daughter have been cooped up for the most part for the past two years due to Covid. They get grocery deliveries and boxes of veggies once a week. She 'reuses' her green onions by only using the greens and leaving about an inch at the root then puts them in water. Within a week or so they start to regrow. Very thrifty and useful if you use them a lot. She also has a garden bed around the corner from where they are so have no problems growing tomatoes, chard, whatever else they want within reason given our summers and the situation. I still need to work on  my beds, which reminds me I need to water them despite getting a fraction of an inch of rain the other day.

There are interesting plants all around, I love the symmetry of some plants and couldn't help take a picture of the succulent in front of an apartment this morning.

They also had a bowl of violas for color which was adorable. One of my favorite little splashes of color in a garden.

I had to move my car (long story) so went to look at the garden and doesn't necessarily need water but I should but also there's an actual tomato and some cilantro popping up!

 

The cilantro is in the south bed where I had thrown seeds behind the zucchini. Yay! Now I really do need to water. The tiny tomato is smaller than my pinkie nail so not very big but a surprise. Some branches further down are yellowing which is the combination of lack of sunlight and water on the branch. That one branch sticking up at the top is actually angling toward the wall by about a foot or so. 

Cloud cover is a blessing right now, warm but slightly overcast is saving on water in the soil. I do wish this was my house and my garden to really boast about doing t hings the right way but that may not happen. So you see, winter doesn't last very long where I am, at least not in long stretches like other places. It's raining torrents in some places and other states are having blizzards and we're down here going..'Um ya think it might rain soon? Is that a whiff of moisture in the air? Boy it got chilly last night, got down into the 50's!' 

Are we 'spoiled'? Maybe but you can't say spoiled because that's just how it is here, kind of like being allergic to something from almost birth and people ask if they miss that taste and they say how can I miss it if I never got to experience it? Could I tolerate some snow and more rain, probably with the right living situation. Could I go out in the middle of winter elsewhere to check on my garden? Probably not but that would be the situation and would I complain? Probably not, you ca connect with the right people in your area to trade seeds, ideas, tips and methods fitting where you live. It will be different and that's all you can say about it.

Believe me, whenever I get to that point of being able to move to someplace with a yard you will hear from me!

More exercise a few pictures from around.

 On one of my walks around the neighborhood I discovered a beautiful John F Kennedy Rose that was blooming really well. Wonderful white flower with a hint of pink when it gets damp and sun shines on it.

The flower pictured was right next to the sidewalk so I could stop and smell it. That was almost a week ago and today walked that street again and some inconsiderate nincompoop had broken it off and taken it leaving only a shred of skin from the stem. I didn't get a picture unfortunately and I should have to show what not to do. As the old wise saying goes, if you pick a flower you are being selfish, if you leave it for others to smell and see, it is a blessing. Luckily there are four other flowers on it now and am hoping no one decides to rip those off too. 

Also on a walk that week I decided to get a picture of the Pyracantha that is in full berry right now.

This is right next to our driveway gate entrance and is a wonderful bright orange spark under the sycamores losing leaves. In front of another apartment I discovered something most people won't recognize and yet everyone has seen it.

Not bamboo but 'Lucky Bamboo'. Actually a variety of Dracaena and seems to be going good in that pot. Leaves are thin and so are the stems so I think it was indoors for a bit too long. Should be much happier now.

There are a lot of supposed houseplants that do just fine outdoors here as evidenced by the multitude of spider plants, a pothos or two and that Dracaena (pron.:Draseena). I've seen other plants also just can't remember what they are at the moment. So it's just a matter of timing, where you are and what you have. Just remember that most houseplants are tropicals. OH! Speaking of that just remembered a picture I took near that plant a few weeks ago.

A pineapple!

This plant is just chugging along growing just fine and the fruit is about the size of my hand. Now it's not going to be very sweet and may take another year for it to get up to size but it shows that with the right situation just about anything will grow. It was likely bought as a houseplant, you can see how long the leaves are and thin. It's nestled in mostly shade among Cannas that do okay blooming in the summer. They need more sun for sure. But there you go! 

Unexpected joys in unexpected places is what gardening is all about.

 

Fallacies, fakes and fundamentals

 Well not sure if I'm going to cover all that but here goes.

Fallacies of gardening: 

Only use organic compost in the garden or you'll kill your plants!  Wrong!

That is the 'best' thing to use but not the only thing. Potting soil will work just have to be prepared for the perlite (white crunchy stuff) to float up to the surface. It's not meant for being in the ground but if you need to amend and don't have the money to go out and get compost..if you've got a bag of that or only need a little soil to put in seedlings..go for it!  The plants don't care what they grow in as long as it covers the bases for nutrition and water requirements.

Fakes in gardening: 

There are people fakes, plant fakes and animal fakes like this:

Do scarecrows work? Not that I have seen but I've never needed to use one. You'd have to ask a farmer or the person that owns that lovely garden . Do fake owls work to keep birds away? Ahem.

Many people came in and asked for a fake owl to keep the birds away, here's the problem...owls are nocturnal hunters. Pigeons don't care, crows will try and chase it or hawks away but regular birds are not fooled in any way. It doesn't move, it's out in the open and it doesn't make any sound therefore it's 'dead' and not a threat, carry on your business.

Plant fakes... well I could take that as people  who push certain plants for various reason or fake plants that look so realistic even experts are fooled. I know. It happened to me. I have suggested several times that people use fake plants in a window box instead of real when they're situation is not right. Like a woman wanted to grow a screen vine/plant on a balcony in a small window box because they didn't have a lot of room. 

Right. I suggested to her to look in a craft store for some tall foliage plants that could be used as a screen. She looked at me as her eyes went big and said, 'That's brilliant!' A lot of people don't like 'fake' plants because of our memories of them from the 60's, being faded after a year because of the plastic they were made out of. I never knew the Tarzan tree in Disneyland was fake until I was an adult! Well I didn't consciously realize it until I returned there after almost a decade and looked it and thought, 'what a sad looking fake tree!' by then Disneyland was 25 years old and that may not seem like a lot but for a huge fake tree in the weather and sun constantly..it takes a toll.

Then there was a time when a customer brought in a succulent looking plant for us to identify saying it came in an arrangement she had gotten as a gift. We pored over it wondered at the leaves for almost 45 minutes, finally took it to one of our succulent guys and he looks at it, felt the leaf and said, 'it's fake'. We all laughed and felt very embarrassed but the customer was just as floored and impressed that if fooled all but one 'expert'.

Fundamentals of gardening are what works for you. Journal what you do, what you use, what happened and what didn't work. Keep track of it for following years to watch for.

Honestly, you can take all the information, experience, ideas and methods that are out there then mix and match to what works for your time, soil, location and effort. I have chronicled my less than spectacular results with all my knowledge and yet I'm not discouraged. I know what my situation is and my capabilites. It isn't an ideal situation but I tried and frankly got the results that were unexpected and yet disappointing in some corners and head scratching in others. I call it 'persistence of nature'. There were no noticeable nutrients in the soil and yet the tomato thrived. The zucchini was in a prime spot and yet gave very little fruit. Trial and error all the way and hoping I can get some income soon to get restarted on the garden for this year as soon as the sun angles a little higher.

 

 

Randomonium for the pictures.

 Not sure what topic I might settle on today. I got some pictures of the garden day before and some more flowering things but nothing spectacular.

Leaning a bit to the wall

Jade in flower

Normally jade, roses and other plants will bloom in the spring. Guess what our weather is feeling like? Yep! So as a result the jade is blooming and so is the tomato. Some rose bushes have not stopped blooming in other neighborhoods, then there's this one doing what it's supposed to:

Rose hips, the orange things.

Wish I  had a better camera. Oh one other thing that has barely stopped blooming down at the bottom of the picture, False Mexican Heather. Fewer flowers now than in summer but still hasn't stopped blooming much. First time I encountered that plant was decades ago when I had a house. I planted it in summer then by winter (being in the Bay Area) it frosted over and I trimmed the damaged branches back and it completely died. Never planted it again.

As for the rose hips, they aren't as packed with vitamin C as other varieties although I would love to see if I could grow a plant from the seeds. Never know what's going to grow from seed. Don't know how it was pollinated so it could be a slight variation of the parent or something different. Considering how few other roses are around, wouldn't count on them being anything spectacular.

I love tinkering with seed planting just for t he excitement of seeing something grow that I put there. Something wild or uncultivated like dandelions and prickly lettuce, no. I have tried doing cuttings from roses, again decades ago, with less than spectacular results because I was raising kids and didn't have the time to pay attention to it. That's an entirely different topic to tackle.

This is the small garden area of the neighbor below us. She loves butterflies and hummingbirds and has basically collected various plants to put there whether they work or not. Pothos climbing the tree, sanseveria, there's a plumeria that's struggling, a spider plant and lots of other things. Oh she tried to plant some milkweed. In the shade. Needless to say it didn't go well. She's a wonderful lady and keeps the bougainvillea trimmed back on her side. She also has some wonderful wind chimes that tell us when the wind picks up. 

Always consider other things than plants for your garden. Whether it's statues, rocks, planters, wind chimes or gnomes,  it defines the character of your garden and shows a little of your character as well. It's an extension of your personality and not only would bring a smile to your face but others as well.

Now there are some who like clean straight lines, well defined garden borders and a lot of structure. We can't make any judgements on that as I discovered when I took landscape design. People and their gardens are all unique and just because you like a free form chaotic looking garden doesn't mean the classic English border garden is bad.

It's all good.