Reflecting

Alright, that last post even got me depressed, looking at all that dead stuff - in MY garden!  I'm sure it probably wasn't very inspiring for you out there.  So, to put a smile back on your screen, I thought I'd share some of my 'Firsts' of the season.

Our first batch of heirloom tomatoes!  And this from one of our plants weathered over from last year. 

(Frank can't wait for his first lick of salsa.)

This was the first year we grew strawberries (planted 2010Nov), and they have produced constantly since April.  Even more since June - who knew they loved summer so much!   

(Putting this one on my vision board.)

We had our fist wave of cosmos wildflowers since 2004!  I think there is too much shade in the back garden.  mmmmm...shade....

(Calling all butterflies!)

This year we grew zucchini from seed, and even under the shade of our huge pine trees, they're putting out nice fruit. 

(Smiling big for zucchini!)

(First zucchini-tomato tryst.  Hey you three, get a fridge!)

(This big guy was able to barter for a whole dozen eggs.)

Much to my surprise, our lisbon lemon tree even budded up it's first fruit.  Pretty early, but I hope it's a good sign of things to come. 

(Here come the lemons!)

Perhaps the best first of the season, was our first ever patio umbrellas.  They have done so much for the garden already.

(Our first love - sanctuary!)

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About That Summer Gardening Thing...

Okay, I kinda take it back.   Just becuase you're not outside right now, doesn't mean you're not a 'real' desert gardener.  I mean, it IS pretty hot.  Well, let me be more specific; it's rediculously hot, and CA-RAZY humid!  That's where I draw my line.  110*degrees+, combined with humidity above 20%percent would only feel pleasant if you have webbed wings, a barbed tail, and red is your favorite color.   I'm just a 'dry heat' kind of guy.

(Hey chickie, off the nice lawn!)

In honor of the impressive heat, today I'd root for the hot Team USA in the Soccer World Cup, while I do some indoor gardening, in the form of reflection.  Here is a brief peek at what's been happening - er, not happening - here at Xericopia.  Hope your garden is surviving through it all.  Would love to hear about it!

(Farewell to my seedlings.)

(Farewell to more seedlings...)

(Tomato plant hanging on by a crispy thread.)

 (Lavender?!  Seriously?!)

(Even my luecaphylum texas sage can't cope with this humidity.)

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The Gardening Season Begins...

Yes.  it's June, and now the gardening season begins....Here, in Phoenix.  If you're not willing to garden during these toasty months, keep your seat and watch the big kids play. 

I spent much of April and May in the whirlwind of house projects.  The frontyard farm beds are built and planted.  Two shade trees installed.  A new roof finally happened (perhaps the most un-nerving week of my life).  Immediately followed by some much needed extreme pruning.  So much, I didn't even compost it all.  A lot of it was bougainvillea and oleander, so no real heartbreak.  All this in preparation for the house painting to come.  

(brbrbrbr! crack-crack-crack! thud-klunk! thud-klunk! pop-pop-pop! brbrbrbrbrbrbrbr!!!!)

(With the bougainvillea fully grown, this wall is rarely seen.)

(I'm all for going green, but this might be over doing it.)

(Since when did gardens become storage units?)

With the garden converted to a garage, not much planting was in the cards.  Thus, birthed the new mission of keeping hope alive - and all my little seedlings.  The spring was incredibly nice, and summer has now arrived with muscles flexed in the shape of a lot of 110*days in the forecast.  

(Where's Hawkeye and Pierce?  This is the triage tent, right?) 

So while the house got stripped, shaved, and a new makeover, I got into some serious gardening - COMPOSTING!  Yup, this is real gardening.  If your not willing to grow your own dirt, you've just got a yard hobby.  That's the great thing about composting; it can be done anytime of the day, anytime of the year, and you're still making nice progress.  I haven't purchased a mulch/soil/amendment product in over four years.  And I have a jug of fertilizer on a shelf that I've pretty much forgotten about.  For me, it's all about sifted soil and compost tea to make a happy garden.

(mmm...compost...)

And the yard work just keeps on coming - but this I'm not complaining about.   Firing up the new barbecue grill garden is a little sweat time I'll gladly sign-up for.

(Vynnie the Gardener chillin' and grillin' at Xericopia!)

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Is This Thing On...?

Okay, so my attempt to blog for 30 days wasn't quite successful.   I didn't think spring would require so much outdoor time.  So just a quick catch-up, here are the top ten things happening here at Xericopia:
(1) Got a new greenhouse built (yea!!).  Now all my little seedlings can suffer in the quiet comfort of shade.

(2) Started two new waves of crops.  First wave planted out was: eggplant, tomato, squash, cucumber, sunflower, hollyhock, collards, kale, and dill.

(3)  Watched my collards, kale, and dill die a slow death from aphids and powdery mildew from all that non-stop wind.  (I should've planted kites instead.)

(4)  Second wave of crops getting happy and ready to graduate: Cucumber, sun gold tomato, thai eggplant, bell pepper, hibiscus, beet, purple carrot, lemon balm, rainbow chard, italian kale.  (Oh yeah, that's how I roll in the heat)

(5)  The hotter it gets, the more blooms I see - cactus, zephyranthes, hibiscus Oh My!

(6)  Harvested our first tomato of the season.  This heirloom plant weathered over from 2010Spring and is producing like crazy. 

(7)  I learned flies have at least one redeeming quality, they pollinate strawberries.  We have been harvesting a handful of strawberries every week (damn flies)

 

(8)  Acquired some amazing patio umbrellas from World Market.  Now we have even more sanctuary in the garden. 

(9)  The ipomea morning glory is on the move.  I guess that means summer is really here. 

(10)  Sent Vynnie the Gardener to Bartlett Lake for a little break with friends.  Vitamin D is essential to garden health, ya know.

So thems the happs 'round these parts here at Xericopia.  Loads more to come.  Keep shady!

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30 Days In The Gardener's Garden: Day6

Here comes the rain!  At least, that's what the 'meteorologists' are saying.  On cool cloudy days, I make a concerted effort to do just one thing here at Xericopia - OBSERVE.  This is still, in my book, the most important garden practice of all. Plus, why get all sweaty and dirty when the weather is so nice.  

(serenity now, serenity now...)

I noticed my squash seedlings are making an entrance into the garden.  Lots to plant and plenty to share (wink wink, nudge nudge, know-what-I-mean).  
 

(Summer squash making their appearance!)

I have sunflowers galore, and the season is just getting started.  These things come up like weeds everywhere (but not as bad as the hollyhocks). Sunflowers are perfect for simple bouquets around the house with lavender or penstemon or snapdragons.  And, the flower petals are edible, so great for salads.  The seeds I leave for the birdies in the garden (sparrows, finches, verdins, toehees, oh my).

(The sunflower garden is showing off)

Each year I have more and more of these red roses.  Originally, I acquired the plant from a project in 2006 where I dug up the root stock. It only took it two years to start blooming and hasn't slowed.   It only gets about 4 hours of sun, doesn't get fertilized, and not a whole lot of attention.  I wonder if I talked to it more often if it would produce more roses?  Something new to explore...

One neat surprise I discovered was another cauliflower.  This was a bit hidden in the sunflower garden until the leaves got big.  I couldn't quite recall what it was (broccoli? cabbage? brussel sprouts?).   But, like everything else in the garden (including weeds!), just wait long enough and it's sure to bloom.  Then you can figure out what to do with it. 

(yummy cauliflower - ready for roasting with carrots and chard!)

With more rain expected in the weather forecast, expect more eye-time and smiles around Xericopia. (now go plant some seeds!!!)

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30 Days In The Gardener's Garden: Day5

It's hot!  Well, kinda really warm.  Especially if you're outdoors for more than 30 minutes - try 6 hours.  The forecast called for 87* degrees, and the nice breeze out seemed promising.  I had tree pruning scheduled for my HUGE pine trees.  The guys at Tree Amigos were johnny on the spot and on top of things, literally.

(Andy out on a limb)

I felt inspired, and off I went to do my own band of crazy pruning.  First stop, bougainvillea.   The frost of 2011 left me with a mess-o-dead-stuff.  This was just 2 of 7 bvilla I had to tackle.

(from this...)

(to this!)

After that (and some gauze, witch hazel, bandages, few tears...) I dove into the dubious task of removing my tevitia trees. They got pretty zapped, and that was enough to nudge me to action.  I plan to replace them with white lady banks roses.

(I'm kinda diggin' the open look...for now.)

By this point I was pretty pooped, and so were those Tree Amigos.  So, from the garden to the kitchen I whipped up some tasty refreshments.

(Here's to a day well done)

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30 Days In The Gardener's Garden: Day4

Got a late start today, and I really wasn't excited about the heat - forecast for 87* degrees - which is still way warm for early April.  So I kept my garden time pretty short.  I had to get my tomatoes planted!  After a quick 20 minutes of watering, I started making room for tomatoes.  I chopped down the spicy mustard, pak choi, and a couple of romaine lettuces.

(elbow room for my new tomatoes)

Here's one tip that some gardeners miss.  When your plants are done, DON'T rip them out of the ground.  Cut the plant away, then cultivate the roots into the soil.  Why, you may ask?  The roots are pulling nutrients from the soil, and, therefore, are full of nutrients.  I like to bury the old root stump so it can decompose releasing all those nutrients back into the soil.   I also dump a scoop of fresh compost in the hole to expedite the process.

(root stumps packed with rich nutrients)

Since I'm sharing tips, here's one of my favorites.  When planting tomatoes, bury 'em!  Literaly.  You'll notice at the base of a tomato stem some bumps or nodes.  When in contact with soil, these nodes will produce roots.  So, you can double or triple the roots, making a stronger more productive plant.  (This can also work with peppers and eggplant.)

I remove the few lower leaves on my tomato, lay it down into the planting hole (1"-2"inches deep), and cover it up.  The plant (above ground) will grow vertically with no issues.

 (making a cozy bed for tomato)

I planted five tomatoes today, with many more to come (8-12 more) once I make more space (and planting beds).  For the meantime, I took my pile of cuttings and headed across the street to see some new friends.

 (bygone pak choi, chard, mustard, nasturtium, and mint)

With a pile of old veggies for friends like these...

(Bagby Lady Birds!)

You can score a nice batch of these!

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