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 Truth About Broccoli

Finally harvested the last of the broccoli!  Well, sort of.  Typically, 'broccoli' is know as the coral reef looking green stuff that causes most children to skip dessert.  Yes, this is all accurate, but did you know broccoli is also leaves and stems? 

Unlike a lot of other veggies, broccoli is 100% edible!  The floret can be steamed, grilled, sauteed, or eaten raw with a yummy dip.  The leaves are great to saute' into a spicy dish, or chop fine and blanch to add to a mixed green salad.  The stems are perfect in a soup stock, or for morning juicing with apple, cucumber, romaine, and beets. 

As part of the cabbage family, this cruciferous vegetable is packed with vitamins C and A.  Broccoli also boost the body's antioxidant defenses, while lowering LDL cholesterol.  (read more here)

So even long after the 'broccoli season' is passed, I'm still enjoy the yummy and nutritious benefits of broccoli.

(Chop it, steam it, juice it!  Before Frank eats it all!)

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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: 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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30 Days In The Gardener's Garden: Day2

The good thing about today was that the garden schedule was all scheduled; I spent  most of my garden time in gardens elsewhere, at the Art&Flowers Garden Tour sponsored by the Phoenix Art Museum League.  (Some of my own handiwork was even on display, below)

(xeriscape oasis nestled under a palo verde tree)

(a spectacle of columnar cactuses on display)

One of my favorite features on the tour was this eclectic garden with recycled metal works, an edible garden space, a huge rooster sculpture, and some very shy chickens.

(welcome to Cluckingham Palace!)

The tour showed off some cool houses and amazing gardens. It was nice to meet the homeowners and get some back story on the evolution of each garden.  I also ran into my ol' pal Thomas Park of Xerophytic Design who created an amazing space for one happy resident of the Willo Historic Neighborhood. 

 (Thomas showing off his genius use of materials)

It was an enjoyable day, even with the almost 100* degree heat.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

(frontyard bed brimming with goodies!)

All inspired from the garden tour, I had to get outside (after a large iced beverage) and do some stuff.  Most pressing was the need to 'bump-up' my tomato seedlings to full grown plant status.  In the plastic container below (a re-purposed lettuce tub) were 16 little guys waiting to exhale!

(time for some elbow room)

It was a delicate process seperating some of them completely bare-root (don't worry, they will survive).  Tomatoes are great because they are such durable plants.   I also had a batch of tomatillos as well.  They will live in 1gal cans for a couple of weeks as I find new homes for them all.

(graduation day!)

My final effort of the day was harvesting seeds.  Lots and lots of seeds.  Pak choi, kale, spicy mustard, red romaine, arugula, broccolini, and cauliflower.  Best way I've found for collecting seeds is using paper bags.  Let the seed pods on the plant get as large as possible to where you see the bumpy texture of the seed inside.  Cut the stems off the plant, fold them in half, and stuff them into the bag.  The pods will dry and pop open releasing the seeds.

I label the bag with the plant name (pak choi), date harvested (2011APR02), and the source from where I originally acquired the plant or seeds (a Seattle gardener).  These will store in a dry cool place until after summer (about 6months).

(bok choi - bag it and tag it)

Lastly, I took some time to observe; 2 butterflies, 1 nosy carpenter bee, 1 male hummingbird, 3 (now dead) mosquitoes, and 1 surprising new bloom...

(here come the hollyhocks - finally!)

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30 Days In The Gardener's Garden: Day1

100* degrees (officially).  Was this an April Fools joke?!?!

Yep, we're already there into the triple digits and I haven't even planted a single tomato yet.   My morning was pretty much consumed with crisis management.  My usual routine of watering my container plants and checking on my starter seeds, included moving all my flats to more protected areas (not that I have much of that).

 (spinach, sweet peas, tomatoes, and more!)

To keep everything extra safe (hopefully), I also set up some quick shade.

(I prefer using frost fabric for shade cover; lightweight and easy to handle)

With things watered and covered, I could proceed with my favorite garden chores - observation and mental journaling. 

  (broccoli re-sprouting after initial harvest - now it's a broccolini)

 (buddleia wooly butterfly bush - perhaps my favorite plant in the garden)

By the time I returned home from a long day out in the sun, the day had topped out at 102* degrees in central phoenix.  Everything was now relaxing in the setting shade with no casualties to speak of.   Whew.  Hello summer (yikes...).

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What To Do Wednesday - Start Your Seedlings!!!

With winter pretty much done (yes, Phoenix style - rain, chill, frost, warm...) it's now time to start thinking, plotting, and planning for spring.  Before you know it, spring weekend will appear and then it's...you-know-what.  So, as winter begins to warm and hover in the 60's and 70's, conditions will be ripe for sowing seeds.

(starter cells with broccoli, pak choi, kale, and chard)

I generally start seeds on a monthly cycle, that way I've always got something going (or trying to get going).  Using recycled nursery planting cells, I fill them up with fine, sifted compost soil.  I set 1-2 seeds in each cell, top with soil, then pack gently.  For simple record (since I've given up on maintaining a garden journal), I lay  out my seed packets, make a date marker, and take a picture.  I can later print this out and just tape it into my garden journal (so there).

(Loads of baby veggies soaking up some sun after the rain)

So far from my december tinkerings, I have a beavy of lettuce, kale, chard and choi.  I'll later thin them out (and attempt to transplant) once they're about 1"-2" inches tall, at approximately 30 days growth.  I use a pump sprayer and water these guys 2-3 times a day when it's sunny.

I'm even doing some daring stuff with warm season crops like cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes.  Hopefully, the early start will give me some breathing room when spring season really warms up and EVERYTHING has to be done.

(Heirloom and organic tomatoes, peppers, and tomatillos)

In addition to my edible seeds, I'm also working on perennial and wildflower seeds such as cosmos, echenacea, rudebekia, delphenium, hollyhock, salvia, and penstemon.  I even managed to start some camomile  (whoo-hooo!  Finally after years of trying!)

(Here comes camomile!)

The great thing about starting seeds is the cost payoff - if I get at least 50% yeild from a seed packet, that could easily result in $50-$100 of savings.  Granted, I do have to invest time and labor, but what kind of a gardener would I be if I didn't?  (Now, where am I going to plant all this stuff???)

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Happy New Winter!

Happy New Year to all!

Here in Phoenix we didn't expect a white Christmas, but I certainly experienced a 'white' New Year's eve.

(snow - Xericopia style)

The garden beds here at Xericopia were blanketed with...well, blankets.  It got cold here! I know, it sounds wussy just being a mere low of 33* degrees.  But for our heat loving gardens, that can really ruin the festive spirit.  Especially the edibles!  

I covered a few garden beds but some areas I left open.  Partly, because I know certain plants can withstand major cold (and some things I just wanted to test).  I also had a lot of plants I just had to move onto the patio or indoors for assured safety.

(cucumber seedlings and hibiscus hiding from the cold!)

I'm aware of which areas of the garden trap cold air, and which areas prevent the frost from settling in.  How do I know this?

(thermometer on ground next to garden bed)

Every year I place a few thermometers in spots to check just how cold it gets.  I set them on the ground too, that way I know what the plants are experiencing (ground level and eye level can vary 3-5* degrees).  My garden - ground level - got down to 28* degrees (five straight days below 30*) and all of the birdbaths and rain buckets froze over solid. 

The frost covers trap in soil warmth from the day, which slowly releases through the night. It also prevents tiny frost particles from collecting on top of plants. You can even leave the frost covers on through the day creating a greenhouse effect for plants.  Some plants may still experience minor leaf damage but the plant won't die.

(twinkle twinkle happy plants!)

Some plants may still experience minor leaf damage but the plant won't die.  For super protection, I some of my extra christmas lights and dress them around my specialty plants, then cover them up.  It also makes for a charming garden display at night. 

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