Nature does not stand still and wait for us to catch up. It’s a glorious spring after all the winter rains we finally enjoyed after so many drought years. Verdancy is erupting in the garden and the air is abuzz with activity. There are summer veggies to plant and damselflies to admire. The ladybugs areContinue reading “Spring Awe–Buds and Bugs”
Tag Archives: Garden blogs in Sonoma County
October Garden–fall harvests, winter crops, tucking the worms in & sharing the abundance
The October garden is a wild thing–overgrown and intertwined–with the last of summer’s exuberance. The squash tendrils have crept like fog and pulled themselves into uncharted lands and left behind bizarre shapes in their path. Cooler nights are leaving little patches of plant cemeteries littered here and there, joining the falling leaves of the grandfatherContinue reading “October Garden–fall harvests, winter crops, tucking the worms in & sharing the abundance”
A Summertime Saunter Through the Garden — butterflies, pruning winter squash, hand-pollinating corn, saving seeds
Stroll thru the summer garden with me and see some butterflies, help prune the winter squash, hand-pollinate the corn, save seeds for next year, put out some free cucumbers for neighbors, taste a ripe Asian pear, and ponder how to keep the squirrel from harvesting all the walnuts.
Six Sun-kissed Succulents
I’ve been longing to participate in the Six-On-Saturday blog-fest again (see The Propagator) but in the mega-drought we are experiencing here in the western U.S., the garden is a shadow of its usual glory. So, I’m going to jump in with some sturdy succulents for now! And, to perk up the post, I made someContinue reading “Six Sun-kissed Succulents”
Six On Saturday — A Flurry of Flowers
Today I am dipping my toes for the first time into the phenomenon called Six On Saturday. For those of you who, like me, were unaware of it, #SixOnSaturday was started by the blogger The Propagator. The invitation is to share six garden things on Saturdays. See more here. ONE It’s been a tough yearContinue reading “Six On Saturday — A Flurry of Flowers”
Dry Soil, But Delicious Cherries
You’ve probably read about the extreme drought here in much of the western U.S., or you are dealing with it yourself and have the biceps to show for it (carrying greywater buckets). The field grasses in our low-lying spot in Sonoma County, California, are turning brown and crackly now, and it feels like late summer,Continue reading “Dry Soil, But Delicious Cherries”
The Summer of Buckets — Extreme Drought & Early Wildfire Season In the Garden
The Summer of Buckets You’ve heard of the Summer of Love, right? Well I propose that 2021 here in Northern California be called the Summer of Buckets. There are buckets in all the sinks — to collect dish-washing and handwashing water, a bucket in the tub to catch the water as it warms for aContinue reading “The Summer of Buckets — Extreme Drought & Early Wildfire Season In the Garden”
Protecting Shrubs and Trees from Gophers
Gophers In Your Garden When I think of gophers, in my mind’s eye I see the flyer for JAWS, only instead of the shark there is a Monster Gopher coming up from the soil depths (with ominous music) to ravage a poor tree. My oft-mentioned gopher casualty is in the photo to the right: aContinue reading “Protecting Shrubs and Trees from Gophers”
When to Prune Garden Fruit trees, Flowering Shrubs and Perennials
After my last post, Time for a Tidy in the Spring Garden and Plant Nursery, there were a couple of questions about when to prune different plants in the garden, so I thought I would mull that over with you a little. It’s a big topic so we probably need to sit down in ourContinue reading “When to Prune Garden Fruit trees, Flowering Shrubs and Perennials”