Just a few pics of what I've been working on around the garden.
It rained for a grand total of two days; if that was the El Niño then it was very disappointing. Although I did manage to fill up a bunch of my water barrels (note, plastic garbage cans from Home Depot) with lots of rain water, so there's that at least.
I thought I would take advantage of the newly soaked earth by spreading out this packet of California native wild flowers, as well as another packet of purple lupines, all over the back yard. I've had them and used some of the seeds over the past two years or so, but I decided finally to just sow them all and finally get rid of the package (I can always buy more if I really want to). My goal is to make a sort of wildflower meadow with natives. I'm hoping it may encourage more pollinating insects, insect predators, and birds into the garden. I think it's really important to encourage biodiversity and to stay away from monocultures (ahem, like the tragic Potato Famine and the current banana crisis).
I don't at all claim to be a good vegetable grower, or to even have a green thumb. But I've always had a fascination with nature and plants and all things green. Perhaps obsession is a better word? Haha. My mom told me that as a kid I would come home from preschool with rocks and twigs and leaves in my pocket.
I think what I'm trying to get at is, I know my garden looks like a mess. I'm very bad at planning ahead. But I really feel I'm getting a better handle on gardening. With anything in life, you get better with more practice.
I think I've had this little set up since 2013. It just started with the two raised beds that my boyfriend's dad made for me, and I've expanded it (ever so slightly) since then. I have a roughly 20x20 spot with a little grid walkway down the center like a + sign. Currently growing I have two kinds of kale, a very large and top heavy purple sprouting broccoli, a Japanese eggplant, a couple of rainbow chards, a rosemary plant, some Egyptian walking onions, a couple of Japanese sweet potatoes, and a variety of very sad looking bell peppers. It's not much now, but the promise of warmer weather in spring brings with it more growing possibilities.
I think it's really nice when "volunteers" decide to spring up on their own. The rain has encouraged these little lettuces to sprout, and soon I'll hopefully be eating a homegrown lettuce that required no work on my end.
Last summer this raised bed had a bunch of cherry tomatoes growing in it. I'm still not very good at growing tomatoes, I don't think I give them enough nutrients or vertical support. But that's not the point. A gardener's rule of thumb is, you shouldn't plant the same family of veggies in the same spot year after year after year. Doing so can cause an accumulation of any bugs or diseases that can affect that plant. This is easily remedied by planting veggies from a different family. There's a whole suggested crop rotation cycle to follow, but I'm kind of a laid back (note, lazy) gardener and I just don't put the same type of family in the same spot year after year.
Right now I've decided to plant: a variety of beets, radishes, carrots, turnips, chard, greens (including red russian kale, tatsoi and mache), and finally some red clover as a nitrogen fixer. I haven't had much luck with the clover, but I'm hoping this cool weather and ample moisture from the rain will help them get established.
I'm hoping more rains are on their way soon; freshly rained on soil is the best environment for seeds to sprout, and it makes my job a lot easier.
I've forgotten how much fun and how nice it is to look back at the things I have done (blogging is great for forgetful people like myself). 2016 is the year I get my blogging act together. And who knows what opportunities may arise because of it. Here's to the start of a fresh new year.
[Note, all pictures were taken by myself]
No comments:
Post a Comment