I have a long way to go before I have a fully running edible landscape. However, I am thankful for what I have so far. I am not an expert at gardening, but I am learning as I go. A great book that is helping me is called Desert Gardening since I live off the coast and closer towards Palm Springs. It seems that July & August just scorches my entire garden and Jan gets frost. So, it seems in Southern California I have a few short seasons to work with although I can grow year round. I have so much to learn.
I need to be diligent with watering since missing one day can wipe out all my hard work (which has happened a few times). I did get straw to mulch and that seems to be helping. However, it blows all over the place (as seen in the video). I still have more beds to mulch now that the plants are larger.
Here is a list of what I have so far:
Trees fig (Black Mission), plum (Santa Rosa)
Bushes 2 blueberry varieties (O’neil & Misty)
Vine grape (red flame) and kiwi (about dead by the sun)
Berries blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry, strawberries (again near scorched)
Herbs oregano, basil, chamomile, aloe
All raised beds have wire to keep underground gophers from getting into the goods. My dog, Hailee has been keeping all the birds from landing and mice, possums and gophers from having a party in my yard. The compost seems to draw in the critters. Which is why it is in a trash can with holes so I can put potting soil over the clippings and put a lid on it.
Annuals corn- sweet, white, & bi color Anaheimchili’s tomato (a few varieties) watermelon cantaloupe pumpkin spaghetti squash zucchini patty pan cucumber- 2 varieties tomatillo
To do finish nylon netting for vertical growing front yard flowerbed along the wall needs to be re planted (most everything there is a volunteer and I didn’t have the heart to rip them out.) install an irrigation system finish the side area of the front yard next to the small raised beds. BTW, I double dug under all those and amended soil about 1 foot down. I don’t have wire to block gophers though. I hope it isn’t a problem in the future, but from what everyone tells me it will be an issue.
After it cools a bit I hope to plant trees in September like citrus and stone fruit. As well as putting all the plants that are still on pots in the ground. I need to be careful since the soil I have is clay and very tough to work with. I know it will be a while before I have awesome soil.
This is a blog I did earlier this year and with the holidays approaching I feel it is worth repeating. Rather than buying “stuff” just for the sake of giving a gift, put some consciousness into what this epidemic is creating. If you care about the health of this planet, then BE THE CHANGE NOW! Don’t buy it. Don’t feel that your value is in materialistic goods. After all, it will only end up in a landfill someday. Do good with your money, make a difference. Put power in your purchases.
Anyhow….here is the blog..ENJOY!
I recently watched “Human Footprint” on National Geographic. I had received an email from someone suggesting to watch this program. Funny, I had forgotten about the recommendation and a few days later I felt the urge to turn on the TV (which is very rare in my home). Synchronicity was in full effect as this program had just started and my TV was set on that channel. TOO COOL! I was meant to watch this!
This program was truly eye opening to what we are consuming and wasting. At one moment I felt like throwing up with disgust of wastefulness and another moment I felt happy that I did not fall into many of the wasteful patterns of the average American. This program has changed my life and the direction I am headed in.
If you have not seen this I highly recommend it! Imagine there was no trash service and you couldn’t dump your things somewhere else and it stayed on your home over an entire lifetime. Is it OK to buy things and dump somewhere else so they are no longer in our face? Is trash service really doing us a service? Dumping our waste somewhere else is only enabling us to consume more that really isn’t doing anyone a world of good.
How can I turn this around? I have to say going on a plant based diet has eliminated almost all my trash. I rarely need trash service. I don’t eat things in a box or can, just stuff that usually grows out of the ground. I have decided that living with less and planting more gardens is a way that I can make a difference in this situation. I must take full responsibility for all my actions and that includes what I am buying. Is it really for the good of the whole? I know food out of a can or box isn’t good for me or the environment. I know I have been conditioned to think I need a new car every 2 years and a constantly updated wardrobe, but after seeing this program I can’t help but feel I need to turn things around and do something good rather than contribute to the worlds pollution. I have MANY things I can do. Rather than feeling overwhelmed I will take one step at a time.
Now, I must admit I am even shocked I am saying these things. I have never been a huge environmentalist. I have always had a healthy respect for the earth, yet it seems that as I evolve so does my desire to do good. I desire to help people and the environment. My family laughs and calls me a hippie (did I even spell it right?)…hmmm….I dunno, I just feel like my wake up call became a bit more apparent.
If you are running through life feeling overwhelmed and not really making the impact you know you want, or wishing you felt alive and filled with passion then you are going to LOVE me!
