Food Garden Update

Strawberries now ripe. Second planting of peas now flowering. Fordhook limas planted in raised beds March 26th sprouting and covered with floating cover ( just in case )Squash planted from six pac flowering and producing. Harvesting spinach and last of lettuce. Beets recovering from aphis, carrots not yet big enough to pull ( except by the carrot loving dog ), reduced aphis infected chard to one healthy large plant, which is more than enough for two people,French radishes ( white ) are mature...and we are innundated with tomatoes!

Ocotillo Disaster

Something awful happened during the night. I can't tell you the why...only the where. In our own back yard!
One half of a large old ocotillo lay prostate on the ground. We speculated that the recent rains had provided the moisture for the new leaves and heavy bloom and gravity did the rest. The plant was over twenty feet tall and each cane was very heavy.
What to do:
Taking a clue from the past, we decided to plant all the canes in various places throughout the garden. The secret to planting is to expect failure and to greet success with elation! For many years, I have been starting new ocotillo plants from cuttings. Some have thrived and are now good sized plants . Others have not even displayed one new leaf...but it takes little effort to plant them and if they don't grow, little effort to remove them. I have had equal luck with cuttings of small OR large canes.
Everyone has seen "living fences" of cacti or ocotillo. I am sure that you have noted that not each plant is alive. Just view it as a lottery...some of those canes will be winners.
The hole in native soil must be deep enough to prevent the plant from being blown over and to keep a modicum of moisture around the buried cutting. A well around the base is helpful. Rocks laid around the base can also help keep the cane upright and help conserve moisture. Water about once a week until established. No fertilizer needed.

A Challenging Year

After the pleasant warm days the latest cold storm did not help the vegetable garden in the least. I cannot remember another year of such gardening grief... freezes, winds, birds and insects. Can this be a harbinger of things to come? Only time will tell. But, as a group, gardeners an optimistic crowd...always envisioning luscious fruit and vegetable yields, lush leaves and flowers as a result of the care given to their gardens.

If this type weather is to become the norm here, in the desert, it's up to us to devise ways of coping with our new more intense weather patterns. I refer you back to the book, Extreme Gardening, which gives lots of tips. As for our garden, these are the things we are currently trying: Framework to fit each raised bed. We decided the only way to keep the sparrows out of the vegetable garden is to cover each bed with netting. Also, during periods of frost, it will be easier to protect the plants. Project underway . The warm season garden will be planted upon completion of this project. We have added a heavy layer of mulch plus manure under citrus, olive, apple and pomegranates. ( conservation of water and some nutrition ) We have planted cacti starts throughout yard ( from pieces broken off in windstorms ) General yard clean-up...removal of loose objects throughout yard. Resetting of irrigation timers... we use the date of the equinox as our guide. As the period of daylight increases, so does the requirement for more moisture.

Meanwhile, I continue hoping that this year was but a deviant year..that next year will certainly be better. AND, THAT'S what I mean by being an optimist!

SPRING FEVER ?

You've all received them. I usually delete them but today a friend, knowing my gardening interests, sent me the following E-mail, titled "Planting Tomatoes". It sure brought a smile to my face. Hope it does to yours! ( Well, it IS gardening related and NO, I don't have spring fever. )

An old Italian gentleman lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

DEAR VINCENT, I am feeling pretty sad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig a plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa

A few days later, he received a reply from his son.

DEAR PAPA, Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, the F.B .I. agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. The same day, another letter arrived from his son.

DEAR PAPA, Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love you, Vinnie

Please Excuse...

Please excuse the photographer's conceit...she just couldn't help herself and took so many pictures...all of which she LOVES! A desert gardener is always grateful to see other gardens ...how we appreciate the creativity and thoughtful planning involved in making a desert garden into a place of your very own. (and don't think we won't steal a few ideas! )

ABDNHA Garden Tour 2012

Mother Nature smiled on Borrego this weekend. The ABDNHA Garden Tour went off as planned and surpassed the previous record attendance. I'll bet we walked over four miles while investigating nooks and crannies of all six gardens. We love to look at all the gardens and are always amazed at the creativity of the owners. Each garden has its' own aura and mystique, giving an insight of what the owner feels is of importance to him, personally. You might say..." Gardens never lie. "

If you attended the event, I'm sure you noticed all the happy ABDNHA volunteers. The Volunteers love to help out during the day of the tour. Not only do they get free tickets, they get to see their friends and talk to all the visitors! Thanks to all who participated in Garden Tour 2012.

Circle of Art and Garden Tour

What a weekend for Borrego Springs...a two day Circle of Art Show and a Sunday ABDNHA Garden Tour !

The vendors arrived Friday night, found their assigned sites, set up their tents and moved their paintings, pottery and handmade items near their tents ...like a gypsy band moving into Christmas Circle creating a magical place of music, cuisine and artful wares. Vendors seem like a happy lot, to me, and they seem to love the "people contact" they find at these exhibits!

Both happenings draw tons of people. What you see is the result of many, many volunteers who have been working most the year to stage the fund-raising events and, as usual, visitors are enjoying themselves immensely!

Today's photos: Circle of Art. Tomorrow's photos: The Garden Tour. Enjoy yourselves!