NEW BLOG

Hi everyone....    It's been a while, as I've been very busy relocating from Lancaster, CA to Melbourne, Florida.  It's AMAZING in Florida, seriously.  I never dreamed of living with so much wildlife as a child growing up in Anaheim, California....   It seem unattainable.  Now I hand raccoons treats through the kitchen window in the middle of the night...   awwwww.  We have a new record of our amazing Parky 2... P2 (P1 was the original "parky" in Lancaster).

See the amazingness at http://p2wildlife.blogspot.com.  Thanks for reading!

Hello!  Just a happy squirrel greeting.

Lots of Goldfinches This Year!

The goldfinch population has skyrocketed!  No veggies this year, but lots of happy finches.  The nyjer sacks are their absolute favorite, and their happy peeping has clearly attracted friends.  I counted at least 200 finches yesterday, perhaps 250, and most of them are goldfinches with some persistent housefinches hanging around for the winter.  It's been a mild winter here in Lancaster, CA so far, with no nights yet below 25 degrees, but I believe the goldfinches are happy here even when it gets down to under 15 (which happens once or twice each winter).

Enjoy!

Fall Seed Planting Time. You're Kidding, Right?

Nope, not kidding.  I read up here on when to plant fall collards seeds, as I was remembering how delicious the fall greens taste.  The answer:  Ten weeks prior to first frost.  According to plantmaps.com, the Lancaster CA first frost is November 1st to November 10th.  Counting back 10 weeks, it's time!  August 23rd is ten weeks prior to November 1st.

So here I sit culling through my seed collection, excited about collards (Georgia), wondering where all my kale seeds went (need more!), and pondering other greens.

The cherry tomatoes were incredibly prolific this year (there are 1000 unpicked tomatoes out there, no kidding).  I planted a generic cherry tomato from home depot, Black Cherry tomato, and I let the seeds from last year's Sweet 100 grow.  Big mistake:  Sweet 100 is a hybrid and it's seeds do not produce true to it's parent.  I'll buy a Bonnie Sweet 100 plant next year and save the work!

I can almost taste the sweet, tender little collard leaves now...

Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Watermelon, and Morning Glories!

Here's a quick collection of what's going on today in the garden!

Of course, I need to cut back the cherry tomatoes in the raised bed.  I just haven't had time!

The watermelon patch has some beauties growing...

And my beautiful purple thistle coming out of the watermelon patch.

Back to the raised beds.... lots of ripe cherry tomatoes, and the cucumbers have FINALLY reached the top of the trellis :)

Excuse the shameless glamour shots of non-edible morning glories.... So pretty!

The mini pepper plants are HUGE.

And now, what you've all been waiting for... the climbing cukes.

Come on kids, over the top...

The palms are thriving.

That's it for this weekend....  LOTS of cherry tomatoes, so I consider this garden a huge success!  Oh, by the way, the radishes are done now that we're in the primary summer heat.  But the tomato plants are rather ecstatic.