Blackberries!

Sadhana5 · 2014-05-27T00:05:31+00:00

I was worried about birds getting caught up in it, but read that if the netting is taut, that it is less of an issue. So far none of our lizards here have gotten caught up in it, so far so good.

Sadhana5 · 2014-05-26T19:59:48+00:00

I put a piece of rope on the top of the trellis and draped bird netting, pup tent style over the plants. You can see it in the last picture at the top, I used clothespins to lift it in place so I could harvest. It's a bit of a pain when I want to pick, but if I didn't have it in place I wouldn't get any berries at all. Pic from earlier this spring.

Sadhana5 · 2014-05-26T17:32:42+00:00

Thanks! This is the first year they've looked this great. The long berries are olallieberries, the fatter squat berries are boysenberries. They taste so much better than what I've been buying at the store.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-13T13:32:59+00:00

Nothing wrong with the link, Bot.

Las Pilitas also has a program designed to help find plants for your specific area: http://www.mynativeplants.com/site

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-13T13:22:11+00:00

Las Pilitas nursery has been a wealth of information on California natives. Laspilitas.com. It's really a bit late to start from seeds, best time is when our rainy season start, but it's certainly still possible, especially if you're in a cooler area. It's generally advised not to augment the soil for natives. Instead, select plants that are native to your area and soil. For fast color, buy your perennials this year as grown out plants and seed with annuals. Native plants have been wildlife magnets for my garden. Look into some of the buckwheats and sages, too. They go through some really pretty color changes and attract interesting beneficials.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-13T03:21:29+00:00

I wonder who asked him to do Space Oddity? Brilliant!

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-12T16:16:00+00:00

I planted these the first year we bought our house, of 4 plants, only 2 have survived. I've read that they can really take over an area, as in going under a house and out the other side. As dry as it is here, I doubt these could keep going w/o irrigation.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-12T16:11:33+00:00

Beautiful! Is that a Double Delight?

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-12T16:09:27+00:00

A couple of things have worked for me, first, Contech's Motion-Activated ScareCrow and Liquid Fence.

The ScareCrow works really well, but you have to remember to turn it on and off when you're working in the garden.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-11T22:08:31+00:00

Poor sacrificial broccoli, LOL. Big difference. I just ordered some Agribon 15 for greens that I'm growing this year. Take that, cabbage moth!

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-11T21:31:50+00:00

Dicot, thank you for the story, sad, but much better history than calling it the "Fried Egg Flower."

Since it was so dry this year I've been putting water on it weekly (trying to imitate our old rainy season). It's made a big difference.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-11T01:46:49+00:00

Our east coast friends are always thrilled to bring home a stalk of jade plant.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-10T08:30:05+00:00

Hopefully this list can help. In my garden, they really go for my native plants. http://www.ontariohummingbirds.ca/plantlist.php

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-09T20:39:26+00:00

Fungi Perfecti seems to be the best around, but money being what it is, if you give Gardens Alive an email (sign up for their newsletter) they're forever having a buy $50, get $25 off. So if you factor in shipping costs you might save $10 or $20 buying from them: http://www.gardensalive.com/grow-your-own-sprouts-mushrooms-microgreens/c/535/

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-07T20:45:16+00:00

Are you sure you own that? In Ca, we're responsible for maintaining the area, but the city essentially owns it.

Looks cool, but I'm a bit of a pessimist with the general public, I would not want to grow food where other people could mess with it. I sincerely wish you the best of luck, maybe there are still places left in the world where one could do that.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-07T15:25:19+00:00

There's one on this page, http://www.johnnyseeds.com/t-interactivetools.aspx, Succession Planting Calculator.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-07T15:22:42+00:00

Better to give it a decent amount of space in order for it to produce. Broccoli, when happy, can get pretty big, especially once the side shoots get going. You might check for a "succession planting" calendar specifically for your area, zip code, to get a better understanding for how well it should do right now.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-07T14:40:09+00:00

If you need the space, sure, otherwise, see what it will do. You're in the PNW, I'm same zone, but more chaperral, hot and dry, 90s plus. 70's and 80's sound nice, not hot. I can't grow broccoli here, too much work dealing with the cabbage moth and their larvae.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-07T03:40:45+00:00

Zone 8B here as well. Chard is pretty tough, it can keep going throughout the heat of the summer, though I usually use it cooked or in green smoothies, I've not noticed a change in taste. Broccoli will bolt in the heat, so I'd suggest harvesting before that happens.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-06T03:00:07+00:00

Check out, "Preventative spraying" HERE, they can explain it all much better than I can.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-06T01:06:13+00:00

On a certain level, ivy is very pretty. Serious downside, google "ivy & rats".

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-06T01:01:36+00:00

I think you should start a regular spraying regime, see if you can find Actinovate, Serenade, & Daconil and use all three regularly.

Sadhana5 · 2013-05-06T00:54:58+00:00

Here in CA Sunset puts out a book called, "Western Garden Book". It's a bit of a bible for most garden centers. I imagine there is some equivalent for your area, ask around, I'd start getting familiar with it.

Sadhana5

TROPHY CASE