August 14

2005

2006

2005

Gardening in the High Desert
[Sunday] I won't be building a garden room any time soon, but I wonder how my garden bench would fare outside all winter.
WINTER THOUGHTS

• Bulbs for forcing
• Don't forget that you got a bunch of Christmas stuff last year
• Bus some music or nature sound CDs

2006

Gardening in the High Desert

• Some of the hybrid popular [trees] are 3 feet tall. so hard to start holding back on water, but if I want to see them next year, I better! [2013-08-11 I presume this is so they will harden off for the winter]
• Mulched the ones along the south fence, but still need to mulch the ones against the west (2006-09-03) [Presume that the date in parenthesis refers to when I mulched the ones against the west fence]
• Need to keep pinching flower buds back on the basil.  They looked so naked after I harvested my little bit, but I hear they will grow back with a vengeance.
• [Check marked] Buy bleach, rubber gloves
• MDH flattened out and graded where the chicken house will be, and also the area he wants to put rock in to store his cars
• I so don't want to work today.  Just want to sit in the mellow sun
• Mulch tress n. of metal building 9/6/2006
• Make concrete Garlic signs 9/2/2006 Made a wood one [not concrete]

September 14

2005-09-14

Gardening in the High Desert

The sunrise was a deep burgundy red this morning, with the hills in purple-black silhouette. Totally awesome. Crisp autumn air. The type of sunrise to sit on the step with a up of hot tea and just soak in the morning.

September 12

2005-09-12

Gardening in the High Desert
We worked on making a shelter in the dog's pen yesterday. MDH and son got the decking and framing done. MDH and I did the walls. I really like working with MDH on these things. Son got kind of huffy that his dad yelled at him, but I told him that's how Dad's are. My dad yelled at me when we built things, too, but that didn't mean he hated me...
I dug up some weeds in front of the dog pen between the dog pen and the front fence. Going to plant daffodils there, at least for this year.

December 30

2005

2007

2008

2005

Gardening in the High Desert
Productive day, today. Nice to feel like I did something after being sick all week. Finally deep watered the trees, put some mulch down, ceased the dogs' pen, washed all their towels and hung their carpet to air out.

The folks at DG (Dave's Garden) seem to think that even with these winds, I won't need to stake bearded irises, and that day lilies should also do just fine. I hope so. I saw some beautiful inspiration photos at DG. [2011 Note: Irises have done well for the last 6 years without staking; dogs kept digging up day lilies and things kept eating them, so I can't say for sure, but I do believe they would be fine, also]

My very own copy of The Vegetable Garden Bible came yesterday. Too sick to even look at the pictures. I've check it out of the library enough to know a lot of it already - just nice to have my very own copy.

Can't wait to feel up to snuff. All these days off and I'm sick. So sick that I barely glanced that the seed catalogs that came the other day. Well, a time for everything in its season.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert
Happy Birthday to Me!

• Filled bird feeders
  
• Cataloged more seeds in my garden database
  
• Finished reading books from the library
  

Perennial Vines - haven't found any I really like yet. Question on seed saving - Can I use used drier sheets to "bag" tomato flowers for seed saving?

2008

Gardening in the High Desert Harvest Eggs 14 Total
3 EE [Easter Eggers], 1 olive
4 Maran
7 SLW [Silver Laced Wyandottes]

December 25

2005

2006

2010

2011

2005

Gardening in the High Desert
Warm, sunny day, and I didn't even go outside today.

Frost this morning looked almost like snow.  Glittery, shiny on the sand, cars and fence boards.  As the sun warmed the fence boards and the ice crystals melted, the boards looked like they had diamonds twinkling on them.

2006

Gardening in the High Desert
Merry Christmas - bright, sunny, clear - in the mid 50*F [during the day].

• Sprayed deer off on all the trees out front
• Check out veg area
• Garlic on the ground have been nipped down but none have been dug up
• Garlic in [raised] beds not nipped
• [in reality, it didn't matter if the leaves had been nipped, as far as final production]
• Irises mostly brown now
• Oregano going strong
• Orchard - glad I wrapped my tress - the ones from last year that were chewed are chewed again.  My wrapped ones are safe, for the moment.  Can't believe how thick their trunks got in just one season.  I am heartbroken to think that I will have to leave them.  All that work to coax them along, and I won't be around to see them mature.  I hate starting over.  I finally have something and I have to let go.  I guess that's just how my whole life is - having stuff just to have to let it go.  It's so hard for me to let go.  Children, dogs, gardens, land, husbands - so hard for me to say good-bye.

Rosemary - Buy one early, harden off and put in the ground in a sunny place.  The one from last year did pretty well in partial shade - it'll be good to see how well it does in full sun.  Maybe I should put it in a pot and bring it indoors for winter. [2011 Note: the original rosemary plant is still going strong, having survived negative 10*F weather and several snow storms over the years]

Basils - Could I really put out a hundred plants? If so, how yummy and how pretty.  Let the ornamentals go to flower - cut back stalks when just beginning to set seed.  Will they really grow 2 ft tall in full sun?  Will the rabbits and chipmonks really leave them alone?  I mean, something has topped off my garlic sprouts, so obviously, they didn't read the book on what they're supposed to like.

Garlic - Did I mulch them well enough? [2011 Note: even non-mulched hard neck garlic has done well over the years] What kind of yield will I get?  Are desert bunnies desperate enough to eat garlic in the winter? Ate least none of the cloves have been dug up, yet.

Black-eye Peas - Plant a lot all at once and use as "shelly beans."  They'd go good in corn and peas salad.  Use the yard long beans for stir fry.

2010

Gardening in the High Desert
Weather forecast says wet snow or rain

2011

Gardening in the High Desert

• Have a whole bunch of stale bagels from work, so the wild critters will get a treat.  Also have a new bag of cracked [presumably corn]
• Hot water froze yesterday
  

Lessons Learned

• Regular, deep watering is key - yes, use a timer
  
• I recently read that it takes 3 - 5 years for soil to really show the benefits of care - my personal experience here with the sand concurs
  
• The roma and Alaskan Fancy toms both set early, making them the most productive (the already have a lot of tiny fruit set before the summer heat starts preventing pollination)
  
• If you plant it, they will come - butterflies and bunnies, birds and chipmunks - all to enjoy the bounty of the garden
  
• Zukes really do need to be looked at every day - and even then, some will be missed and grow to the size of your arm
  
• I like the taste of green zukes better than yellow squash
  
• The hybrid yellow squash and zukes are more prolific than the open pollinated - but surely, one does not need that high of a production in a home garden environmentD! The OPs were plenty productive.
  
• Don't plant squash too close together (I leared this years ago, but, apparently, I need to learn this again)
  
• Cukes sown under zukes do not get enough sun
  
• Velour beans were the tastiest - but also the most finicky to grow
  
• Bunnies will eat morning glory leaves if they are hungry enough
  
• Home gron corn really isn't worth the effort - until you eat one raw off the stalk.
  
• I need to find some more efficiencies if I'm ever going to do this on a market garden scale
  
• I'm starting late in life to be dreaming of becoming a full-time farmer; therefore, I shall have to use all of my wits and the wisdom of others to pull this off
  
• I can raise 50% of my chicken food during the summer months with barely any extra effort
  

December 23

2005

2006

2010

2005

Took a walk around the perimeter today for the first time in months. Mauly and Jake have dug numerous large holes under various bushes as they peruse their prey. How am I going to have a "wild" area if they keep destroying it?

The back yard fence that MDH is building is turning out really well. The West side is nearly done. Going to start the North side soon. I can't believe we're really doing this. Over a decade of dreams finally starting to blossom.

Sweet potato has real leaves, but it's still too cold for it to really take off yet. Still, its good to see something growing in the house.

Something is chewing on the ficus leaves. Not serious, yet, but I can't seem to find what it is.

2006

Son has moved the rest of the unplanted bulbs into the metal building for me yesterday. Now I just need to choose a nice, sub-freezing time to plant them out.

Hundreds of daffs to go.

Go my library card out of hock and gathered a bunch of herb books to bring home for the holidays with me.

• Filled bird feeders and set out water
  
• Watered front trees; bottom pine branches have been eaten
  
• Inspected fruit trees
  
• Earlier in the week planted a pot of misc garlic bulbs for "chives"
  

Winter is a time for hiding under the covers with a good garden book and spring-time dreams. Herbs for tea

• Lemon Flavors
  
  • Lemon Verbena
    
  • Lemon Balm [2011 Note: Lemon Balm smells too medicine-like, even though it has a lemon smell to it]
    
  • Lemon Thyme
    
  • Lemon Grass
    
• Mints
  
  • Spearmint
    
  • Applemint
    
  • Blue Balsam Tea Mint
    
• Anise
  
  • Anise Seed
    
  • Fennel
    
  • Anise Hyssop
    
• Fruit
  
  • Pineapple Sage
    
  • Fruit scented Geraniums
    

Potpourris Herbs
F = Flowers, L = Leaves

• Anise Hyssop F, L
  
• Anise Seeds
  
• Basil F, L
  
• Bay L
  
• Borage F
  
• Elderberry L
  
• Hussop F
  
• Juniper Berries
  
• Lavender F
  
• Lemon Verbena L
  
• Marjoram L
  
• Mint L, F
  
• Rose F, Hips
  
• Rosemary L
  
• Scented Geraniums F, L
  
• Thyme L
  

So lovely to behold the winter landscape under a bright sunny day. ** Try a lemon basil hair rinse or a sage tea [hair] rinse. Herb Vinegar

1. 8 inches of stem for 2 c vinegar
   
2. Use red or white wine vinegar
   
3. heat vinegar until just below boiling in glass, enamel or stainless [container]
   
4. Fill hot, sterol jars
   
5. cover & cool
   
6. ready to use in 2 weeks
   
7. [2011 subsequently heard that it should be kept in the refrigerator]
   

Placed a $30 order with Thyme Gardens. I know I could get the seeds elsewhere for a bit cheaper, but I like to support the small growers when I can.

2010

• Dug in another 9 gallons of compost into new existing beds
• Started a new bed - no compost yet, but started digging it up
• My granddaughter worked in the garden with me for an hour.  She called me a farmer.  She said that I had chickens,  corn and a big blue tractor, so I must be a farmer.  [My recollection here in 2011 is that she did concede that I didn't have a very big farm because I did not have cows.]
• New weeds have sprouted in the empty beds; I hoed them up.  Need to hand pull [them] in the garlic and raised beds.
• Now leaves on any of the fruit trees now.
• 4 ivys look good; no signs of transplant shock
• Sweet potato doing well. Lovely deep purple leaves - tiny and nearly black.  Need to put in a good pot.  Last one I grew had green leaves.
• Need to start taking better care of my poor ficus.  Needs food and regular watering.
• What will happen if I winter sow spinach now? Will it germinate?  How much seed do I have to play with? Surely I could try 20 seeds or so?

December 10

2005

2007

2005

- Saturday

Gardening in the High Desert.
Spent the good part of the morning at our favorite Home Depot.  Spent $700 on wood for backyard fencing.  MDH and son spent the afternoon putting up fence boards.

Stokes seed catalog came Friday.  They had mostly hybrids and I really want open pollinated varieties.  I would like to save seed from year to year.  I may order morning glory and moonflower seeds from them, but probably not anything else.

Bough seed warmer mat kit.  No idea where I will put it yet.  I was thinking of starting some pansies.

Ficus continues to do well.  About once a week they get a deep water of leftover dog bowl water.  Probably several cups.

Sweet potato "eyes" finally sprouting roots rapidly filling up the blue vase.

Continuing to file garden mags and catalogs.  Feels like I haven't really made a dent.

Cinderblock Pond Idea

About 10' x 5' outside dimensions.  4 foot deep - 2 foot in the ground, two foot above.  Fill 3' deep seating ledge.  Not a koi pond.  Maybe some hardy mosquito fish, a few snails.  What about a way for creapy crawlies to exit?  And a shall spot - an island, perhaps, for birds?  Potted plant on island with wick into pond for auto watering.  Step down to be under water about 1 inch.  Platform support to be open on the sides so fish can hid under there.  Pot must be able to handle very freezing temps.  Also need some way of keeping water from freezing in the winter.

So much to do, so little time.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.
Three years in a row ays that the first snow is around the 2nd week of December.

• Watered housplants
• Watered ficus - not sure how it survives

Guess I don't need to water [outdoor] trees this week.

December 07

2005

2007

2010

2005

Gardening in the High Desert.
Sweet potato has many branching roots. Moved it to a lg blue vase with a narrow neck a few days ago. Some of the "eyes" appear to be swelling.

Our little ficus tree is doing very well. It like the filtered light and gets plenty of water. Not going to feed as its potting soil is still fresh.

Son put the bags of mulch out by the sweet gums, but I haven't spread it about yet.

About a dozen fence posts are in for the back yard fence. D cut our propane line while digging. She stayed home from work so he could deal with getting it fixed. It's going to be an awesome back yard. [2011-11-17 No, it turned out to just be more desert...]

The hole for the future pond is just sitting happy as can be, big hills of dirt [sand] on the east and west banks. Bought a few bond building magazines for D to peruse.

Love my filing cabinet. Started filing my magazines last night. Waiting with much anticipation for my seed catalogs to arrive. Also will file my seed packets, too, along with other things to file.

2007

Gardening in the High Desert.
Of course I have "enough" seeds for a delightful and enjoyable garden. But of course, I need more, more, more. A new type of zucchini, more sunflowers, a fancier morning glory. The seed catalogs don't sell seeds - they sell "The Garden That Could Be."

2010

Gardening in the High Desert.
Stayed home from work ill. Spent 30 min in the warm (30*F) sunshine with the chickens and garden - I swear that that did me more good than Motrin and sleep.

Found a good user for pulled cheat grass. Don't want to put in compost because it will survive and proliferate. So I put it in the chicken run and the chickies trample, toss, and pick at them until theyare dead, dead, dead. They eat a little of it, but not much. They don't like it all that much - but it does provide them with exercise and entertainment.

Turned compost and put ice from chicken bowls on it. Ice melts and seems to add the right amount of moisture. Have at least 50 gallons or more of compost to used before starting new pile. New pile will be slower to cook since it's so cold, but should still be ready for Spring planting. New piles stink to high heavens - all that ammonia being burned off - but the end results are worth it.

Small birds visiting feeder. Need to fill a few times a week now. They aren't comfortable eating when I'm out there, but they were circling and hanging out on the fence waiting for me to leave.

My light/seed starting setup is just about done. So excited. Can't wait until seed starting season. Tomato seeds are on the way. Got my collection of other seeds organized. I probably don't need to buy seeds for years, but the primal urge to acquire seeds is overwhelming.

[Entry later that evening 21:10]

Got my seed starting setup completed - finally. Amazingly, found my timer, so I didn't have to buy one. My heat mat needs an outlet without a timer, though. To early to start Spring seeds, but I'm thinking of a few indoor plants - and maybe an indoor tomato to coddle.

Reading The New Seed Starter's Handbook by Nancy Bubel.

Going to try two cherry toms for winter indoor toms. Main crop to be started in Feb for planting in April/May and to give away.

FOR INDOOR PLANTS
• 2 - Cherry Toms
• 6 - Basils: lemon, purple, sweet - 2 each
• 2 - clumps chives - 1 garlic, 1 regular
• 2 - Salvias
• Separate my little pot of ivys [into however many plants they will make]

10 - October 02

2005

2006

2007

2010

2005

The sweet gums [trees] are looking decidedly perky this morning. I was concerned that yesterday's dry winds would have been hard on them, but I guess the cooler temps and deep watering helped them. Of course, I took pictures yesterday. Need to add them to my database.

2006

• DONE - See how deep rain penetrated into the ground – not much; 6” only
• DONE – Buy dirt – 2006-10-21
• DONE – Take a nap
• DONE – Remove clothes pins from fruit trees – 2006-10-04 [used with string to keep young branches spread apart]
• How do I put diesel and oil in the tractor?
• [Plant] more peas, please
• Fall cleanup
• More soap making
• Remove Christmas décor from last year
• Wire fence fruit trees [I have no idea what that means now]
• Cut back viburnums
• DONE- Trees? 2006-10-07 none at HD [Home Depot, probably Carson City] [Black Austrian] pines

So much to do before D leave for trainin in South Carolina – and then a blink of an eye and he's of to Iraq.

Strange, but I think I won't have to water this week.

2007

[Accomplished]

• Watered all houseplantsHaven't been in the garden in 24 hours – miss that contact with the Earth
• Filled bird feeders
• Played with dogs
• Dreaming of Garlic
• Put dead lettuce in compost pile

One place I saw said 12 -15 bulbs of garlic per person per year – seems like our family could eat more than than
Garlic Use – Crush, add to butter, put in molds, freeze, pop out of molds, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Instant garlic butter for cooking. I love it!

I am taking a class on jumpstarting your creativity by studying Leonardo da Vinci – It's been a year or more since I've kept a non-garden journal. I wonder if now is the time to start one again?
A year ago D was contemplating spending a year in Iraq – and now, now what are his plans? I am so blessed to have him home. He planted a tree this weekend.

2010

Big fat drops of rain accompanied by the usual winds. Cooled things down nicely. Still, one should not mistake this little rain as actually watering anything. It has barely wet the surface [of the ground]. Had to run to put dog food and chicken food out of the rain, but other than that, not a big deal. Even when there is lots of it, I've always loved the rain.

08 – August – To Do – Week 3

2005

2006

2007

2005

• DONE – buy a heavy duty sprinkler
• Start compost bin (2006-07-01 – still not done)
• DONE – Look at trees [what kind to buy]
• DONE – Visit Nurseries and Garden Centers
• DONE – Get some catalogs
• DONE – Take more photos (2005-10-1 and 2005-10-2)

2006

• DONE – Start withholding water and food from trees; water only one a week. Otherwise they won't harden off well for winter (once/wk for establisehd; 2x wk for new)
• DONE – Last week to fert trees
• DONE – Make Garlic Labels – I am thinking of concrete ones for the generic garlic label and wood burned ones for varieties

2007

• DONE – Look for 1st set of blackey peas to be ripening (2007-08-12 – getting close)
• DONE – How are the squash doing? - 2007-08-12 – Already ate a few; zukes better [tasting] than yellow
• Need bed for fall garlic
• DONE – Space for winter peas – big accident – something smashed some yellow wax beans – so now I've got an area for peas :-)
• Spray Deer-Off around trees and veggies
• DONE – Enlarge,enhance water troughs in orchard (done 2007-08-21)
• Fill bird feeders
• Transplant Russian Sage
• Transplant Lilac to backyard
• Freeze more oregano
• DONE – More photos (2007-08-23)
• Update website
• DONE – Rig support for cherry tom in veg bed 2 – sort of – mostly just wove it through the fencing wire
• Buy concrete and posts – 3 bags per post – get a pallet like before
• Do something for sweet potato vine
• Order fall planted trees

March - To Do - Week 1

2005

2006

2007

2005 - Nevada

• DONE - Research Trees
  
• DONE - Plot the location of things
  
• DONE - Keep tracking weather and wind
  
• DONE - Price tree protection
  
• DONE - Plot shade through a day
  
• DONE (2005-05-23) - Take photos of plants on property
  

2006 - Nevada

• DONE - Continue photographs
  
• DONE - work on website
  
• Plant more peas
  
• Sow more rye
  
• DONE (2006-03-29) - Photograph daffs (Potted)
  
• DONE - Order tree rootings
  

2007 - Nevada

• DONE - (2007-03-28) Start Toms! Red Pear
  
• [Sow] Indoors - Salvia
  
• DONE - (2007-03-31) Take more photos
  
• DONE - (2007--3-31) Work on website
  

March 12

2005 - Journal Entry

2005 - Journal Entry

Gardening in the San Joaquin
12 March 2005 1:06 pm Saturday

I suppose now, I've put a stake in the ground - Here is the beginning of my first FARM JOURNAL.  I've searched high and low, but haven't seen what I'm looking for.  In fact, I'd love to pay good money and have one already done, but so far, no luck.  So here I am - with a book that is both useful, durable, and easy to haul about (I look at its size and feel its heart, and I wonder).  So here goes...

Probably I should start with January, or Spring, or some other Significant Moment.  But, instead, I will start with TODAY.

BW, CA
©2005-2011 KMom246@yahoo.com