Gardening Summer of 2012

I decided to grow everything in my front yard this year.  I have hollyhocks, moon flowers, morning glories, nasturtiums, vinca, tomatoes, squash, sunflowers, lemon tree, and a couple of other plants growing. They are all doing well for now.
I decided to not plant anything in my backyard garden this year.  It was expensive to water last year with the drought.  However, I put out water for the wild birds out there, and it's fun to watch them.  I have doves, and quail coming in a lot.  Assorted other small birds come in too.  I forgot to mention, I have a nest of swallows under the eaves of my house in the front yard.
I don't know how much rain we'll have this year.  I am hoping it'll be a lot more than last year.  Right now, it's sad to see the smoke from a huge fire in the Gila Wilderness. Hope we don't have many of those this year!

Conserving water this summer

I've decided to just run a drip line in the back yard to water trees and bushes, and do container gardening in my front yard.  I seem to waste a lot of water in the summer watering plants in the ground.  I thought also, this would save me a lot of time as I can just go right outside the front door and tend to the garden.

So, I'm excited about my new plan.  I can't wait til spring!

Rain, finally!

We finally had our one rain, produced by the monsoons.  I hope that isn't it! However, I notice that my garden got a tremendous boost! In my raised bed the Datura, peppers, tomatoes, marigolds grew a lot.  Down on the ground, my squash and cucumbers have doubled in size.  I actually have a mostly ripe tomato! Can't wait to pick and eat it with salt. 

My Bird of Paradise are also growing in leaps and bounds.  Also, the bamboo are thriving.

All we need is a lot more rain!!!!

Starting Summer In My Garden

I returned to my garden in April. I lost a few things to the horrible freeze this winter. My Bird of Paradise bushes have started new growth from the roots. The exposed branches died. Also, lost a lavender plant, and two native shrubs. I was very sad.

The drought is really a challenge. Things just don't grow well without rain. We only had one snow this winter. I water once a day, early in the morning. I have a squash, and a cucumber plant surviving. I have some pepper plants, eggplant, cilantro, a couple of carrots, and tomatoes growing in a raised bed and containers.

My Bamboo survived,and I am keeping them watered daily. I also have some dianthus planted in a container, along with some poppies. I planted some Moon Flower seeds and wouldn't you know my daughter's dog dug up the seedlings!!!! I was so upset. I think I saved a couple. I have plenty of Morning Glories sprouting everywhere.

So, soon, hopefully, I can post some good pictures of my plants.

Arctic conditions!

The past few days were horrible as far as the weather was concerned. Such as in 21 degrees below zero one night, which resulted in frozen and burst water pipes in my house. We were without water in the house for 4 days and it was no fun.

I don't know how my perrenials in the garden made it yet. Hopefully, the roots below ground will have survived to show life this spring. And we are coming out of this deep freeze starting today and it will be in the 60's by next week! I'm excited about that!

Meanwhile I am saving my coins in a big jar to use for seeds, and garden supplies come April. I already see seeds and garden supplies for sale but alas! It's too early yet.

NATIVE PLANTS ALIVE!

I have been keeping an eye on the native plants I bought last summer. They are alive and apparently well, in spite of the infrequent waterings, and not much rain or snow to speak of. I find it hard to hook the hose up and get out there with the arctic temperatures we've had in December, continuing on this month. I should water the wild birds at least. I am an expert at procrastination.

I have plenty of plans for things to do in the garden this spring. I just can't wait!! I need to expand the planting area for one thing, and spread the compost when I dig the garden up.

I love summer and the daily ritual of going out to water my plants. I'm looking for a small rustic looking table and two chairs to put out there this summer in my meditation spot, which is also a place to hide when things get too rambunctious in the house, as when I have company.

So, I hope to be back with some nice pictures come April after I make some improvements.

More pictures

Fall is here!

Time for plants to die, or be cut back til next spring. I have started winterizing my garden. I already have some new ideas for next spring. I already can't wait! The two native plants I bought are doing so well. I hope they make it through the cold winter.

I am posting some pictures, one of which is the two upside down planters with cherry tomatoes. They did so well. With the upside down planters the root system is great! And the great mystery plant must have been a weed. It got to be at least 6 feet tall. Now, if I could only figure out where it came from.

I made a shelter for my cat who lives outside. I will feel better knowing she has a place to sleep on the porch. She is beautiful. If only my dogs liked cats, I could have her in the house.

Garden and Homeschool News-On the garden front there is quite a bit to talk about. Most of my plants have made it through the hot summer. I have a mystery plant continuing to grow in my compost. It gets taller by the day! I am going to post it here later to see if anyone can tell me what it is. I have one squash plant that's thriving! That one plant will be plenty for us.

We had a great rain last night. It was wonderful to listen to the thunder and rain on the roof. There isn't a better sound when you live in the southwest!!

I've found two surprise animals in the garden in the past month-a huge toad sitting in my bird water, and a water snake under it, when I picked it up to empty it. Seeing snakes is rare around here. It was a scare at first!

On the homeschool front_I am still going to help Jen with Billy so I want to start looking for curriculum. Last year we accomplished a lot in math. This year I want to do more in writing too.

Planting a lot!!

I have planted so many things in my little garden. It's so fun to watch them grow. Even some mystery plants are growing all around the garden.

Bobby got me some of the upside down tomato planters and put them up while I was gone. What a nice surprise!!

Some plants are coming back to life. Like my salvia plant and my hibiscus. Also, Morning Glories are springing back up.

I put a bird feeder out and now it's fun to watch which birds come to eat. So, that's my progress in the garden. Hope to have more pictures soon!

Some Plants Surviving!

In spite of the freezing weather we've had, some of my plants are hanging in there. They are outside too. Among these are, Snapdragons, Hollyhock, succulent ground cover, lavender. I water them from time to time also.

My two stray cats are fat and furry, and every day they are clamoring for their food. I am attached to them! I wish they could come in the house, but my dogs are a threat. Oh well, they have a sunny place in front of the porch and shelter under the porch. I notice that they get out and roam around when the dogs are in the house.

My Christmas Cactus continues to bloom all the time. What a treat! Also the geraniums in the bedroom window continually bloom. I love that!!

So, I bought some wire working tools and I hope to come up with some ideas for a project in the near future. Maybe some hanging things outside this spring.

Fun Xmas Lights

I have had several wine bottles that I kept thinking I could do something with. Finally, I was inspired by some ideas on the net. I bought thin strings of Christmas bead decorations at the Dollar Store, some bows, and my daughter loaned me a hot glue gun. I also bought very cheap mini lights at the Dollar Store to put inside the bottles. In no time I made one for me. Then I made my daughters one, and my best friend wanted one. I am going to take a picture of one later today and post it. I didn't drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle to run the lights through because I didn't have a way to do it, but it's quite pretty the way it is.

On the houseplant situation, I have been dealing with fungus gnats! I took my daughter's advice and watered with a mixture of left over coffee, dish soap, and water, and I think it worked!!!!

Winter is Blowing In!

Well, winter seems to be making an appearance. We have an approaching storm and freezing temperatures on the way. I went out to the garden and picked cherry tomatoes, also chrysanthemums that were blooming.

This year was so strange as my Moonflowers, Eggplant just recently bloomed. I found a stray bean plant in the compost pile, along with some other plant I can't identify.

My house is full of plants I brought in for the winter. I love having them all in here to look at though.

My winter garden chores will consist of keeping the wild birds watered, and wishing for spring!

Orchid Cactus Bloom

Lots of Rain!!

We've had so much rain this week! It's been great. Although it is getting cooler some things are still blooming and growing. I got one Acorn squash, a few crysanthemums, some cherry tomatoes to bring in. It seems this summer wasn't great for blooming plants. The Hibiscus never bloomed, the Moonflowers also didn't bloom. Very disappointing! Well, there's always next spring.

I have two new plants coming up in the compost pile. I think one of them is a few lettuce plants, and the other, I can't tell yet.

Anyway, I feel sadness, knowing soon I won't be gardening for a while. I will make do with planning which plants I want for next spring.

August Gardening

Well, summer is going to be over before we know it. I had mixed luck this summer with my plants. Some did especially well after our very abnormal monsoon rains, and some just died. I have had some great surprises though! There are things coming up now that I didn't think were ever going to come up. Sometimes, I would just throw some seeds out there and take a gamble, and then when I least expected it-behold!-a mystery plant would come up! Mystery because I couldn't remember what seed it came from. Ha!

I started out with some pumpkin plants in the compost pile, but the mole and Molly the dog took care of that. She dug it all up looking for the little critter!

I have had fun with garden junk this summer. Made a border with wine bottles, I did this last week. I just enjoy doing this stuff. Everyone else probably thinks I've lost it. Ha! That little spot is my haven and my source of peace and quiet.

Oh, a note on my house plants-the Orchid Cactus came up with a bloom, but it died before opening. I just looked at the plant closely and I have at least 5 buds!!!!!! How exciting. Never has happened before!! I am so excited!!!!

I do have some more recent pictures to add. I'll try to do that today.

New Pictures

Here are some new pictures of things growing in the yard. They came out ok.

Explaining the pictures

I am new at posting my pictures. I have more to add, but for now, this is good. These are mainly plants that are in the back yard. I used a recycled wooden trough, and as I explained, I used tires. Then the plants have come up in my compost pile. I think they are tomato and pumpkins.

Anyway, I planted a couple of native plants because I want to have perennials that can survive this climate. I love not having to replant everything in the spring.

My Garden Plants

I am going to attempt to put some pictures of my plants on this blog now. Later, at the end of the summer, I will take pictures again to see how far they've come, hopefully!

Tire Gardening

I found a way to use the old tires I had around the back yard. They are now containers for my vegetables and flowers. I put good soil in them, stacked two or three high, and planted. For some reason the plants grow so well in them. They provide shelter from the wind, and animals can't easily get to the plants. Also, for me it's easier to use them because they are raised up so I don't have to bend down so much.

So, today Jeanetta and Katy bought me two lavendar plants and a trailing rose plant and some chinese lights for the porch. I wasted no time putting the plants in the soil. I planted one lavendar and the rose in the back yard, and one lavendar in the front yard in a container. I also mowed the lawn today and watered it. It looks good.

So, Mother's Day is going to be great, as I go out and look at my new plants tomorrow. I can't wait!!!!