Six on Saturday: Garden Report

Since the California fires started a few weeks back, I haven’t spent as much time in the garden as I usually would. There’s just been too much smoke. Now the roses are overgrown; the drip lines around the citrus need work; half a dozen spent corn plants need to be pulled; and don’t even get me started on the bindweed. (Would I really have addressed all these things, even without the smoke? Well… a gardener can dream, right?!)

But. Two weeks ago there were two clear afternoons when the air quality index dropped below 100, and I snuck outside to pull weeds and put in seeds for my fall garden. I’m taking the lazy-gardener approach of direct-seeding everything, no transplants and no starting things in seed trays, just put in seeds, cross fingers, and see what happens. I’d expected everything to take weeks to germinate, but there were a few hot days, and I was wrong – the peas are taking off, and a few sprouts that I think are arugula and maybe some broccoli or collards (I’d like to get more reliable at labeling things, but that would require finding a Sharpie, which so far isn’t happening).

Tuesday night it rained, and the air here has been clear ever since. Every time I step outside, I take a deep breath and think how grateful I am for simply this. And today after a morning grocery run, I spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden, alternating between reading a book in a lounge chair and pruning the largest rose. Now I’m back indoors, and here are my six:

1. This is a lavatera maritima, a gorgeous tree mallow that I got the last time I was at a garden store; it’s still in a pot. In the morning its flowers stay closed, but they open in the afternoon to gorgeous purple blooms. I may get it in the ground tomorrow, or if not, next week. It’s going to replace a hibiscus which is struggling badly (I think the hibiscus needs more water and less clay-ish soil than is realistic here).

2. A lovely pink rose on the largest overgrown rosebush. The bush itself is about eleven feet tall and, although not visible in this photo, pretty much entirely blocks the garden path. Time for the spent blooms & branches to go. I started pruning it today, but it’s more than a one-afternoon project. I think cutting it back will increase direct sunlight hours for the vegetable garden over winter, too.

3. A tomato experiment that didn’t quite work. These are Thessaloniki, grown from seed. No idea what’s ailing them, but clearly something is – and even though it’s mid-September, these are the only tomatoes this plant set. Next to it are some basil plants going to seed. Turns out I didn’t actually need seventeen basil plants (!), so I’ve been letting some of them go. The other tomato is also Thessaloniki; so far it only has green tomatoes. I may give up on their ripening and just harvest and fry them up. If anyone reading this has a great recipe for fried green tomatoes, I’d be delighted to hear it!

4. On the other hand, a tomato experiment that definitely worked! These Chadwick Cherries, also grown from seed and direct-seeded under row covers, just keep giving & giving. If they look at little odd at the moment, well, that’s just ash from the fires (sigh). It washes off.

5. New sprouts! Peas in the first photo, arugula in the second. Next to the peas is the last of my earlier-season baby kale. It got harvested and turned into a salad slightly after this photo.

6. A raspberry bush that has, for reasons mysterious to me, decided to set berries now, after none whatsoever earlier in the year. Um…. Maybe these will ripen before winter? I’m not convinced.

It’s hard to believe it’s halfway through September already. I’m grateful for today’s warm weather, and the predicted similarly warm days coming over the next week.

Whereever you are – I hope you are able to find some good time out-of-doors. Happy Saturday to you, and clear skies, and clear air.

---

The Six-on-Saturday gardening thing is hosted by The Propagator, which also has links to other gardeners’ blogs. Especially in days without much travel, I’ve been enjoying reading about & seeing photos of other gardeners’ gardens around the world.