~~December Garden~~

Counting the fabulous reasons for living in the west is fruitless...NOT!  

One of my favorite reasons is that I can virtually garden all year long.  (Don't talk to me about this from June-August....HOWEVER, I can garden in the high country then!)

What a gift I have in the backyard garden box.

This is a six-pound grapefruit...no kidding....six pounds!

 And lemons drip off the dwarf tree like icicles in the north right about now.

Tomatoes populate the garden, along with basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and peppers.

 

Yellow roses serve as a constant reminder of friendship all around us......

(oh...and that is a bobcat trap...)

~~Autumn~~

Autumn must be nearly everyone's favorite season. People seem to happy to have the break in the heat. We can get out, ride our bikes, take long walks and breathe the crisp morning and evening air. ~~Exhale~~


I just planted the autumn garden--tomatoes, orange peppers, lettuce, basil, oregano, thyme, chives and rosemary.

Also, please "steal" this idea from me for a festive look...inside or outside!!

~~Life Back In The Garden~~

Mourning never ends, but life does go on.

We have two "newish" babies, Smoky Bear and Tigger Too. They are sweet, lovable and taking over their new home.

Living in Arizona allows for two growing seasons, spring and fall.

I just planted lettuce, tomatoes, "orange" peppers, basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme. I've never grown lettuce, so this will be a new experience! We shall see!

We also have grapefruits, lemons and limes growing in the back yard.

Stay tuned~~

Death in the Garden

I have not written about my garden in the longest time because we had a death in the garden.

Our beloved kitten, Tigger, was playing in the garden. Truly, he loved to play in the garden. It was about dusk and time for him to come in for the evening.

As I was calling him, a bobcat leaped over the wall and killed our Tigger. It happened so fast that we could not get to our baby on time.

The one thing that the death of Tigger taught me. We are here to love and be loved. It really is that simple.

Will start writing again regularly.... Can't write more now....still crying...

~~Summer Daze~~

After about a MILLION pear tomatoes, we enjoyed a g'zillion pear tomato dishes. I finally pulled the tangled vines out. Now, all we have are the herbs, which are thriving. (And so is the lizard that lives in the garden. Tigger and Tater love to chase him out!)

Off to Home Depot to see what to plant next!

~~Garden Update~~

I haven't written much lately, but that doesn't mean that much hasn't been happening in the garden. If you can't find something every day to pick and fix for dinner, you aren't looking!! The garden is producing an abundance of herbs, tomatoes and peppers. In addition, three or four cucumbers have sprouted and its vines are taking over the rose bush!

Here is a wonderful recipe for a salad I just made. Don't concern yourself about measuring anything. Just add until it feels right, looks right and tastes fabulous!

- Pear tomatoes (from the garden), halved
- Avocado, cut in chunks
- Fontina cheese, cut in chunks
- Mild pepper (from the garden), diced
- Basil (from the garden)
- Vinaigrette dressing (Newman's Own Light)
- Coarse salt and pepper

One of the most fun parts about growing a garden is getting to be creative based on what is available on that day.

A garden in Phoenix? Never say "never," and never say "can't!"

HOLY Tomatoes!

Are you even believing how LARGE these tomato plants have grown? This was three weeks ago. Can you see the 5'8" me behind them?

Plant a garden; grow a jungle!

GRACIOUS, Gracie!

I just wanted a small garden box. I got a JUNGLE. (Must be all the poop in the box.)

Sharing the Garden

Every week, I facilitate a discussion group with about 10 residents of a dementia care unit of an assisted living center.

Today, I brought the group copies of this blog and fresh herbs from our garden. I read the blog out loud and passed around pictures of the garden, the pets, and the hummingbird.

The residents really seemed to enjoy the discussion, which included them getting to hold and smell fresh, home-grown herbs.

~~Hummingbirds~~

A hummingbird is hanging around the garden these days, as I put some super sweet red water in the feeder for it.

I was wondering if I could put a hummingbird feeder around the garden to give it safety from the big, nasty blackbird that is lurking to steal others' eggs for breakfast.

(The internet amazes me. You can sit in front of your computer and learn about everything and never learn it all!)

I learned that hummingbirds don't appreciate man-made houses, nor do they appreciate fragrant flowers. They like their own spaces and have virtually no sense of smell.

Having heightened visual senses, they do love bright colors. So, to attract hummingbirds, create a colorful space and keep some sweet water for them.

As for the nasty black bird, I'll need to get a gun. (kidding, of course)

Easter in the garden

Well, how appropriate is it that the hummingbird babies made their debut on Easter morning. You may find them difficult to see, so just look at the picture and trust me.


The garden is responding nicely to the beautiful Arizona weather. (Notice the giant gecko that made its way into the scene.)

Tigger enjoys the bougainvillea (boo gan vee ya).

The "Gifted"

Yesterday, a neighbor who knows that I started a garden stopped me to ask how the garden was growing. I excitedly told her that I have my first tiny tomato! She responded, "Well, MiMi, aren't tomatoes supposed to be big?"

Stunned, I looked at her and said, "Gertrude, isn't everything tiny before it becomes big??" (The name has been changed to protect the "gifted.")

Speaking of tiny, look at the hummingbird's eggs. She dutifully tends to them most of the day. Her partner takes turns guarding the nest when she needs to eat.

New Adds

This weekend I moved a hummingbird feeder to the garden, as I noticed a few hanging out there.

Hummingbirds can fly right, left, up, down, backwards, even upside down.

Hummers have a fast breathing rate, a fast heartbeat, and a high body temperature. They must feed every 10 minutes or so all day, and they may consume 2/3 of their body weight in a single day.A major part of a hummingbird's diet is sugar. They get it from flower nectar and tree sap.

We found a hummingbird nest with momma doing her nesting duties. Only females tend to nests of hummers, but doves share the joy.

Other critters like to play near the garden-- Tigger, the tabby and Tater, the puggle.

I cut a bunch of cilantro, also. Cilantro is a kind of parsley. I use scissors to cut it generously into Mexican or Asian recipes. I also use it in guacamole, omelets, chicken dishes and soups and salads.

Guacamole Recipe
2 soft-ish avocados
fresh lime--from the garden
coarse salt
small tomato--from the garden
garlic
cilantro--from the garden

Simply peel and pit the avocados. Mash them up--chunky or smooth. Add garlic, salt and cilantro to taste. I also like to add freshly chopped jalapeno...from the garden, of course. Squeeze in fresh lime juice and fold in the small tomato. Serve...with EVERYTHING.

By the way, avocados are "good" fat and guilt-free.

The Latest

Because Tater (the puggle) and Tigger (the tabby) don't like the sharp rocks but do like to sit on the garden bench, I decided to expand the river rock pathways.

Since stealing isn't such a great idea, I googled "river rock in Scottsdale." I found a great materials place a few miles away. We decided that we needed to cover 36' of ground.

A & A materials is a playground for boys--piles of rocks everywhere. We loaded the Rodeo with the perfect rocks--about 8" in diameter and as flat as we could find. When we weighed the vehicle, we found out that we loaded 1/2 ton of river rock. We looked like low riders as we drove away.

On Sunday morning, we unloaded, and I arranged the rocks so they looked good in form, shape and function.

We share the garden with other critters when the "boys" are looking the other way.

Everything is growing nicely. Flowers are popping on the tomato and pepper plants, and there are even several pea-sized peppers poking through.

Watching the Garden Grow

The garden is doing amazingly well. The cucumber and cantaloupe plants sprouted overnight several days ago. Pretty cool.

I have already used the thyme, basil and rosemary in recipes.

Last night I made Lemon/Thyme Cornish game hens. The recipe is simple. Thaw your hens and bend the wings back and under the birds. Salt (use coarse salt) and pepper (fresh cracked is best) the birds inside and out. Cut fresh thyme and put a "bunch" inside the bird with a generous wedge of fresh lemon. (We stole the lemon from a neighbor's tree.) Bake your birds at 350 degrees for 1:15 minutes.

I served them with a very-well cooked yam. YUM.

You can use basil in virtually everything, but you can't beat a fresh Caprice salad. Get the freshest tomatoes and best mozzarella you can find. Cut both into slices about 1/4" thick. Alternate tomato and cheese slices on a plate. Drizzle with rich olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Snip basil generously over the entire plate. Be VERY generous!

Again, use coarse salt and pepper to taste.

Garden = stress reduction + joy + pleasure + adventure + nutrition + great meals!

Cukes, Cants...and more...

This week, over night, the cucumbers and the cantaloupe seeds sprouted.

The cilantro seems VERY happy, and the basil is bushing out. The tomatoes and the peppers have blooming yellow flowers.

Everyone seems very happy in the garden!

River Rock Pathway

Btw,

I stole the big river rock from a wash in the neighborhood and filled in with river pebbles. (Home Depot...again.)

Weekend Project

Well,

We went to Home Depot again for the materials. We got six cedar boards, measuring 2 x 10. We got screws, nails and a ridiculous amount of garden soil, including 3 bags of cow poop.

While I leveled the ground, Brent carried and carried and carried soil and poop.

Then we (okay, Brent) put the box together. The final box dimensions were 5' x 10'...HUGE.

After fussing with the box...and each other...we were happy that it was level and square. Brent scootered to get us some lunch, as it was late, and I put the soil and the poop in the box.

I set the plants where I wanted to plant them. Done for Saturday.

On Sunday, I started to play in the dirt...and the poop.

I planted all the plants, and Brent set up the watering system.

On Monday, I glued little blue glass beads around the box to reflect the sunlight. Pretty.

Trip to Home Depot

Okay...

Got most of the plants I need for the garden box, but I had to get cucumber and cantaloupe SEEDS.

I arranged all the plants according to my sketched diagram. I even got a few extra herbs for the pots I have around the yard.

I did get two mint plants, also. If you plant mint, plant it in containers, as it will take over everything if you don't.

Next, we are off to find the material to use to build the box. From what I've researched, the options are lumber (1 x 12) or landscape timbers or brick/cinder blocks.

Oops!

I forgot one very important item. Each region of the United States has its own unique perks and challenges.

Having a keen grasp of the obvious, I looked up what works best when in Arizona. Here is the .pdf:
http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1005.pdf

Now what?

Once I figured out a place for the garden box, I had to plan what to plant. For the most part, this is completely personal.

On a piece of paper, I simply drew what looked like a 4' x 10' box. Simple. I then listed my favorite garden items, and here is what I came up with:

• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupes
• Peppers--a variety from mild to hot
• Oregano
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Cilantro
• Basil

I then arranged the plants in "clumps" that I think will look nice, with the tallest plants in the back and the "wondering plants"--the cucumbers and the cantaloupe--on the sides so they can creep over the sides of the box.

Off to Home Depot to see what plants they may have!

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Getting Started

Getting started is sometimes the most difficult part of a project...any project. I think a part of that is that we don't know what we don't know!

I know nothing about box gardening in Arizona, but knowledge is highly over rated. Learning is the key.

One thing that I must remember is that this project is a P R O C E S S. It is a J O U R N E Y. So, I need P A T I E N C E!

To start, I simply looked around the yard for a place that gets morning sun, but not the scorching direct afternoon sun blast. I found a space that works perfectly for that. It gets direct morning sun and filtered (through a tree) afternoon light.

The space is perfect for a 4' x 10' box.

The next thing I did was to figure out what I wanted. See that in the next post.

Garden Blog

I have been quite sad for a long time, even though I am a very positive person. When you are a bit blue, one way to move forward is to answer the following question, "What is one thing that really brings me joy, pleasure and peace?"

When I answered that question for myself, the answer was, "Growing flowers, herbs and vegetables." I love to grow things I can use for my other passion: cooking.

So...now the question wasn't "what," it was "how." I live in Arizona and have a rock back yard.

Once you ask the question "how?" you WILL find the answer. You WILL.

So, I am learning how to garden in a BOX. It is called "Box Gardening." This blog will chronicle my efforts and results!

This new project fuels yet another passion that gives me joy, pleasure and peace: ADVENTURE!