Almost 3 years "off"

So I just realized that I have not been truly gardening for a long time. I think that it is for two main reasons.

1. I was pregnant two summers ago and last summer I had a baby.

2. I really despise desert soil!

Well, we have jumped back into the gardening side of things. We (Zane, Myself and my Husband) have gotten the soil loosened and spread our beautiful compost in with it. We have planted tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, peppermint, cucumbers, acorn squash, eggplant, cantaloupe and yellow squash from transplants. Then from seeds, corn, beans, pumpkin, white pumpkin, grey squash, and watermelon. David, my husband, is going to put lattice up on the cement block wall to help "cool" the wall from the intense sun to help with more success on the growth of the plants.

Our plan is to plant a vine of some kind come October to protect the plants from the sun and allow for better growth. But if we were to plant now the vines would die.

Here is to happy spring/early summer yummy vegetables and to a 17 month old staying out of the garden!

A Tour of The Garden

Pepper Plants

Tomato Plants

Cilantro, Peppermint, Cucumber
Acorn and Yellow Squash

Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Our new containers!
The one container which was filled. This is the tomato plant, with green and red pepper and strawberries!

Time to get Roses Ready

It seems as though I was a little late this year. Last year I did not have to trim them until Feb. But with the warm weather this January, I was about a week late. However, it is not too late to get it done.

Here is what I do.

-Find the last leaf of 5 that has a bud on it and cut, straight across, right above the bud.
-After you cut then use a dab of glue (I use wood glue because it is waterproof) and put it on the cut.
-Then strip off all the leaves that are left on the stem.

You will not want to fertilize them until April. I only water them this time of year when the soil is dry. As for photosynthesis taking place, it is. There is chlorophyll in the stems. If they are green, there is chlorophyll.

Also, it is time to start to prepare for our next planting. I was mistaken, I should not have done my tomatoes. And it shows. I will be trying again. I am also wanting to try carrots. They are a little tricky because the soil needs to be rock free. Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Summer Squash, Corn, Cucumbers, are all to be planted in Feb and March.

Easy Container Garden

We do not drink that much soda, but today we finished the soda from Z's birthday party. Instead of throwing them away, I thought they would make a great container to plant a couple of plants in. So, I cut of the top of the 2 liter bottle, punched holes in the bottom for drainage, filled it with potting soil, and Z and I planted seeds. We will see what happens. I have never done it before. So in about 7 to 10 days we should see. I did romaine and onions.

Books to get

There are many books that I have looked at and love, but they did not seem practical for me. One that I found that gave me great ideas, but again, did not fit for our backyard and climate, it was Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots. I loved the idea of a sunflower house, a pizza garden, and using containers for vegetables. However, I don't have the right square footage for the sunflower house and I had no idea what to plant and when.

That is when I found Desert Gardening for Beginners. What is great about this book is that it gives a step by step on how to prepare your garden soil, amount of watering, where to place the garden, composting, getting rid of Bermuda grass (which I so love!), and a chart in the back as to when to plant what and in what form (seeds or transplant). After getting this book, I discovered another book that corresponds to it and does have a lot of the same information, but has great ideas for gardening with children. It is Success with School Gardens. I know that there are many others. But with a very active three year old, I am doing my best.

When we moved into our home the backyard was nothing but gravel. VERY UNATTRACTIVE! With in the first year, my wonderful hubby moved the gravel, dug trenches, with the help of a ditch witch, put in irrigation, bricked the boarder, and seeded for grass! So the next summer we had a green yard. Next we added more trees on the back fence and sage bushes. I also tried to garden, with little success. I was a little discouraged. I did have gorgeous rose bushes that are thriving. I will give tips on what I do for my roses also. I have tried off and on to do vegetable gardens and flower gardens. But now I will tell of the trials and tribulations that I come across.

So here are pictures of what the yard looks like today. If I find any pictures of what it looked like when we moved in or while my hubby was working on the yard I will post.

My Roses (There are five Bushes)

The Side yard which is my garden. Right now there is broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and Basil. There are also flowers on the side closest to the house. This is my memorial garden.

Container Gardening, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, broccoli and beats (Learning on this First Time)Around the tree is my Herb Garden. Just starting to see sprouts