Blooming-May

• Alyssum
• Achillea (yarrow)
• Gaillardia
• Bearded Iris
• Ivy geranium
• Jasmine (pink)
• Narcissus
• Nasturtium
• Passion Vine
• Pride of Madera
• Potato vine (white)
• Rock Rose (pink, white)
• Rosemary
• Society garlic
• Sweet Pea Bush
• Wisteria
• Westringia (Coast Rosemary)

Harvesting-May

• Artichokes
• Beet greens
• Carrots
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Tendergreen mustard
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Herbs

The Life Force of Seeds-Can You Feel It?

Seeds full of life.

Seeds full of life.

I’m a seed collector. Blame it on my Scottish heritage. Blame it on the fact that I’m fascinated with natural science. It may be that I collect seeds so that I can give them away, thus sharing my love for gardening or perhaps because I know that gardeners (myself included) [...]

A Chicken Coop that Enhances the Garden

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My husband built a chicken coop for our six young chickens that adds to my garden rather than detracts. To save money, we used recycled materials from the building of our house, and purchased some items (like the stained glass window) from garage sales. This was, unfortunately, not a one-weekend project and it took [...]

A Love-Hate Relationship with Nature

A vulture suns himself on a neighbor's roof.

A vulture suns himself on a neighbor's roof.

Like many gardeners, I have a love-hate relationship with nature. While I enjoy observing and just “being” in the garden, I struggle with my inclination to “fool with” Mother Nature and her animals. Our garden is filled with wild creatures. The open space beyond our deer-fence [...]

Garden Accessories-Decor or Junk?

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The accessories we put on our bodies, in our homes, and in our gardens are meant to enhance and enliven the objects they adorn. Accessories in the garden can add color, become a focal point, or make an area more usable. By garden accessories, I am referring to a bench, an arbor, a feeder, a [...]

A Problem Chicken

Poppy's head

Poppy was an impulse acquisition. I had researched and decided on five breeds for our backyard chicken project. I’d bought the buff Orpington, barred rock, and Easter egger in Arroyo Grande and was told the golden-laced Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red (RIR) would arrive the following week.

I called [...]