Waltham Butternut Squash Seeds

SHOPPING TIP: Oh, my gosh, earlier today, I scored one packet (1.0 gram) of Waltham butternut squash seeds at the 99 Cents Only Store for the princely sum of 11 cents! I will be planting them within the hour in three separate containers. Yay!

Tomato Seedling Transplantation

I transplanted several tomato seedlings today. I had 21 5-gallon containers to begin with. Although all were sprinkled with various heirloom tomato seeds, not all of the containers had seedlings. Some had multiple seedlings in their containers, others with only one, still others with none at all.
With a trowel, I carefully removed several seedlings and transplanted [...]

Tomato Container Garden

This weekend, I’m heading to a home improvement store to get a few bags of potting soil. From previous experience, each 2-cubic foot bag provides enough soil to fill six 5-gallon containers, a few more if I filled the containers less abundantly. I saved up several of these containers over the years, but may need [...]

Succulent: Fan Aloe!

Also known as Aloe plicatilis, this stunning succulent native of South Africa was gifted to me a few years ago, purchased at a yard sale! Apparently, I’ve got to go on the yard sale circuit myself if beauties like this can be found! Click on the image to see the absolutely gorgeous details! I am [...]

Rose Garden: Winter Maintenance

Tomorrow, I’ll be removing dead plant materials from my rose garden, as well as removing weeds. This may sound like a lot of work, but over time, it’s very routine and manageable. I completed the heavier work of hard pruning last month and new leaves, and even a few flowers, have emerged, thanks in part to [...]

Succulents: Easy Container Garden

I love easy-to-make container gardens, and one of the easiest is one of my succulent container gardens. Populated by cuttings and broken plant pieces from various gardening mishaps (!), this container garden has thrived and is one happy family consisting of the following, from left to right: (1) plush plant, also known as Echeveria harmsii [...]

Japanese Aucuba: Roots from Cutting!

On September 27, I placed a cutting of my Japanese aucuba into a small bottle, in an attempt to propagate it (see my previous post). It’s been about 1-1/2 months later and I am happy to report that this cutting is very clearly rooting! Click on the photo for a better view of the very [...]

Japanese Aucuba Propagation

For the empty space by my shaded front door area, I think it might be nice to plant more Japanese aucuba. Also known as Aucuba japonica, Japanese laurel, spotted laurel, and gold dust tree, this beautiful, shade-loving shrub is already under my kitchen window. For balance, and to provide a lovely match to my home’s new yellow stucco, the [...]

Brazilian Pepper Tree Seedling Removal

Every couple of months or so, one of my gardening tasks is to remove seedlings or shoots from my long-ago removed Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). These seedlings show up primarily in the area famously (!) known as my tree bark lawn. The photo is a close up of what this seedling looks like. I took this photo [...]

The Benefits of Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

Whether planted in the ground or in containers, there are many benefits derived from fruit and vegetable gardening. My paid work keeps me in an office most of the day of each week, and in a sedentary state. If not for my garden, I’d frankly spend a modest time outdoors. The fresh air (especially the evening ocean breezes [...]