Garden Time!

Northern Cali is a new place for me.  This will be my first year having a vegetable garden at our home.  It is also the first week of June, in gardening terms that typically means its safe to get tomatoes, peppers, and other heat loving plants in the ground.

It has been a slow start but full of work.  First, we had to clear out blackberries and willow trees that have invaded the garden area.  This laborious task was not without surprise, we discovered rhubarb, an ornamental dogwood, spearmint, and an animal trap in the thorny brush.  Next, we replaced the old fence, adding 10 feet on both sides for a total 70 x 40 ft garden area.  Don't go gasping at 2800 sq ft, a large portion of it is apple and pear trees.  Then we had to wait for the soil to dry out from the spring rains before we could roto-till the soil and grass.  For all you lasagna gardeners out there, this will be the only deep tilling for a while, we had to break up grass and tree roots.

Then it was a slow planting of leafy greens, cabbage, and broccoli.  Followed by peas and bean seeds. And most recently, the tomatoes (21), peppers (18), and various squashes and melons.  I look forward to summer harvest, salsa, and canning!  Lastly, I am setting up drip irrigation.  It is so very hot here and water is at a premium.  Todd installed faucets in the garden that supply the garden with river water.  What a relief from having three lengths of hose from the house.

Garden as of June 2

California King Snake

California has plenty of reptiles.  Sunday, I saw a California King Snake slither across our road into the woods.  These are good snakes as they eat Rattlesnakes, which I heard the following day near the property boundary.  My cat was in the shrub that the rattling sound came from.  Luckily for her, she slowly walked out of the shrub, with eyes on the snake.  She was bit last year, not sure she learned her lesson.