Week 3 (part two) - ...In With the New

Time in: 5pm
Time out: 7pm

After a bit of browsing around a couple of garden centers and contemplating about what the most economical and efficient way to readjust the watering supply would be, I came up with the idea to remove the center stone of the plot and put a full circle rotary adjustable sprinkler in its place. I rerouted the mainline from the pre-existing drip system to the sprinkler. I then capped off the drip system but kept it in place for future use.

The sprinkler head had successful results with water coverage for the entire plot. The next challenge I face, however, is making sure the water will sufficiently permeate the soil, all the way down to root level.

Now that the water source is set, the next step is to sow the seeds! Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to get a thorough till in before the sun set and I had to go back home. So I will leave this task for next week!

Week 3 - Out With the Old...

Time in: 5pm
Time out: 7:15pm

The time has come to dig out our tomato patch and to start preparing for the next season. I'm looking forward to it because Fall is quite frankly my favorite time of the year. I can't wait to feel the cool, fresh air after the very warm, very firey summer we had here in the San Gabriel Valley. I'm also interested in experiencing Fall through the natural perspective: the baring of deciduous trees and plants that simultaneously feed and slumber through winter's end, the prepping and replenishing of the soil to help enhance the following season's crops.

With Jared's help, we were able to clear away all but one tomato plant, keeping the last one rooted until its remaining fruit was ready to be picked (as per mom's request). I also decided to keep one Gopher Purge plant since it is still looking quite vigorous and healthy.


I believe the trickiest process will be the reconfiguration of the drip irrigation system to fit the needs of the current project. I have a few ideas in mind: one is to change the mini inline drippers into mini sprinkler heads. Another is to scrap the existing system entirely and go with a larger hose drip system I once saw at the local nursery. I have a feeling that a 360 degree sprinkler head would be the best scenario for this particular project since I need to evenly cover a large area as oppose to focusing in on a particular root system. Plus, it would be more cost effective.


Additional steps consist of :

• Deeper tilling of the soil to enhance aeration
• Creating a makeshift wall on the north side of the plot due to the inconsistency of the lawn sprinklers (more on that later)
• Adding compost and soil to the two narrow plots to even out the soil level
• Also adding compost to the plot with the grape plant to increase the nutrient value.

On another note, the seeds came in sometime last week, I was very impressed by the quantity of seeds I received and customer service was incredibly helpful. Thank you, Sustainable Seed Co., I believe I just became a life long customer!

Week 2 (part two) - The Herb Garden

Time in: 9:30am
Time out: 11:30am

Last week, on a lunch break, I wandered into the Huntington's herb garden and was greeted warmly by a badge-toting docent by the name of Joseph Hogg. He was stationed at the far south-west corner of the garden, under a large shade tree. In front of him was a table covered with several small glass bottles of dried herbs prepared in various ways. "This month," he said with a wise enthusiasm "We are featuring our culinary section". This immediately struck my interest. For I am starting to realize that, as a gardener, I sway more toward functional than ornamental purpose. We got to talking and the following Tuesday morning, I found myself (with clippers in hand) cutting back a lemony-smelling vine we have yet to identify but nonetheless needed a bit of trimming.




I also helped to clean up a sickly looking Anemopsis californica (Yerba Mansa). I did so with little luck, but at least cleared it out of the walk way a bit.


The Yerba Mansa sign reads: The root was used by California Indians to treat pleurisy, stomach ulcers, chest congestion, colds and open soars.

Another plant I learned about was the Caper Plant.

Capparis spinosa (Caper Plant)

"This is the source of those tasty morsels known as capers. The small unopened buds are pickled and sold as capers. Recently, the fruits, before splitting open have also been harvested, pickled and offered in fine restaurants as 'caper berries'".

The Huntington herb garden is definitely not the most spectacular of their collection, nor is it one of the largest. Tucked away behind the rose garden tea room, it is a modest space. Overlooked by those who - understandably - would rather experience the entrancing rose garden or the amazingly enormous desert collection or the beautiful architecture of the conservatory. The list quite literally goes on.

Nevertheless, I find myself deeply connected to the herb garden. Its peacefulness is reflected by the humble volunteers I met, quietly taking care of this modest plot of pleasing aromas and edibles.

I think I may have found my place.

Week 2 - Walking with the Natives

(click to enlarge)

Time in: 9:15am
Time out: 12 noon

Today I went on my first native species plant walk in Eaton Canyon. We were lead by a very knowledgeable, friendly and determined guide, Eva Morgan. This walk is part of the California Native Plant Society, San Gabriel Mountains chapter in which I am currently a member.

Here are just a few species I learned about:

Opuntia spp. (Cacti)




Buckwheat




Salvia apiana (White Sage)




Toxicodendron Diversilobum (Poison Oak)

Scale broom (Lepidospartum squamatum)

Week 1 (part two) - Looking at the Lay of the Land

Time in: 6pm
Time out : 6:45pm

Plans for volunteering fell through due to some scheduling conflicts. So instead, I decided look at the 8x8 ft. plot of land (located in my parent's backyard) I will be using for the project. This, of course is the same plot that my dear friends, Ayumi and Jared, and I started our very first tomato patch and drip irrigation system set-up (check out Sprouting Up for the full scoop), which, by the way, ended up being a very successful summer harvest!

The autumnal equinox is around the corner. This means its a perfect time to learn more about the inner-workings of soil preparation for the coming spring.

Here's the plot at it's current state:




It's pretty much a 12-variety jungle of tomato-growing goodness! To tell the truth, I didn't do much to keep it tidy, I just let the plants grow wherever they please. Being a first-time tomato patch caretaker, it was rather difficult to figure out how to correctly prune them (despite my sister trying numerous times to e-mail articles on how to prune tomatoes, which are definitely good tips to follow for next time. Thanks sis). Another beginner mistake is the overcrowding of these guys. As cumbersome as it was to harvest, however, each tomato plant had just enough space to produce a nice amount of harvest that lasted us the entire summer.

As for the lath house, I believe a simple and functional design is needed. The frame is set (an 8 x 8 ft space), so all I need to think about is a good set-up of tables and benches...

A new addition to our garden is the 4 x 8 ft. raised bed we created around a grape plant, which must be more than 15 years old and most likely planted by the preceding home owners. Although the leaves spring up every year, the plant has yet to produce any fruit, which I suspect is due to the lack of nutrients in that area of the yard. It'll be an interesting experiment to see if I can bring it back to life via green manuring.

Week 1 - Getting Everything Started

Part 1 - Looking into Green Manuring

Time in: 8:30am

Time out: 10:30am

It seems to me that green manuring is the easiest and most economical way to go if you don't feel like using chemically treated composts and other products that would synthetically enhance your soil's nutrient value and productivity. That is because these cover crops are particularly nitrogen fixed, a key building block to plant life.

There are so many green manure cover crops to choose from! The Sustainable Seed Co. website helped guide me to my final choices. And of course I had to choose the right cover crops for the right season. After some research, I decided to stick with the basics. Here they are:

• Aquadulce Fava Beans
• Cereal Rye
• Braco Mustard
• Crimson Clover
• Dundale Peas

I will get into more detail about each cover crop once I start to plant. First thing's first though , I will order the seeds from the Sustainable Seed Co. website and hopefully they'll be here by the end of the week!

Oh, and here's a well written article that Times Online came out with August of last year, an overview about green manuring. Take a look:

The goodness of green manure by Alice Bowe