Cool with Clouds Yielding to Sun

As a gardener, one of the things I do each day is check our local weather report for that day and the week ahead.  One of the best things about living in Southern California is the weather.  Even when hit by a hail storm like we had last night, our local Farm Bureau forecast lets us know that sunny skies are on the horizon with their creative 5-day outlook.  I think my favorite one this week is for this upcoming Saturday; mostly sunny and BEAUTIFUL!

Tuesday	Cool with clouds yielding to sun
Wednesday	Cool with intervals of clouds and sunshine
Thursday	Partly sunny and remaining cool
Friday	Mostly sunny and breezy
Saturday	Mostly sunny and beautiful

Pink Cymbidium Orchids In Bloom

Late last summer we purchased two one gallon Cymbidium Orchids from The Madd Potter.  Since their blooms had faded, we were able to pick these beauties up for 50% off.  I think we paid somewhere around $10.00 for each.  I planted them just a few weeks ago when I noticed the flower stock shooting up.  Saturday I was taking my regular morning walk around the house and spotted the blooms.  The other plant only had one open so they should last for a month or maybe two.  I am hoping to have a few to put on my Easter table.

 

To find out more about Cymbidium Orchids check out the Cymbidium Society of America after you learn how easy it is to grow these beautiful plants, see if you can find some at your local nursery.  They should be just coming in for Easter and Mother's Day.  You can save money by buying the plants and making your own Mother's Day corsage.

Enjoy these orchids my friend today,

please listen to what I have to say,

orchids much joy and happiness bring,

I know because they make my heart sing.

Mark Your Calendars for the Encinitas Garden Festival in April

I never miss these events. There are so many fantastic ideas and gardens to visit and the plant sale is wonderful.  If you live in San Diego county and are within walking, driving or can take a train, make sure to save this date in April.  Here is the link  Encinitas Garden Festival and Tour

Rainy Day and Vegetable Beds

I'm afraid this will be the only sun I can show you shining on my garden today.  The rains have finally come to Southern California; if the weather man is correct it sounds like we will have about three days worth. I took a quick walk to take a few photos of the beds and to cut a lot of the lettuces before the rain beats down so hard that they get muddy.  We are forecast for some hail and I don't want it to ruin the leaves of the kale and swiss chard, so I cut as much as I think we will need for the week.

Bed 1, Kale and Beets

Bed 2, Swiss Chard and lettuces

Bed 3, Snow peas.  Also in this bed is newly seeded Cilantro, Arugula, Radishes and more Onion Sets

Oak Leaf Lettuce. Ruby Red Swiss Chard to the right

Mache (or Corn Salad), Red Sails, Tango Lettuce Leaf and Spring Onions

more Red Sails, Tango, and cilantro popping up in back

this is a blend of Asian greens, includes Arugula, Chinese cabbage, Japanese Spinach, Mizuna (mustard) , mustard greens red and green, Ruby Streaks mustard, and Tatsoi Bok Choy.  A nice blend of mild an spicy salad greens that is also nice to add to soups.

Nero Toscana or Italian Lacinato Kale; also known as Dino Kale

Garlic and Bok Choy seedlings

Onions and more greens seedlings. 

Seedling progress. These will go in the garden in March. Peppers and tomatoes.

Tomato and Summer Squash seedlings

Swiss Chard, Kale, Arugula and Cilantro backups

Nasturtiums coming up on front bank and under grapefruit tree. I like to save a lot of the fresh seeds to pickle and use like capers. The flowers are wonderful in salads or stuffed with an herb goat cheese.   I am happy that they reseed freely!

Lavatera (tree mallow-malva) in the Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden along our driveway

Rain

The rain is raining all around,
It falls on field and tree,
It rains on the umbrellas here,
And on the ships at sea.

- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1895).
Scottish essayist, novelist and poet.