Rainy Days, Mudslides and My Neighbor's New Rain Gutters

Tuesday Rains and Wednesday Cleanup:

My neighbors recently installed new rain gutters and downspouts.

Closeup of erosion

Our facet on top of the bank after the mudslide

Completely buried my soaker hose

Broke one of my jades and buried the Iris rhizomes

This is the top of one of the areas where the water went.  The plants to the left and right of this are covered with mud at the base;  I will need to dig these up after it dries out and replant.  There is still about 6 inches of mud at the top edge of the adobe wall but I can't get to it until I remove these plants.

This shows some of the mud, but most of it is under the plants on the left. Calendula seedlings were on the top of the bank!

East side of our garage where our trash bins are kept.  Trash is picked up on Tuesday morning so only one was in this area.  It's difficult to see the depth of the mud here, but one entire row of adobe bricks were covered. This is also after the rain from our garage roof washed mud down the drains and out into the driveway.  Our jeep had several inches of mud under it also, from mud coming down from another area.

I barely was able to move this a few feet.  This ground has a lot of DG mixed in. I had almost two wheelbarrow's full.

After mud removal.  Before I rinsed the concrete.  No stains though! Notice the jade plant hanging over the edge. It was standing before the mudslide and is about 4 feet tall.

Had I not gone out to bring the trash cans back to this location I can only imagine how much more mud we would have had.  I went up to the top of this bank when it was still raining and dug a small trench about 40 feet long to route the water to the road.

This is a rental unit, but I notified the owner and he has already installed drain pipes so this shouldn't happen again.  Normally this area is covered with high weeds, but he has been doing a lot of new landscaping and repairs to the property for the new tenants.  I wonder who put the rain gutters in for him?  Obviously not someone who thought about where the water would end up!  All is good now though and I had a good workout.





Companion Planting

Here is a link to the Farmer's Almanac for a list of friends and foes for 10 common vegetable companion plantings.

Rainy here today; plants are enjoying it.  I should be picking lettuces by the weekend.

Enjoy your day!
Carla

Kitchen Prices

I found this on a page in the back of an old cookbook I have.  I made a copy of it and now have it hanging on my refrigerator!

Winter Veggie Bed Update

I took a few pictures of the raised beds today to keep my blog up to date on the growth.  The rain this week and last has really helped in watering.  Normally at this time of year our weather is hot and dry.  I am so grateful to mother nature for providing us with this rain. 


All of these beds were planted on September 11th and 12th.  In less than a month we are almost ready to pick some of the lettuces and green onions, too.

Onion and Shallot sets, a few Garlic sets, Sorrel, Mesclun, Arugula, and Mache

Onion Sets, Swiss Chard, Kale, Radicchio, Spinach, Watercress

Beets, Kale, Cilantro, Radish and more Swiss Chard

I still need to find a place to plant my pea pods. 

Sunset After the Storm

A few pictures of last night sunset. It was a beauty.

A Storm Was Brewing!

The clouds starting forming early morning.  The forecast was a 10% chance of rain.  Here in California if rain is forecast at all we always look to the skies in hopes that 10% might be at our house.  I took the camera out and starting taking a few pictures of the clouds that were forming in the North and West of my house.

Around Noon Yesterday looking North

Looking West at 3:00 PM

South

 Last night looking West at sunset

Early morning from front door looking North

We had several heavy showers after thunder and lighting storm around 6:00 this morning.  The air is heavy with the smell of sagebrush now.  I have all my windows open,  Life is good.

Update: 10:30 AM more rain, heavy right now. My plants are singing!



“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you and all your heart might desire.”

-old Irish blessing

Estate Sale and Garage Sale Garden Whimsies

I love to add found objects to my garden.  I hunt garage sales and estate sales whenever I can afford it!  Here are a few things I have added to my garden over this last few years.  Some new, some broken and re-purposed.

I found a bunch of these Mexican Tiles at a sale one day.

I placed them in the corners of some old adobe pavers I have used for a pathway.  The Geranium Madarense seedlings sprouted after I put these down. This plant comes up all over my garden; I dig them up and plant on the back bank.  See some of my older posts to view the beautiful blooms.

Quail planter with blue rock "egg".  This was a new planter I purchased after finding this rock one day while digging in the herb garden. I planted it with a Scilla violacea, which makes it look like feathers, I think.  People always look twice when walking by this.

Recycled Fairy in a copper bird bath, found at a local thrift store; she has a  broken wing, but that is okay with me.  I have seen Dragon flies resting on here wing. 

On the adobe wall, notice the turtle candle holder; another estate sale find.

Duranta repens growing in a pot under the copper birdbath.  The snail was found at an estate sale for a dollar.  The Duranta attracts butterflies to this area, it has such a beautiful cascading bloom. This area is what I call my fairy garden.

Fairy with Squirrel statue was found at Buena Creek Gardens in Vista California.

I keep this Fairy filled with water for the lizards to drink from, it is very shallow and is perfect for them; another Buena Creek Garden find.

Old German planter found for a few dollars.  Looks pretty with the succulent now in bloom.

Euphorbia in the old fish planter, found at a garage sale for 50 cents.

I found two of these clay urns at a thrift store; I think I paid $14.00 for the two.  These are on my Mexican patio on either side of the glass doors.  I "stained" the concrete on this patio with craft paint.  It will wear off I know, but works for now and for a lot less money.

This Rooster tile plaque is made from Portuguese tiles that were badly cracked.  Glued to a wood board they now make a wonderful addition to the wall on my Mexican patio.

Cast concrete turtle needed something, so I took an old Portmeirion Plate that I had broken and just could not throw away.  I broke it into smaller pieces and glued to the shell, grouted and stained a green color.  It makes for a nice new shell for my garden friend.

I found this Epi at an estate sale, I purchased it for $1.00!  Added some good compost and it is thriving.  I can't wait to see what bloom it will have.  It also has a rat tail cactus (aporocactus flagelliformis) growing with it.

Japanese cast iron bell; hung at my front door entrance. I added the copper wire and old glass beads so it would hang lower.

One of the best deals I found this summer was this old metal bell with the heart.  I paid $2.00 for it!

I have had this fish for years and found some old Japanese iron bells at an estate sale; used some copper wire and a piece of wood, old glass beads to make this.

Recycled clay pots with Rosemary marker. The marker originally had a metal stake which rusted over the years and broke off.  I used some copper wire and fashioned this hanger which now  hangs over my Rosemary bush.   The plant is over 3 feet tall so this is a perfect marker for it since a ground marker would be lost underneath.

My neighbor gave me this Staghorn Fern in the spring.  It really looked like it was dead.  I kept it watered and in the shade here next to the Fairy garden.  I gave it some banana peels each week and it is now thriving.  I have had the old cast iron fish candle holder sitting on the back wall, for years.  I like the way this area looks, it always feels cool.  Today the temperature is 103 and this area is a nice shady spot in my garden. 

And finally, my last picture is of an old concrete fountain base I found in Tijuana years ago.  It has held this Rosary Vine for the last 7 years.  This plant was a gift from my husband to me on Valentine's Day in 1977.  I think I have only replanted it once.  It thrives in this shady area adjacent to my Fairy Garden. 





Raised Beds, Vegetable Garden Progress and some Flowers too! Help with plant name please!

"He who sees things grow from the beginning will have the best view of them."

-Aristotle

A few photos to keep my blog up to date on the progress.  I took these photos on Monday Sept 20th and just got around to posting them.  The lettuces have all sprouted along with the beets, kale and swiss chard.  Green onions are doing great, too.  I should have plenty of goodies for Thanksgiving dinner.

Raised Bed Sept 20th, after only ten days

Beets in the 3rd bed

Mesclun in the 1st bed

Onion Sets planted in the 1st and 2nd bed

Onion Seedlings in small square 4th bed. 

First Fall Iris Bloom

Pink Thumbelina  Zinnia

Pink Mixed Cosmos

Giant Zinnia in Orange

Giant Zinnia in Pink

Orange Zinnia mixed with Yellow Cosmos

Perfect White Zinnia

I have forgotten the name of this plant.  If you know it, please leave me a comment.

Close up of the bloom; reminds me of lilacs which happens to be my favorite flower.