Olla Update!

When I planted my tomatoes several weeks ago, I also put in some ollas made out of clay pots.  While the plants were small, they seemed to hold water for a couple of days before going dry.  Of course the temperatures weren't as high then as they are now either.  Now that the tomatoes are well over 3 feet tall and the temperatures are higher, I am finding the ollas are drying out daily.  So this tells me two things.  One, that they must be working and two, that maybe they aren't large enough.  I still have to water the tomatoes as well, but I am trying to do it every other day and let the ollas water them on the off days.  Since most of them now either have tomatoes on them or flowers, I am assuming my watering is sufficient.  I was hoping to only use the ollas, but the tomatoes were wilting, so I have had to do some additional watering.

Anyone who gardens knows that it is a constant learning experience with lots of experimenting going on.   Especially with vegetables.  Lots of trial and error.  But each year you can put that knowledge to use and have a better garden than you did the year before.  So next year I will make ollas that are double the size of the ones I am currently using and see how that works.  I will then take the ones I am using now and put them in another location. Perhaps around some zucchini plants or in the spaces between the green beans. 

I am also wondering if I perhaps I didn't bury deep enough.  Traditionally made ollas have a neck and you bury them up to the neck.  Since I used clay pots, mine have no neck and so I had to make sure the top of the pot was accessible, which means some of the pot is sticking out above the soil line.  So now I am wondering if I could attach a small piece of PVC pipe into the hole on the top of each olla and fill it through the pipe. This would enable me to bury the whole pot well below the soil line and just leave the PVC pipe sticking up.  This would actually be helpful because I could make the pipe any length I want and eliminate bending and kneeling in order to reach the olla to fill it.  So stay tuned for my olla modifications next spring!

If you are using ollas in your garden this year, let us know about it.  We would love to hear how our customers as using them in their gardens and what their experiences are.  I think they are a great alternative to overhead watering and I am determined to use them in my vegetable gardens as much as possible.

Fugal Friday

Since summer got off to such a slow start, it seems I am currently in a planting frenzy now that it has warmed up.  Since this is Frugal Friday, it wouldnt' be right of me to say I was at the nursery "buying" things to plant.  That isn't very frugal, now is it?  No, I was actually transplanting things from around my yard that self sow.  Specifically I have been transplanting lambs ear.  About 5 years ago, my friend  gave me half a dozen or so plants  from her garden that were growing everywhere.  At the time, I was just getting started on my current garden and a lack of funds was making for a frustrating gardening experience.  So being the avid gardener that she is, she was happy to share her over flow of plants with me.  So I took my little starts, went home and planted them all in  a row in a small garden I had created in my front yard.

Fast forward 5 years and those 6 plant are probably now abut 50.  They pop up everywhere!  Of course, the gardener in me could never just rip them out of the ground and dispose of them.  They grow like gangbusters up here and when you find something that grows well, you stick with it.  That is my theory anyway. 

Since they self sow and pop up in the most unusual or inconvenient places, I just wait until they get a few inches tall and then I dig them out and plant them somewhere else.  The majority of them survive and I have the feeling that in about 10 years time, I will be living in a sea of lambs ear.  Which is fine.  I think they are very pretty. 

So on this Frugal Friday, I would like to suggest that instead of making a trip to the nursery, look around your own yard and see what you could transplant, divide or share with friend.  Maybe an afternoon plant swapping tea would be fun.  I came home one day to find 6 asparagus plants on my doorstep from a neighbor who gardens.  What a fun surprise that was.  Personally, I am going to try to learn how to propagate roses so that I can expand my rose collection and share with others as well.  Many other plants such as hostas, can be divided up to provide more plants for your yard or to share with others.  

Perhaps you need to remove a plant for whatever reason.  Why not give it to someone else?  My neighbor just did that.  He didn't like a certain bush he had and so he came over and asked me if I wanted it.  You bet I did!  There are lots of ways to get out there and add to the garden without spending any money.

Edible Cottage Gardens

One thing I love about Idyllwild and Pine Cove is that we have very few lawns.  I have always been more fascinated with gardens than lawns and never quit understood what all the fuss was about anyway when it comes to grass.  To this day, I do not understand the fascinating people have with grass.  While a small patch here or there is nice, especially if you have young children, any more than that is such a waste.

As for me, I am fascinated with potage gardens, edible landscaping, cottage gardens and woodland gardens.  Why?  Well, several reasons.  One, I love the idea of growing your own food.  If you are going to water something, it should provide you with something in return.  Grass doesn't really do this, but berry bushes, fruit trees and vegetables do!  Two, I love the mix of flowers and edibles all in one landscape.  By growing tomatoes next to roses, you are getting double the bang for your buck.  Since they have similar watering needs, you not only get beautiful roses to decorate your table with, but you also get delicious tomatoes for on your table as well.  All for the same watering effort.  Thirdly, I just love the kind of wild and overgrown look of an edible cottage garden.  It is organized chaos.  Isn't there something enchanting about a garden that is just a little bit overgrown and that you can't see through?  It makes you feel secluded and protected.  You want to step through the gate and follow the path around to see what surprises lie in store for you.

How fabulous is it to walk around the garden, stop and smell a rose and then take a step or two and bend down and pick a delicious, ripe strawberry?  Now that is my idea of a garden.  I have many books in my personal library on this type of gardening.  While it is slow going at my own garden, I am working towards this. Everyone can do this type of gardening.  Thinking of planting a new tree this year?  Why not go with a fruit or nut tree?  Need some bushes, how about blueberries?  Not only will you get some delicious fruit, but some varieties turn a brilliant red or orange color in the fall.  Looking for a vine to shade a spot or grow up an arbor?  How about a grape vine?  There are many ways we can incorporate edibles into our landscaping.  Think of adding edibles as getting a twofer!

Veggie gardens don't have to be long straight rows of vegetables.  There are a variety of wonderful garden accessories these days that can make a vegetable garden aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.  How lovely are pole beans scampering up a wooden trellis?  Or cucumbers or cherry tomatoes climbing up an arbor?  Growing your own food can be a very rewarding experience.  While growing your own vegetables may not be cheaper than buying these items at the store, there are many inherent benefits from gardening that have nothing to do with money.  You will be getting exercise, fresh air, sunshine and a hobby out of it.  Plus, I guarantee you that what ever you grow will taste way better than anything you can buy in the store.  So the next time you are out shopping for plants for your garden, don't forget to stop by the vegetable and herb section and see what edibles you can add to your garden.