Remember way back when? To that time when I used to post updates of blooms and blossoms, tiny starts of vegetables and baskets of garden harvests? At that time, I often used random posts here as my gardening journal.
Then we moved, and I failed epically at apartment container gardening.
Looking back, I now consider those gardening experiences to be on both ends of the extreme – a full acre with a 15 by 20 foot garden and then an apartment balcony turned small backyard with nothing but a couple pots.
I do believe I’ve finally found my gardening balance.
We moved into our new home in April and step one was to fill the previously established raised bed with herb and vegetable plants. Then we tackled the drip irrigation system that was put in long ago, but appeared to have gone unused in recent years.
This is what we’ve ended up with after about a month of work.
Not too bad. The new garden is growing well. We’re back to the morning ritual of taking a short walk around the yard, coffee in hand, to check out the slow, but gratifying progress.
Well, some of us take the walk. Others are too sleepy in the morning and simply watch from afar.
We have the best basil we’ve ever grown.
While I think the Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato is going to be too finicky to fruit until fall (despite all the blooms) our first encounter with a hybrid chocolate cherry tomato called Chocolate Sprinkles and a heat tolerant tomato, Heat Master, is going quite well.
After running out of space in the raised bed, I decided to take my chances at putting the red, yellow and purple bell peppers in pots and even those are loving their South Central Valley home.
So this is phase one. Next year, the plan is to build out one (or two!) more raised beds for vegetables.
On the opposite side of the yard, we have what I’m calling our orchard. There is the potted dwarf Meyer Lemon that we bought first thing in the Bay that has managed to hang on through all the moves, along with a Kadota Fig that won’t give up just yet. Both of those are now in the ground.
They’ve been joined by a new Persian Lime tree. And I’m especially excited about the gorgeous Peach Sorbet Blueberry bush that seems extremely happy in it’s new home.
2016 will no doubt be a learning experience. We’re in a brand new gardening zone and I have a feeling summer will bring it’s challenges. But right now, so far, so good.
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This is absolutely wonderful! I’m really happy that you’ve finally found your gardening middle ground–and those blueberries! What a stunning plant! It has taken us 5 years to finally have a good tomato season and to be honest, it’s still early, so things could go south at any moment! lol! We have had the ‘lots of flowers and no fruit’ situation before as well. Have fun with your beautiful new yard and home!
Thanks, Tracey! Good news. The tomato finally fruited while we were traveling this weekend. We’ll see how it goes from here!