Gardening Archives - That Garden Gal https://thatgardengal.com/category/gardening/ Life is Better in YOUR Garden, So go dig it! Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:31:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://i0.wp.com/thatgardengal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/That-Logo-2.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Gardening Archives - That Garden Gal https://thatgardengal.com/category/gardening/ 32 32 198923853 Summer Fruit https://thatgardengal.com/2023/07/10/summer-fruit/ https://thatgardengal.com/2023/07/10/summer-fruit/#respond Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:31:34 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=2694 Just thought I would share a few of the fruit growing in my yard right now. I didn’t take pictures, but I also have Oranges growing on my 60+ year old Valencia Orange tree and 2 fig trees that are starting to produce. It’s such a nice feeling when you can say “hey, I planted […]

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Just thought I would share a few of the fruit growing in my yard right now. I didn’t take pictures, but I also have Oranges growing on my 60+ year old Valencia Orange tree and 2 fig trees that are starting to produce. It’s such a nice feeling when you can say “hey, I planted these and they are producing” especially after you have killed a few trees to get to this point!

Never give up! If I can do it, so can you! πŸ’•

Plums from my Weeping Santa Rosa Plum tree.
My Wonderful Pomegranates are starting to really take shape!
My Riesling grapes. πŸ‡
I have TONS of mulberries!
One of my Improved Meyer Semi-Dwarf lemons. πŸ‹
Yummy Strawberries πŸ“

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The Many Faces of Olivia Rose Austin https://thatgardengal.com/2023/04/15/the-many-faces-of-olivia-rose-austin/ https://thatgardengal.com/2023/04/15/the-many-faces-of-olivia-rose-austin/#respond Sat, 15 Apr 2023 03:38:20 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=2610 Olivia Rose Austin was my very first David Austin rose. Hmmmm, that kind of makes it sound like I have a lot of them, but I only have 3, LOL Hopefully I will have more soon though 🙏🏻💕 Olivia is an English Shrub Rose with a delightful light-medium, fruity fragrance that I absolutely adore! I […]

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Olivia Rose Austin was my very first David Austin rose. Hmmmm, that kind of makes it sound like I have a lot of them, but I only have 3, LOL Hopefully I will have more soon though πŸ™πŸ»πŸ’•

Olivia is an English Shrub Rose with a delightful light-medium, fruity fragrance that I absolutely adore! I have had her now for over 3 years, and this year, she is really putting on a show; She is an absolute stunner!

I planted Olivia right outside my front door so she is the very first thing I see when I open it! How nice is it to feel happy every time you open your door? Honestly, it is a wonderful feeling! She makes me smile! I hope she makes you smile as well!

πŸ’•πŸ˜ŠπŸ’•

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CA Spring Trials 2023 https://thatgardengal.com/2023/04/01/ca-spring-trials-2023/ https://thatgardengal.com/2023/04/01/ca-spring-trials-2023/#respond Sat, 01 Apr 2023 01:05:48 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=2568 Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting the CA Spring Trials at the Santa Barbara Polo Club and Ball Horticultural Company with the UCCE Master Gardeners of OC. We were treated to seeing new plants from the many different breeders that participated. It was an amazing day and I took TONS of pics! Here are […]

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Yesterday, I had the privilege of visiting the CA Spring Trials at the Santa Barbara Polo Club and Ball Horticultural Company with the UCCE Master Gardeners of OC. We were treated to seeing new plants from the many different breeders that participated.

It was an amazing day and I took TONS of pics! Here are just a few from the day. I will post more later!

Enjoy!

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Good Riddance Summer! It’s Fall Y’all! https://thatgardengal.com/2022/09/23/good-riddance-summer-its-fall-yall/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/09/23/good-riddance-summer-its-fall-yall/#respond Fri, 23 Sep 2022 17:14:47 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=2211 I am sooo glad summer is over! There, I said it! Whew! Yes, I know, lots of people live for summer, summer vacations, summer camp, summer this and summer that, but me? I dread it! I spend most of the summer days trying to keep my chickens and roses alive. I mean, that is my […]

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Double Delight, not so delighted with the summer heat here in zone 10a. Plus Thrip damage 😒

I am sooo glad summer is over! There, I said it! Whew! Yes, I know, lots of people live for summer, summer vacations, summer camp, summer this and summer that, but me? I dread it! I spend most of the summer days trying to keep my chickens and roses alive. I mean, that is my whole goal, to keep everything alive until Fall.

Thankfully, I have been winning the battles against summer, but unfortunately, I know the war will never end. At least Fall, Winter and Spring bring a bit of a respite before beginning the battle again! I am so glad it’s Fall! πŸπŸ§‘πŸπŸŽƒπŸ

πŸ”₯β˜€πŸ”₯πŸ€ΊπŸ‘©πŸ»β€πŸŒΎπŸ“πŸŒΉ

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Roses are Red https://thatgardengal.com/2022/06/28/roses-are-red/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/06/28/roses-are-red/#respond Tue, 28 Jun 2022 21:12:06 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=1458 I love red roses! I have three beautiful red rose bushes in my garden and am thinking about adding a few more. Right now I have Oklahoma, Firefighter and Fiorentina. I’ve been avoiding Mister Lincoln because, well, because, so many have said “oh you have to have it.” I’m just rebellious like that, but I’ll […]

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Oklahoma Rose

I love red roses! I have three beautiful red rose bushes in my garden and am thinking about adding a few more. Right now I have Oklahoma, Firefighter and Fiorentina. I’ve been avoiding Mister Lincoln because, well, because, so many have said “oh you have to have it.” I’m just rebellious like that, but I’ll admit, I think I will finally give in to the pressure and add it to my collection. Sssssh! Don’t tell anyone! Besides, its fragrance is heavenly and I am definitely a sucker for heavenly fragrance πŸ˜‡πŸƒπŸŒΉπŸƒπŸ˜‡

Firefighter Rose
Florentina Rose

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My Romaine Lettuce is Bolting https://thatgardengal.com/2022/06/22/my-romaine-lettuce-is-bolting/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/06/22/my-romaine-lettuce-is-bolting/#respond Wed, 22 Jun 2022 20:19:08 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=1412 Summer is here! It’s getting hot and my romaine lettuce is growing flowers! Wait what? Lettuce grows flowers? Who knew? When this happens it is called “Bolting.” Bolting is when the plant shifts from its leafy growth to flower production. Cute flowers, but now the lettuce tastes bitter, so no bueno for eating! Bolting is […]

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Romaine Lettuce Flowering

Summer is here! It’s getting hot and my romaine lettuce is growing flowers! Wait what? Lettuce grows flowers? Who knew?

When this happens it is called “Bolting.” Bolting is when the plant shifts from its leafy growth to flower production. Cute flowers, but now the lettuce tastes bitter, so no bueno for eating! Bolting is good for seed saving though as those cute flowers will eventually produce seeds. Just collect the seeds when they form, and save them to plant next year. How cool is that? Free romaine lettuce next year. I am down!

What causes bolting you may or may not ask. Well, bolting isΒ caused by a number of things including high temperatures, long daylight hours, and less moisture in the air. Sounds like summertime to me! 😎 I’m sad to see the lettuce go, but it happens. It’s the cycle of life!

Sooo, I am going to enjoy the cute little flowers, and let the pollinators have fun with them too. Afterwards, I will collect the seeds and save them to plant next season. Gardening is so cool πŸ’•

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Wollerton Old Hall https://thatgardengal.com/2022/03/29/wollerton-old-hall/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/03/29/wollerton-old-hall/#respond Tue, 29 Mar 2022 05:43:13 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=899 Wollerton Old Hall has been a fixture in my garden for three years now, and to say that I love this rose would be an understatement. I really, really LOVE this rose 💕🤣 Introduced in 2011 by famed British rose breeder David Austin, Wollerton Old Hall is a beautiful climbing rose that is one of […]

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Wollerton Old Hall in my Garden

Wollerton Old Hall has been a fixture in my garden for three years now, and to say that I love this rose would be an understatement. I really, really LOVE this rose πŸ’•πŸ€£

Introduced in 2011 by famed British rose breeder David Austin, Wollerton Old Hall is a beautiful climbing rose that is one of the most fragrant of all the English Roses. It has a strong, warm myrrh fragrance with hints of citrus. To me though, it actually reminds me of licorice 🀣. Go figure πŸ€·πŸΌβ€β™€οΈ The plump buds, with attractive flashes of red, open to form beautifully rounded, chalice-shaped blooms of soft apricot, that eventually soften to a lovely cream. It was Named after Wollerton Old Hall in Shropshire, one of the most beautiful, privately owned British gardens.

In my garden, WOH is definitely a beast! It has successfully climbed the trellis I provided for it, as well as the adjoining arbor. It is really, really tall (10 feet maybe?) and kind of messy! It’s my bad though, as I haven’t pruned it yet which MIGHT explain things. For some reason though, I love the messiness of it as it goes with my slightly out of control garden 😊.

So, if you’re in zones 5 – 11 and are looking for a fragrant, climbing rose to spice up a fence, wall or arbor, why not consider planting Wollerton Old Hall. It does well in all soil types, tolerates partial shade and is an all around delightful rose. I’m so glad I added it to my garden πŸ’•

Wollerton Old Hall in my Garden
Wollerton Old Hall in my Garden

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Welcome Spring https://thatgardengal.com/2022/03/24/welcome-spring/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/03/24/welcome-spring/#respond Thu, 24 Mar 2022 22:42:51 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=872 The garden is coming alive with so many beautiful blooms. I think Spring has now become my favorite time of the year 💕 “The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.” S. Brown

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The garden is coming alive with so many beautiful blooms. I think Spring has now become my favorite time of the year πŸ’•

“The first blooms of spring always make my heart sing.”

S. Brown

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The Problem is the Solution https://thatgardengal.com/2022/02/07/the-problem-is-the-solution/ https://thatgardengal.com/2022/02/07/the-problem-is-the-solution/#respond Mon, 07 Feb 2022 22:44:04 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=745 We say in Permaculture “The problem is the solution!” It sounds kinda abstract and all “deep” and everything, but today, it was very practical and real! I have a very Ugly side yard that is used to hide the chicken coop and keep random items out of sight 🤣 The “soil” if you want to […]

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Miss Ethel inspecting the wood chips πŸ“

We say in Permaculture “The problem is the solution!” It sounds kinda abstract and all “deep” and everything, but today, it was very practical and real!

I have a very Ugly side yard that is used to hide the chicken coop and keep random items out of sight 🀣 The “soil” if you want to call it that, is hard packed from years of neglect (out of sight, out of mind?), and it is used only as a path to the coop.

I wanted to cover the path with some really pretty pea gravel as I like how it looks and LOVE the crunching sound it makes when you walk on it. However, since my chickens “spread” my existing wood chip mulch all over the place, it wouldn’t work. The wood chips would mix in with the gravel and it would be a mess! Soooo…

The Problem: Chickens spread wood chips all over the place and onto the path, potentially mixing with the planned gravel and losing the aesthetic appeal.

The Solution: Don’t use gravel, use wood chips for the path! πŸ’‘

Over time the wood chips will help loosen the compacted soil, add organic matter, keep moisture levels up and slowly add nutrients to the soil. Sounds like a win win solution to me! πŸ‘πŸ»πŸ‘πŸ»

So, there you have it 🀣 Thank you chickens! You have turned it around and made my problem, the solution! πŸ’•πŸ“πŸ’•

Path with wood chips showing the compacted soil underneath.
The wood chips are now covering the compacted soil.

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We’ve Got Apples! https://thatgardengal.com/2021/10/27/weve-got-apples/ https://thatgardengal.com/2021/10/27/weve-got-apples/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2021 06:30:09 +0000 https://thatgardengal.com/?p=237 I’m so excited! My Gala and Pink Lady apple trees have tiny little apples on them. Yippee!!! I purchased them back in 2019 as 2 year old bare-rooted trees from this amazing nursery I found online called Four Winds Growers. I highly recommend them, especially if you live in California and want to purchase citrus. […]

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I’m so excited! My Gala and Pink Lady apple trees have tiny little apples on them. Yippee!!! I purchased them back in 2019 as 2 year old bare-rooted trees from this amazing nursery I found online called Four Winds Growers. I highly recommend them, especially if you live in California and want to purchase citrus. Around the same time I bought my apple trees, I ordered 2 mandarin trees, a Mexican Key lime and an Improved Meyer semi-dwarf lemon. They all arrived healthy and in great shape, and have gone on to produce tons of great tasting fruit! What more could you want?

So, back to the apples. πŸ˜‚ WE’VE GOT APPLES! They’re small but look good, so I think it’s just about apple picking time. I can’t wait to try one.

Pink Lady
Gala

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