Hello from So. Cal.

Mom2Four 4/5/2011, 3:50 pm

Hi All,

I must admit that I slipped in a post or two several months ago. And you were all very helpful! So let me start over and come through the front door.

I've been transplanted to So. Cal. from So. Carolina. Total novice to the area and to gardening. I love Mel's book, which I discovered last April, because it is so encouraging. He makes you feel like you can do it. Well, we plunged in and found SFG to be a wonderful family adventure.

Our summer favorites? Of course, tomatoes! And green beans, cucumbers, eggplant, radishes, squash, mammoth sunflowers, smaller sunflowers (which ended up taller than the mammoth!) chard, celery (bitter til it cooled), potatoes (put them in too late), and herbs.

Our winter favorites? Carrots! I know they are inexpensive in the store but I have always wanted to pluck a homegrown carrot out of the ground. So the kid in me won out and we planted a whole patch. We've been havesting carrots from it all winter, as needed. We've also had kale, onions, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, and chard, and lots of lettuce there for the picking and few pests to battle.

Part of the fun here has been pushing the envelope regarding what to plant when in So. Cal. I mean, it's so mild here right? So we tried planting squash and cucs in October. We had summer squash, albeit small, for Christmas. The cucs didn't make it. Mel's freedom in gardening is infectious, isn't it?

When the chard went to seed last summer, we cut it off at the ground. Didn't have time to dig up the roots, yet. Well, it came back! I do believe we have a perennial patch of chard! And it's getting BIGGER! The kale, cabbage and celery also lived to tell about it, and expanded their territory. One celery stalk became four. Last summer's eggplant lived through the winter and is putting out more eggplant as we speak. Oh my! I need some advice from the So. Cal. forum.

I'd love to hear about your experiences and if any of you have "perennial annuals". Not sure what to do now!

Thanks for listening, Hello from So. Cal. 109486

Happy Gardening,
Ellen


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