California - What are you doing this month?

Dedicated mom, kids and gardens!  They make molasses from sorghum, the stalks?

Scorpio Rising wrote:They make molasses from sorghum, the stalks?

So I have heard and read.

Time for you folks in the "Northern California & Coastal Valleys" to start panning for gold.

"Thomas said one hot spot this year will be below the Oroville Dam, because the huge water releases from the spillway could reveal some new pockets of gold."

Full article here ...

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/02/27/storm-runoff-in-california-gold-country-exposing-new-motherlode/

I'm transplanting, today. Purple basil, 4 more ground cherries, lemon balm, bee balm, and amaranth are all up with true leaves. Gonna let them all play outside for a little while this afternoon, then back in their nice warm beds before it gets down into the 30s again, tonight.

My husband and a friend went panning last spring with a man who has all the equipment. After reading TD's post, I told him to get out of his sick bed (cold) and get up there in them their hills!

I plan to post a Google Earth photo of my teeny, tiny back yard as soon as the Host an Image feature works again. Off to fill 16 sq ft of beds.

sanderson wrote:I plan to post a Google Earth photo of my teeny, tiny back yard as soon as the Host an Image feature works again.  Off to fill 16 sq ft of beds.

How fun. I can do the same, but the Google Earth photo is from before we bought the place, so it doesn't show any of our improvements.

countrynaturals wrote:

sanderson wrote:I plan to post a Google Earth photo of my teeny, tiny back yard as soon as the Host an Image feature works again.  Off to fill 16 sq ft of beds.

How fun. I can do the same, but the Google Earth photo is from before we bought the place, so it doesn't show any of our improvements.

I found that Goodle Maps gave a more up to date view than Google Earth.  Google Earth did not show the two SFG beds that I added last Spring.

BTW Host Imaging is working for me.

countrynaturals wrote:

sanderson wrote:I plan to post a Google Earth photo of my teeny, tiny back yard as soon as the Host an Image feature works again.  Off to fill 16 sq ft of beds.

How fun. I can do the same, but the Google Earth photo is from before we bought the place, so it doesn't show any of our improvements.

Street view doesn't even show a house where I am!
Overhead view is from later and has the house, but the view of the garden is blocked by the elm tree canopy.

BeetlesPerSqFt wrote:

countrynaturals wrote:

sanderson wrote:I plan to post a Google Earth photo of my teeny, tiny back yard as soon as the Host an Image feature works again.  Off to fill 16 sq ft of beds.

How fun. I can do the same, but the Google Earth photo is from before we bought the place, so it doesn't show any of our improvements.

Street view doesn't even show a house where I am!
Overhead view is from later and has the house, but the view of the garden is blocked by the elm tree canopy.

I posted mine in "Butterfly Junction." I know what you mean, Beetles. Our last place was under a canopy of huge oak trees. All you could see was green on Google Earth.

trolleydriver wrote:I found that Goodle Maps gave a more up to date view than Google Earth.  Google Earth did not show the two SFG beds that I added last Spring.

BTW Host Imaging is working for me.

Can't find Goodle Maps

Host Imaging is working now.  I wanted to show that it is possible to have a SFG in a tiny back yard.  The lot is 60' across and 100' deep.  As you can see, the front yard and driveway (top / north) and the house (middle) takes up most of the lot.  The gazebo is in the lower left with the orange tree wrapped around it.  The compost pile in under the smaller crepe myrtle next to it.  On the right is the attached white patio cover.  The trees on the south side of the neighbor fence totally block winter sun to 2 of my beds.  One can be clearly seen as a white "L" shape.  The 2' x 8' table top bed which is part of the key-hole set up can be seen just south of the patio cover.  The rest is red brick and now has 3 beds, 2 sweet potato totes and several 5-gallon potato and tomato buckets.  Looking down the left side of the house are the winter squash beds.  Down the right side of the house (public walkway side) are 2 trellised beds and the BTE strip.  The BTE strip looks green in this 2014 shot before we removed all of the star jasmines that grew up and over the fence.  This strip is my neighborhood  show and tell area with plants peeking over the top of the fence.  The SFG and isles now officially take up 1/2 of the back yard!!


TD, if you want to draw/write on the photo with some program, please feel free.

You really know how to make use of space, Sanderson. Amazing! Reminds me of a game I played with my mother when I was a little girl: "I packed my trunk to go to Europe, and in it I put:" We took turns adding things until the list got so long one of us couldn't remember something. Gardening is like that. 

Amazing picture Sanderson - your % of useable ground in minuscule.  I've always known that but seeing it really drives home what a luxury of space I have <3

My husband cut 3 of our 55 gallon barrels in half and we just planted three types of potatoes in them:  Yukon Gold, Red Borland and Adirondack Blue.  We have 3 more large barrels, 2 are going to be strawberry towers and one more for sweet potatoes.  I'm going to also do a deeper barrel with russets which are the type that will keep growing potatoes off the stem as you bury the plant (indeterminate variety)

We're racing to make use of the warmth and sunshine before yet another storm.  We may even have snow here, so I need to make certain my greenhouse is closed up tonight and tomorrow.

sanderson ... that really is amazing what you have done with so limited space. I think the photo and your description tells it all. I don't think drawing/writing on the photo will add anything to what you have already provided.

Wow!  That is amazing!

Thanks all.

Should I start a thread of "bird's eye view of our gardens"? TD and CN have also posted Google (or Goodle) views.

Scorpio Rising wrote:Wow!  That is amazing!

My thought verbatim!

You could start the top view thread, Sanderson. Why not? I tried getting a top view of my place but every time I zoomed closer it turned into a front view. I can't get the camera to stay afloat.

Sanderson, your use of space is remarkable- its "SQG" meets "The Postage Stamp Garden". If you can find the room, pat yourself on the back!

Pat, pat. I started a thread for those who want to post a bird's eye view of their garden space.

+1 on the WOW factor. 
I am amazed at how little yard you have. I guess I have always lived where the lots were all around 1/2 acre.

I have a hard time photographing things in the back yard, because, if I back up, I fall over something! Here, a 1/4 acre lot is over-sized.

Finally warm enough to work out side.  In the 70's for the next 10 days.  All of the winter cole/cabbage family crops are being pulled out.  In 3 weeks I should be setting out the summer/fall crops.  I'm leaving 4 Bright Light Swiss chard in the pepper bed as an experiment.  There is still room for 12 peppers.  I'm also leaving the handful of bolting and flowering Coles that the bees are loving.  All 6 bees plus one bumble bee!  


Removed the rest of the green and colored chard, harvested the near bolting big stalks of cilantro (bees love the flowers so I will leave a few for them), thinned carrots and French Breakfast radishes and harvested many leaves of lettuce.  Now I have to blanch and freeze or dehydrate the harvest.  


For the past couple days I have been juicing (new Juiceman citrus juicer) all of the oranges and freezing.  Twenty (20) cups worth!  Plus some on the counter.  I also dehydrated some orange jest.  

Beautiful harvest.  Look at the size of some of those leaves.

yolos wrote:Beautiful harvest.  Look at the size of some of those leaves.

+1.
I don't dare post what my beds look like right now