by angela@diggingbliss | Feb 15, 2006 | Uncategorized
Last year was a very weird tomato year for me. I planted heirlooms and hybrids and everything was late to fruit, if they fruited at all. Some of my biggest tomatoes came from a Russian heirloom called ‘Azoychka’, but they mostly failed to ripen until fall and were a bit tart for my taste!
I did feel like we didn’t get as much heat as usual. Those mild days were pleasant, but perhaps not tomato-friendly. Lesson learned? Plant an ‘Early Girl’ just in case. ‘Sungold’ has been good to me too, though I may give ‘SunSugar’ a go because of its reported crack-resistance.
Last summer’s best-tasting and most prolific tomato? A volunteer seedling near where I grew ‘Sungold’ the previous year. It resembled a large red cherry tomato and was super sweet with just a little tang. Yum… and so much for all my planning.
Another disappointment was the size of my ‘Jelly Bean’ grape tomatoes. I pictured tiny and sweet and got big and bland. Almost crunchy.
I’m very interested in seeing what this year brings. More to follow on what varieties I’m gambling on this year…
On a side note, summer of 05′ was a great year for hot peppers in my garden.
by angela@diggingbliss | Feb 15, 2006 | Uncategorized
I’m finally delving into the world of growing my own “fruit shrubs”. The empty bed where I’m planting these trees is a bit undersized according to Dave Wilson Nursery’s spacing suggestions, but I selected dwarf trees and will just do my best with the space I have (or don’t have).
Three trees in one hole, spaced about 18 inches apart:
(Photos from Stark Bros. online catalog)
Spring Satin Plumcot Dwarf
Shiro Plum Dwarf
Redheart Plum Dwarf
And in the same bed, but in its own hole, I’ve planted another ‘Stella’ Cherry.
The trees I ordered came from Stark Bros. and they looked great upon arrival today. I cut the whips to “knee height” according to DWN instructions so branching will be lower– and more accessible– than your typical orchard tree. We’ll see how it goes!
If you have a chance, check out the mature fruit shrub specimens at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. Pretty impressive.
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 25, 2006 | Uncategorized
Ed Pandolfino, SacramentoGardening.com’s bird expert, has been selected by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to help search the Arkansas bayous this March for the newly rediscovered Ivory-billed woodpecker. The search began in October and ends in late April. We’ll report back and let you know how it goes.
In the meantime, check out Cornell’s outstanding info page on this elusive species: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ivory/
Check out the required garb…
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 21, 2006 | Uncategorized
I wanted to let folks know a locally-produced TV pilot called Grassroots Guide to Backyard Living is airing for the first time on KVIE’s ViewFinder on February 1st at 7pm and the following Sunday, February 5th, at 6pm. Yours truly talked a little gardening in it, but the show covers all aspects of backyard living, including cooking in a portable backyard firepit. Check it out!
by angela@diggingbliss | Jan 21, 2006 | Uncategorized
Now that’s a tree house!
The Fab Tree Hab was designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Team H.E.D. [Human Ecology Design]– Mitchell Joachim, Ph.D., Lara Greden, Ph.D. and Javier Arbona, SMArchS.
