Vegetable Gardening 

Gardening requires lots of water—most of it in the form of perspiration

It's March In The Garden Next

We had another mild winter and plenty of sunshine so the plants think it is already spring! We worked the front yard for a couple of days getting it back into shape! We had to get the beds back into shape!

  • We had another mild winter and plenty of sunshine so the plants think it is already spring! We worked the front yard for a couple of days getting it back into shape! We had to get the beds back into shape!

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016

    The other reason we had to work so hard on the garden is that "Tomatomania" is coming to Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar! Tomatomania! kicks off another spring season with an event that's become our source of interesting tomatoes and the largest garden event of the year at Roger's Gardens.

    It opens Friday the 4th and goes three days! We find everything we need to have a perfect season (including over 175 varieties of tomatoes).

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    OK, so we were orsing around

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    A volunteer tomato from last year... It already has small tomatoes on it!
    Last year this tomato grew so large it ended up in the orange tree

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The Artichoke look pretty good! He got new mulch and a good feeding!

    Did You Know? - The artichoke was first developed in Sicily and was known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called the choke one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed artichokes prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round.

    It was not until the early twentieth century that artichokes were grown in the United States. All artichokes commercially grown in the United States are grown in California.

    In 1947, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first Queen of the Artichokes!

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Not ours... Vicky's yellow tree is a real standout

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Swiss Chard is starting to grow    - The plant has numerous monikers,
    including silverbeet, Roman kale, and strawberry spinach.

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Our apple tree is beautiful!

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Blossoms are on two of the three apple types grafted  onto this tree!

    Did You Know? - Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together.  Apple trees are typically propagated by grafting because seeds do not produce true-to-type varieties.

    The top part of the graft is the variety of apple that will produce the fruit and is called the scion. The bottom part is called the rootstock and forms the roots. The choice in rootstock is determined by the special characteristics it offers. Some grafts are done to produce dwarf forms of apple trees; other times it is to take advantage of creating disease-resistant trees.

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The plumb tree is coming out of its dormancy

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard Plumbs will be here soon!   Of every blossom has fruit, we are in trouble!


    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Our new little avocado tree seems to be happy!

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Another 30 days and we will be having potatoes

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Kumquat, plum, and lime down the driveway

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Shelling peas are growing strong

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The fruit trees are loaded with blossoms and fruit!

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The grapefruit tree had hundreds of fruit on it this year!

    Did You Know? - All citrus fruits originated in the Old World, except grapefruit. Grapefruit originated sometime in the late 18th-century in the Caribbean. No one knows for sure, but it is probably a natural mutation of the pomelo and another citrus fruit.

    • Grapefruit are hand-picked, no mechanical harvesting is used.
    • Grapefruit trees can produce for 30-40 years.
    • The United States produced 1.23 million tons of grapefruit in 2006.
    • A Frenchman, Count Odette Phillipe, planted the first grapefruit trees in Florida around Tampa Bay in 1823. Today, Florida produces about 1/3 of the world's grapefruit. (1998).
    • World production of grapefruit is almost 6 million tons, the United States produces over 60% of this total.
    • Some mature grapefruit trees can yield up to 1500 pounds of fruit in a season.
    • The average yield is 350 pounds.

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    Orange juice almost every day!

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The beds are clean up, mulched, and fertilized... Awaiting veggies!
    (Also awaiting Paul's back to feel better)

    March 2016 in the Liles' front yard
    The lemon tree needs to be shortened!

    The Back/Side Yards Are Producing Well!

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The nectarine tree is loaded with blossoms

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Our new apple tree is also loaded with potential apples

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The avacado is loaded with avacados while the fig already has tiny figs on it

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The blueberries are doing just fine

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Come on St. Patrick's Day... We cabbage ready! Savoy Cabbage at that!

    Did You Know? - Despite this rough appearance, the leaves of the savoy cabbage are tender, even when eaten raw. This makes them an ideal choice for salads, vegetable wraps, or as a bed for rice, fish, or other dishes. This in sharp contrast to the leaves of "green" or "red"cabbages, that are hard and rubbery. Their only real use, in the raw state, is in making coleslaw. Even then, the texture can be too tough for many people to enjoy. On the other hand, savoy cabbage can make a tastier, and much more tender coleslaw.

    As a side note, the terms "green" and "red" cabbage, refer to specific types of cabbages. Green cabbage is the typical hard, rubbery cabbage that most people are familiar with. Red cabbage is also fairly common. It is also hard and rubbery, with a slightly bolder flavor, than the green, and is most often used for the color contrast, rather than for the flavor. These are both high in many nutritional factors. Unfortunately, due to their texture and taste, people use them sparingly in their raw state. They become more tender, and less bitter tasting, when cooked, but they lose a lot of nutritional value in the process.

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Open up and let's see what is inside!

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Beautiful!

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    More cauliflower

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The asparagus is popping right out of the ground

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    First of the tomatoes seem to be doing well!

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The kale is beautiful... We made kalechips last week

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Brussel Sprouts have to be watched carefull! The Aphids are always lurking

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Salad anyone?

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    The peas are plumping

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016
    Sue has a small herb garden right outside the kitchen

    March 1st in the Liles garden 2016

  • March 3-6 Was Busy!

    So we are off to Tomatomania at Rogerts Gardens. Welcome to Tomatomania!, not only a must-have link to hundreds of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, but a huge community of enthusiastic fellow tomato lovers and the world's largest (and most fun) tomato seedling sale! It's what the New York Times called, "the tomato freaks' Woodstock," and if you're crazy about tomatoes, this is the event for you!

    Started in the early 90s at Hortus, a trend-setting nursery in Pasadena, California, today Tomatomania! includes classes, sales events, tomato tastings, and impromptu social gatherings at popular nurseries and gardening hotspots from coast to coast.

    Leading the team of tomatomaniacs is Scott Daigre, owner of Powerplant Garden Design based in Ojai, California. A dedicated home gardener, Scott shares his love of digging in the dirt through event appearances, speaking engagements, books, and videos that offer tools and tips for amateur and veteran gardeners alike.

    Tomatomania! events are each unique, with the largest and longest running California sale welcoming thousands of tomato lovers to a three-day extravaganza showcasing more than 300 heirloom and hybrid tomato varieties. Featuring everything from pots and fertilizer to stakes and enthusiastic expert advice, our events are the one-stop shop for growing great-tasting tomatoes in your own backyard. It's a crazy celebration of America's favorite garden vegetable.

     

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    "Look out tomatoes, here we come!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Soon to be full!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    We got there opening morning!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Great fun searching through the tomatoe plants for that special one!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Loaded up!

    Back Home And Planting

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Every tomato has his or her own cage! We use Texas Tomato Cages
    We buy them from a place in Texas at about $35/cage but they last forever!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Readying for the expected rain storms coming  this weekend

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Look quickly... In a few weeks they will be 36 unches tall!
    This little guys is a "Blue Chocolate!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    The fava beans are doing well

    Did You Know? - Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. Along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they are believed to have become part of the eastern Mediterranean diet around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, because they can overwinter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil.

    The broad bean has high plant hardiness; it can withstand harsh and cold climates.[8] Cold tolerance among fava bean cultivars varies, but most varieties winter-kill at temperatures below -9°C (15 °F) and even the most winter-hardy winter-kill at temperatures below -12°C (10 °F). Fava bean grows during cool weather when other vetches and clovers are relatively dormant, but does not tolerate heat well. Unlike most legumes, the broad bean can be grown in soils with high salinity, and a wide range of pH values (4.5–8.3) as well as in clay soil. However, it does prefer to grow in rich loams.

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Cages everywhere!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    We put two tomatoes in the fruit tree garden!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Yes! We have one flower in our garden!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    These guys are looking for a new home!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    The orange trees are loving the water

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    The apple tree is exploding with fruit!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Plums are looking good!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Peas in the front and striong beans in the back!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Here comes the rain!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    We are ready for St Patrick's Day!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Wate beads up on the leaves

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    Looks yummy!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    The brocholi are getting ready

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    We love strawberries!

    March 2016 in the Liles' garden
    It was raining like mad this morning... I did NOT slide the door open die to the wind