October Planting Guide Southern California

CARROT PLANTING STRIPS ARE A REALLY GREAT IDEA!

BEETS- Home grown are always best when it comes to flavor. The leaves from beets are an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and have higher iron than spinach.

BROCCOLI-  CABBAGE- COLLARDS- 
CARROTS- Seed Tape is a great way to plant carrots… easy and simple.

LETTUCE- Grows the best in the cooler weather.

FAVAS – KALE – LEEKS – PARSLEY

RADISH- Try 'Rainbow Radish' 

SPINACH- SWISS CHARD -WINTER ZUCCHINI

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FLOWERS TO PLANT IN OCTOBER
Cornflower - Butterfly Flower - Marigold - California Poppy - Candytuft - Carnation - Flax - Foxglove - Larkspur - Lupine - Nemesia - Nephophila - Pansy - Petunia - Phlox - Pincushion Flower - Poppy - Primrose - Snapdragon - Stock - Sweet Pea - Verbena - Viola - Wallflower

Heirloom Radishes: Watermelon

This is a great all year round fun garnish/vegetable to grow in your garden. Very fast turn around time from sowing the seeds to eating at your table. These watermelon radishes are truly beautiful when sliced and tasty too. I grow these often and love the results.

Radishes are a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. A great dietary fiber and also high in Vitamin C. Ideal planting time in Southern California is July- August. I plant these through October in my raised beds.

June Garden Planting Guide

GARDEN PLANTING GUIDE FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE *SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA*

SUGAR BABY WATERMELON

BEANS- Bush and Pole Types, 

BEETS

CANTALOUPE

CORN

CUCUMBER

LIMA BEANS

OKRA

PEPPERS

PUMPKIN

RADISH

SUMMER SQUASH

SUNFLOWER

SWISS CHARD

TOMATOES

WATERMELON

MY FIRST CUCUMBER THIS SEASON WITH MANY MORE ON THE WAY

Sunflower Heirloom Seeds

This is a great time to start planting Sunflowers for summer blooms. Choosing to plant sunflowers of any height and variety gives the garden a beautiful summer ambiance.  Sunflowers have long been used as a food and oil supply for cooking, but their beauty makes their value that much more special. The Sunflower symbolizes happiness, longevity, warmth and beauty. A great garden flower!

6-8 foot sunflowers peek over the fence line

small size sunflower for floral display

late summer sunflowers used in a fall display last year

One of my favorite sunflowers- from Renee's Seeds

Dahlia Planting Time

Adding more flowers to my garden this year next to my tomatoes and around my herb garden has been very rewarding. If you have not tried Dahlias I highly recommend them! There’s still time to plant them before the summer heat sets in and I promise you will love the sturdiness and beauty of this amazing flower.

The photos below are the Sky Angel Purple Dahlia

Simple Care Guide for Growing and Caring for Dahlias:

→ Plant Dahlias in April and May with morning sun exposure and at least 6 hours of sunshine per day.

→ Plant 4-6″ Deep and 18″ apart. Do not water right away. Less water is better until sprouts have appeared. Since these flowers are planted in April and May the natural rainfall should suffice.

→ Use stakes for tall growing Dahlias over 3 feet.

→ I grow these in my vegetable garden since they both require the same type of fertilizer such as 5-10-10.

→ Dahlia bulbs are tubers. The dahlia plant can mature for years without benefit of seed or spores. To sprout the next season, each tuber must have one eye. This makes a great cut flower.

MAY PLANTING GUIDE: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

VEGETABLES TO PLANT IN THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY:

 

BEANS: Bush and Pole
BEETS- these can be bought in seed strips which makes planting very easy
CANTALOPE- yummy
CARROTS- you can buy carrot strips for easy planting
CORN- a fun garden plant for kids
CUCUMBER- try patio snackers variety
EGGPLANT- a great purple color in the garden- try the Nadia Eggplant 
LIMA BEANS- only if you have to- do southern californians really eat Lima Beans?
OKRA- do you think Oprah likes Okra?
PEPPERS- I typically will get peppers as plants vs. seeds
PUMPKIN - try Carriage Pumpkins
RADISH- try rainbow radishes
SQUASH- winter and summer can be planted now
SUNFLOWERS- from miniature to 8 foot tall growers- they are all amazing
SWISS CHARD- easy to grow and beautiful colors
TOMATOES- I grow yellow pear and cherry tomatoes every year + roma and heirloom
WATERMELON- sugar baby is a great small melon for backyard gardener

COMPANION PLANTING- TRY GROUPING TOGETHER THESE COMBINATIONS:
Why companion plant? 
* It helps and improves plant growth by enriching the soil. 
* Plants help eachother grow by placing tall plants next to smaller plants that need shade.
* It can help with pest problems with the aromatic scents of marigolds and other herbs.
* Attract the good insects "beneficial" insects- plant attracting pollinators!

BEANS - RADISH - SUNFLOWER- EGGPLANT- ROSEMARY

TOMATO- BASIL- CARROT- PARSLEY

CUCUMBER- PEA - SUNFLOWER- MARIGOLD- RADISH- CARROT

SAGE - THYME - TOMATO - BASIL- DILL- MARIGOLD- LETTUCE

Check out these Heirloom Seeds on ETSY that looked interesting. Sunflowers and all types of seeds


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Borage in the Garden

Borage: An aromatic herb with beautiful blue flowers. Blossoms are edible and the young leaves of a borage plant can be used in salads, or use the same as cabbage. Blossoms can also be dried or used fresh as a garnish, in ice cubes, cake decorating, cocktails, or candied. They can also be used in potpourri. Borage is rich in minerals and potassium and can be used in soups and stews, cooked or raw.

I harvested a huge amount of Borage last weekend and dried the flowers and saved them for many future uses. These photos below are from my raised planters.

Planter Bed full of Borage

Blue Borage Flower- these look great in ice cubes

Bee on Borage Flower

Set up for Drying with MicroFleur Microwave Flower Press

MicroFleur product for drying herbs and flowers

All Done- Dried and Stored for future use
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APRIL GARDEN PLANTING GUIDE

VEGETABLE PLANTING GUIDE: Southern California

Pumpkin

Carrot

Corn 

Tomato

Bush and Pole Beans

Radish

Beets

Cantaloupe

Cucumber

Eggplant

Jicama

Okra

Peppers

Summer and Winter Squash

Sunflowers

Tomato

Watermelon

TIME TO PLANT ZINNIAS and DAHLIAS

DAHLIA

FLOWER PLANTING GUIDE:

African Daisy, Marigold, Alyssum, Aster, Baby's Breath, Cornflower, Bellfower, Bells of Ireland, Blanket Flower, Butterfly Flower, Calendula, CA Desert Bluebells, Carnation, Chinese Forget-me-not, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, Cosmos, Dahlia, Floss Flower, Morning Glory, Passion Vine, Petunia, Phlox, Sage, Verbena, Viola, Zinnia

Pinterest Flower Photos

RAINBOW RADISHES

DIY PLANT TAGS

For small and large plant tags use a variety of tile sizes with either a flat or glossy finish. Below photos are small travertine tiles. This is a great idea for labeling plants, re-purposing tiles and a great gift idea for your gardening friends. 
Materials:  Small Tiles, Flat Floral Marble, Wire, Hard as Nails Glue, Sharpee Pen, Acrylic Paint. Use a backing wire that is heavy enough for selected tile size. For larger tiles use a wooden dowel.

Thank you to Roberta for a great gift!
PINTEREST DIY 

Individual and Larger Photos Next Page "See More"...

Succulents for Retaining Walls and Borders

Succulents are the quintessential plant for borders or retaining walls as they require very little water. Similar to cactus, succulents are able to store water and planting them in cactus mix helps create the perfect soil environment for easy drainage. Group them closely together and mix in rocks for better growth and showy display. Photos below: front yard planter/retaining wall.

 more succulent photos- "see more"...