A little gardening

It is frustrating trying to establish a garden when I spend so little time in Temecula. Each time I am there, I can imagine harvesting vegetables from my overflowing planters for the meals. Recently, frustrated by all the travelling of the summer and no creative outlet, I planted some vegetables, herbs and fruits in the planting boxes. I just needed to start.... I accepted that I would have a high casualty rate. I look at it as a learning process, finding out what will grow, how to adapt to the climate.

The tomatoes plants took off in the two weeks I was away but not exactly lush growth. Although the whole bed was deeply watered before planting the tomatoes and I had installed drip irrigation at the root zone of each plant, I think the soil is still a bit hydrophobic because it was left dry and unplanted for many months. This means the roots are not spreading out. More deep watering is needed and possible a touch of fertilizer.

I spy a Green Zebra tomato! It is a tasty and sweet tomato ripens to a light yellow with green stripes.

My leafless Japanese Eggplant. My pest in question is the grasshopper. I am not sure what ate part of the eggplant itself. In the background is an Armenian cucumber.

Here's an illustration on why I think part of the bed is still hydrophobic. See how the areas next to the drip lines is wet. The rest of the bed is dry. This is another angle of the bed where the eggplant is. I included a basil plant and a pineapple to occupy the space.

A Pablano Chili Pepper is flowering and fruiting. It is large dark green pepper that is hot but hot fiery. I love roasting it and stuffing it. It is the classic pepper for Chili Relleno.

After the gopher attack on my Navel Orange Tree I have been hesitant to plant in open ground. As a result I have temporarily planted by Blackberry and Boysenberry plant in the planter box.

In this bed I planted mainly herbs. In front- some orange thyme and chives. In the middle- pineapple sage. At the back, I experimented with sunchoke; also called Jerusalem artichoke, a member of the sunflower family. Its roots/tuber is what is eaten. This is the first time I have planted this vegetable.

As you can see, I still have many unplanted planter boxes. On the left planters, I recently sited some of my succulents which are in pots. After leaving my succulent alone for almost 2 years, the rabbits started eating them recently!!

Not only do I have to adjust to the climate but I have to contend with the gophers, the grasshoppers and the rabbit to boot! Life as a amateur farmer is hard