The Bloomery

Just a few pics. of the yard in bloom. I finally got my Italian Purple Artichoke seedlings in the ground - They are adorable little things! The tomato, and pepper seedlings are thriving. I need to get some pics. of those when I have some time. People always look at me funny when I tell them that I like to get my tomatoes in the ground by the end of February. Well, here in Zone 9 with the aid of artificial lighting which allows the seedling a six week indoor head start, protective cloches and the right type of seeds, tomatoes can absolutely be augmented to go in to the ground and do well even in the Winter month of February. I must admit though, I did get a slightly late start this year and didn't get them in to the ground until March this year.

Here's my little volunteer sunflower that sprouted right after the holidays and is now in full bloom.

African Daisies in lilac and eggplant are so drought tolerant and easy to grow - They reward me for neglecting them year after year.

My gardening plans are rather ambitious this year - I have added another 250 square feet of garden beds to my existing 700 square feet or so. This gives me almost 1,000 sq. ft. of garden which will supply our household with most of our fresh organic, heirloom produce over the next 9 months or so.