I am jealous! We are still in the middle of winter here in Northern California. I have planted a few strawberry plants and nasturtiums. That's it! Anxiously awaiting warmer weather.

Do you have pictures?

Janna

Soggy - boy does Annie have pictures...!!! Breathtaking gardens. I'm trying to convince her to swing over to the Cottage garden forum and show off her gardens.

Edna

Thanks Edna.

Actually, I have been to the Cottage Garden Forum. . .and did some posting there. I have contributed my two cents worth. I am not into the current gardening trends and interpretations. I like the old time ways myself. How dare I!

There may be some there (and on here) who do not like me, that seems a bit obvious, although I am not sure why. I suppose my California 'attitude' comes across as "Know it all Annie", is my guess. I don't feel like that at all.
I just always have a lot to say about everything, but I hope that what I share is of interest or is helpful to others. I hope my successes & mistakes will benefit others.

I realized a long time ago that the more I learned in life, the more I found that I didn't know so much. I am a very curious person. I am constantly wanting to learn more. I have learned a great deal from folks on the GW. I am sorry if I come across as a know it all.

Gardening is not a new hobby for me. It has been a life-long pursuit and education. I have a lot of life experiences and have learned some things along that old road because I think life has been such an awesome trip! I enjoy swapping plants and experiences and information with others.

It's such a beautiful day here today. Reminds me of home when it's like this. I call days like this "Fallbrook weather". Makes me homesick. I miss 9 months of gardening. I miss the Pacific ocean and the Santa Margarita river and the sage-covered foothills strewn with huge granite boulders. I miss "the purple mountains majesty" and the deserts in bloom. I wish this weather could last, but I will enjoy it while I can!

Have a great day.
~SweetAnnie4u

Update:

I took advantage of this "break" in winter weather and put some lettuce (romaine), chives and parsley in. I thinkall of these will do fine in the cold. I'm travelling down to my folks house next week (so cal), and I think I'll buy all my veggies down there where there's sure to be a better selection than what we've got around here with all of this rain!

Annie,

You seem pretty "sweet" to me. I try to leave my judgement hat in the closet especially online where words and the spirit behind them can often become lost in translation.
Where can I view your pictures?

Janna

Thanks Janna.

Here's the LINK to my website. My Potager = French Kitchen Garden is in the Vegetable Garden folder there.

Tornadoes here today and on the dry line side (west) wind gusts up to 50 MPH are kicking up dust and fueling the grassfires in the dry, western half of the state. The smoke plumes are so large and so dense that they are visible via satelite images - look like clouds. Started out such a pleasant day and now this. Can't complain as the worst part is not coming through my area. I fear all states north and east of Okie, like Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri and probably Iowa and on up into the other Midwestern states are going to received some really rough storms tonight. Anyone in those areas needs to be on the alert and take precautions.

SweetAnnie4u

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Gardens and Home

Thanks Janna.

Here's the LINK to my website. My Potager = French Kitchen Garden is in the Vegetable Garden folder there.

Tornadoes here today and on the dry line side (west) wind gusts up to 50 MPH are kicking up dust and fueling the grassfires in the dry, western half of the state. The smoke plumes are so large and so dense that they are visible via satelite images - look like clouds. Started out such a pleasant day and now this. Can't complain as the worst part is not coming through my area. I fear all states north and east of Okie, like Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri and probably Iowa and on up into the other Midwestern states are going to received some really rough storms tonight. Anyone in those areas needs to be on the alert and take precautions.

SweetAnnie4u

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Gardens and Home

Annie, I am suprised you felt that people on the Cottage Garden thread "didn't like you"! My goodness, they are the friendliest and most accepting bunch.
Old fashioned is usually just fine, and we have so many people from California posting there.

Your Potager sounds wonderful. So many delectable choices!!
I finally finished the three potager beds I was making. Their "paths" are not done, but the structures are and I began planting. We grow a lot of vegetables at our church greenhouse, and I have several tomatoes: brandywine, green zebra, a white of some type, and yellow perfection. I planted 6 winter density lettuce, and will put in more lettuces, tiny hot pepper, a purple tomatillo, 4 different types of bunching onions (sent to me from someone who used to be on the cottage garden forum)...tomorrow I am planting bush beans, yardlong beans, two greek basil, malabar spinach...and I don't even know what else!! I haven't much looked at my veg seeds for this year...and there is more/will be more plants at church I'll want...

GGG

GGG,

Hehehe. . .you sound like me! I love to grow things, and though I tell myself that "THIS year, you are down-sizing your gardens and you are definitely NOT planting so much", but I end up doing it anyway. It's just pitiful.
Well, it's the darned garden center's fault. Evil WalMart. That's it. It's WalMart's fault. (hehehe)
They only sell their tomatoes, peppers, and everything else in those 6 packs or even 9 packs! I only need two or three plants, but I have to buy 6, and I can't just throw the others away, now can I? Poor things. Most certainly not!!!
So, I plant them all and they all live, of course, and thrive and I end up with a humongous garden or three. Ugh.
My veggie seed box is now two boxes and a tote bag. Good grief.
I have never grown the Malabar spinache. Is it really as good tasting as real spinache? There is a lot of hype about it in magazines. I might try growing it if it really tastes the same.

Aha, well, no "evil wal-mart" buying here. I AM the garden center around here - between my own plant sales and our church greenhouse, I can grow everything and anything I want from seed, cutting etc.
That just may be worse....

GGG

GGG,
I have been growing all my plants (and my parent's plants and selling the surplus) every year, too, but this year I couldn't find my usual potting soil, so bought something else to use. Bad pie! It was terrible stuff! It was very frustrating to say the least. I replanted a few things last week in different soil and they are already up and bigger than what I sowed in January in that other stuff! Phooey!
So, as a last resort, I went to Wally World to get some early harvest tomato plants (Determinate 70 days. I want to have some tomatoes ready to eat in time for Independence Day weekend. My heirloom tomatoes (Indeterminate 80-90 days) that I just re-planted last week should grow fast once I get them out in the garden. They will take me through the rest of the summer clear to frost.
I just hope we don't get some bizarre late freeze or snow storm and ruin everything. It has been a really strange winter this year.

~SweetAnnie4u

Annie - Fallbrook Calif? I grew up in Santee. My best friend lives in Ramona. I can't image anyone not liking you. I have that ol' fashioned flare...doesn't fit in well in northern Calif where everyone is so trendy. I march to the beat of a different drum I guess ;-)

Well, it's been raining like crazy here but when the sun peeks through I run out and plant seeds a bit at a time. So far I've managed to sow-spring onions, yellow onions, thai peppers, cilantro, garlic cloves, babies breath, threw in some marigolds and petunias, nasterium, bronze fennel, spinach, mesclun mix. I've started heirloom and cherry tomato seeds indoor. This is my first time growing veggies from seed...the mesclun and garlic is the only thing that's emerged so far.

Edna

Hi Edna.

Yes, Fallbrook, California.
I'm a 5th generation Calif. girl, and third generation Fallbrook native. My brothers still live out there and all of my Mother's family still live in North County or near there. It was just a small agricultural/dry-farming community when I was growing up there. Still called the avocado capitol of the world, but it isn't a 'town' or 'village' anymore, and if they keep building those huge houses, there won't be any farmland left!
I'm 'old Californian'...pioneer stock and proud of it, and like the old ways best.
So, do you live near Soggy? She seems to be a sweet little gal. She seems to be the genuine article and not pretentious one bit.

Annie

Hi Annie! I like you, I really, really like you!!! : ) I enjoy your posts here and elsewhere. You have a lot to share and knowledge is a good thing, imho. I'm the curious type, as well, so I'm always interested in what others have discovered about gardening. So bring it on!

I'm another So.Ca. native who also tends to have a more "narrow" definition of cottage. : ) But I've made lots of friends on that forum and the camaraderie is so great, I just keep (most) of my opinions to myself. Many may not "cottage" garden to my definition, but I'm thrilled they are trying to beautify their corner of the gardening world in whatever way they can.

Like Janna stated, things get lost in translation (see an earlier post of mine on this forum - lol!), people have bad days, and some folks just forget where they put their sense of humor. Me, I'm all about helping and sharing, and could do without the B&C-ing. ; )

Back on topic, I have quite a few things seeded but I usually wait until May to set most warm season seedlings out in the potager. I am on the northern side of the San Gabriel Mtns. where it is much cooler than the southland. We had snow three times last week and may get a bit more this week. It doesn't last long this time of year, but still gets too cold for young seedlings. I need a greenhouse!

All your plantings sound lovely. I will be looking forward to your pics. AND POSTS! See the link below for a little So.Ca. native color. : )

Go Angels!!!
Diana

Here is a link that might be useful:

Seems like seeds are not the only things we're sowing on this thread!

Annie, Edna and I must live fairly nearby, I'm in El Dorado Hills, way up by the Cameron Park/Rescue border. And I,too, am a socal gal! We moved up four years ago from Orange County, I was born and raised in LA County. I love northern Cal, but miss family and friends desperately. I have found it's much harder to make true friends at my age, not sure why. I guess having four kids to keep me busy and moving makes it hard to ever even finish a conversation!

Our trip down south was cancelled cuz my parents are both sick. Diana, my dad actually skipped the game last night, which tells me how crummy he feels. The biggest bummer is that we won't be able to go down now until August due to softball, baseball and swim team schedules. Oh, and I won't be able to buy my veggies at Blue Hills, my favorite socal nursery!

Diana,

Thanks for the LINK. I Love it!
I bet you see Coyotes and Puma up there! Maybe even Condors??? I've been all over those mountains before there were houses. The valley floor was just desert. I really like your pretty yard. Great view from up there. Do you get earthquakes?
Love your choice of flowers and textures and the rainbow of bright colors. Many are among my favorites, too! I love Sweet Allysum. Sweet Allysum is cheerful and smells so sweet. I've grown the purple and white and love them. I found two colors I want to plant this year - gold and strawberry.

The purple allysum looks great with your Calif. poppies. I sure like that Peppermint Lace Crepe Myrtle. Gorgeous! I love the California Poppies! I am growing some too. They haven't bloomed yet.

I like the white rock along your flowerbeds and how that matches the white picket fence and pergola and your tree trunks. (ROCKS Rule!) I like how you have lots of plants jammed into the beds so no dirt shows. Awesome!

Love your white Japanese Pergola. That's how mine was supposed to look. (ha, ha) My oldest son and I built mine. Neither of us knew how to built one. I have that same red violet mum. Beautiful color. I like the smell of chrysanthemums. Most people don't. but I do.

Mmmmm, and the white Cosmos. Beautimous!
Is your Potager inside that white picket fence area? That is so pretty. Looks like an old-time yard and gardens. Love it.

Oooooh...the last photo - fall2005 is just lovely! I see you have a blue cat too. I have two - Babie and Mai Ling. The colors are an artists palette, with the mum, the red rose, the deep blue salvia and the fuschia pink Salvia Greggii. Just lovely! (I'm still looking at your photos)

I hope to plant about ten or more varieties of salvias this summer (hope they grow for me!). A sweet lady in California sent me a gob of seeds. I have dry, sandy soil and have had great success with salvias and sages so far.

Thanks for sharing.

~ Annie

Annie, can you get to Lowes? Their jungle Grow potting soil is yumalicious!! They have many kinds. I sow seeds in their plain old potting soil, then I pot my seedlings & larger plants up in a mixture of shredded pinebark (this is CHEAP!) and the Jungle Grow flower and vegetable soil. You get a big bag for $5.50 or so. This is organic and the least expensive of any brand. I have had more success with it than anything else I've ever used, including expensive professional stuff from the growers store.

I'm planting veggie seeds today, directly in the soil. I have clear plastic cake covers I"m going to just lay on top of the area, so that the soil heats up faster and things like beans, malabar spinach etc. get going more quickly. I planted potatoes on Saturday.

Does it miff you folks about "seed potatoes?" I just grab a potato from the bag, or the farmers market that has lots of eye spots and cut that up for a "seed potato". I don't need a bag of 100 seed potatoes, just one. Tonight I'm going to get some garlic to plant from the farmers market too...

GGG

I discovered this site about a month ago & was immediately taken w/the generous spirit of everyone involved. I have to say though, I am jealous of the calif gardeners. We still creep below freezing at night & the most I have now is a sign of rhubarb & peonies peeking up from the ground. This is my 3rd year in my house, so I have many plans for my garden. This year I will add several raised beds for potager. I decided on raised because I like the way they look & am tired of fighting the grass in my garden. Does anyone have recommendations for the best material to make the beds with?

Jennybird, where are you located (state?). Your profile doesn't say, and the whole raised bed materials thingy is different all over.

A friend in Texas uses cement block. I use wood fence slats or stacked rocks with old pieces of concrete stacked in, you can get el-cheapo landscape timbers from Wal-Mart, in California redwood and cedar are useful...

See, it depends!

GGG

I don't have much info in my profile, haven't figured out yet how to update. I am in Sioux Falls, SD. We had a mild winter until Feb, then had cold & snow. We have had a chilly spring so far. I have a hard time waiting to purchase bedding plants, and usually have a kitchen full until it is warm enough to plant outside. So far this year I have resisted. GGG, I didn't even think to look at Walmart for landscape timber. My mom & dad are here for the week, so will take my dad w/me to look at materials, and pick his brain. His garden is always huge & beautiful.

GGG,

I do the same thing - I will not buy those dried up, sulfur-coated seed potatoes. I buy one of those small bags of Red Pontiac potatoes in the produce section, cut the spuds into four pieces so each has some eyes, and plant them in hay-lined trenches. (I use the chicken litter hay). Then I cover the tators with more hay and heap up the dirt deeply over them into mounded rows. Last year, from one tiny 2 lb. bag, I got over 50 lbs of lovely, delicious red potatoes that taste like a potato! I planted marigolds around the bed and didn't have any potato bugs. I saw two fly in and dip down, then fly off. Guess they didn't like my stinky marigolds.

Trying to decide whether to plant some again this year. I usually plant them early on St. Patty's Day every year. Was too sick this year and cripped up to do much digging.

One of the nice things about raised beds is not having to re-dig or cultivate the growing beds every year, except to remove invasive bermuda grass (Boo Hisss - Devil Grass!).

The wind is fierce here in Oklahoma today, but it is cloudy and cooler, so I decided it was a good day to plant out some of the tomatoes and pepper plants.

I am planning a trip to SoCal in a few weeks to see family, Then from there, on up to the high, High Sierras to see my "mountain man" oldest brother (aka Jedadiah Johnson - jk), and then on up to Placer county in the mountains there to see my older "G. I. Bro." (hehehe) What an eclectic family!
Would be great to meet you SoCal gals for lunch. That probably would not work out with you guys, Janna, Edna, & Diana, but it would be a blast if we could!

The Chimney Swifts returned yesterday from South America where they winter!!! When they show up, it is always a cloudy day, but I know it is safe to set out my herbs and tomatoes. The Swifts come in at jet speed and dip down low over my head - Swooosh! They leave a wake of air that blows my hair about. They are letting me know they have come home for the summer to nest in my chimney. Then, Zip! Up they fly high into the air over my house, circling and tweatering and gobbling up flying insects like crazy. They tweater constantly while hunting in flight. It sounds very much like the squeaky sounds of bats and the design of their wings and the rapid beating makes them even resemble bats. The sounds they make helps them locate insects, and signals the others where the insects are located. Incredible to watch. At dusk, they come swooping down and dive right into the opening of the chimney at frightening speed. It is an amazing show! I feel blessed that they choose my home to come to every Spring to nest in the chimney and raise their young. I am grateful that I was taught to hold all nature as sacred and to see its true beauty and splendor.

Hasta luego! Have a good one!
~Annie

I think the wal-mart landscape timbers will suit you fine in South Dakota. I'm sure you do not have the termite problems we have here :)
If you need to, you can stack them, drill holes in them and hammer in rebar to keep them in place. El Cheapola.

Enjoy your trip Annie, I'm jealous you are going to California! I will go next year and plan to meet up with dear GW friends. Edna lives not far from a friend, and not far from Annie's Annuals!!!

I was also crippled up in March, had just had an operation. Now I"m on frantic gardening mode. It feels good!

I want to plant garlic!

GGG

Jennybird, welcome. You are in my area. I am in NW IA about an hour from Sioux Falls. My son lives there and it is where we shop. Maybe we can meet sometime.

Michelle

GGG, thanks again for the info, I hadn't thought of the rebar to hold the timbers together. We finally have sunshine & some heat, it feels so good!!! Michelle, nice to hear from someone local, it would be great to meet sometime!!! Do you have anything coming up yet?

Jenny

Jenny, I have lots coming up. With all the recent rain and now the heat, things will really pop. I have crocus and iris reticulata blooming. I haven't worked on my potager at all yet because its just been too wet.

Michelle