Monday, March 28, 2011

A new purpose, a new garden

Not that I expect anyone even checks here anymore...But

This poor long neglected blog has just been repurposed. It is now my gardening journal. I'm sure this will still include several dozen pictures of the (not so little one) but it will also include boring details about planting, caring for, and trying desperately not to kill plants here in the low desert of Arizona.

Today I braved my first step. Six plants in a very small, rather simple 'garden' as a preliminary garden. The kind that will let me learn.

I started by purchasing a book about growing plants in Arizona, "Month by Month Gardening in the desert of Arizona" by Mary Irish. Decided to start with a few annuals, because, well, they were gonna die anyway, the goal was to see how long I could keep 'em alive until then.

I decided on two - the firewheel and zinnias. And I was gonna get some Basil to make a go of it. I desperately want fresh basil, and it is a pain to acquire at my local grocer. Time to grow it.

Went to Lowe's in a search for plants, sprinkler accoutrement and compost. They had neither of the type of flowers I was looking for. So I punted. Two pots of African Daisies, two pots of Cuphea (a perennial shrub, see link below), a basil plant, and, because the little one said, "I want mint" a peppermint plant. Plus some sprinkler pieces to extend the drip line from the citrus trees and a big ole bag of composted mulch. (I bought Miracle Grow garden soil at Sam's the day before.)

Long story short, dug between 6 and 8 inches down into the hard ground, mixed in some garden soil whilst removing rocks (lots and lots of rocks) planted each plant in to the level it was planted in the pot, set up the sprinkler heads to water each set of roots fairly well, and mulched the whole thing. And man am I sore. Now I wait and see what happens next.

Some salient details

African Daisies, annual, full sun
Cuphea, perennial shrub, full sun - one got put alongside 'the rock' which may not get quite full sun until it's a bit bigger, but we'll see
Basil, which variety I don't recall off hand at the moment, full sun, annual
and peppermint, full sun, planted alongside 'the rock' as well.

Watering schedule is currently every 5 days for half an hour. Drip line has two spouts for the bed, and I think they are set to about 2 gallons an hour each. Probably a little more.

Pictures coming tomorrow, because of course I discovered our camera was dead today. So I got a few with my phone...which are still on my phone.