We’ve had temps down in the 40’s the last few nights, so with that other than the kale and romaine that we hope to keep going under a cloche all winter, …our 2023 gardening season comes to a close. Our summer crops have been done for weeks, we’ve slowly been cleaning out the beds and planters. We brought our potted meyer lemon and kumquat trees inside the other day. Our pawpaw trees dropped their entire payload seemingly overnight, so we’ve been eating a lot of pawpaw this week.
Any dahlia growers? I have a large container that I grew dahlia tubers in. This is the 2nd year and last year I just left them in the planter. I decided this year I’d pull them and store them so I could use the planter this winter for something else. The plants bloomed and died off but suddenly it seems that many of them are having a 2nd “wind”. Leaves and new stems are growing. I’ve got two differing thoughts,one to just left it go and see what happens, option 2 would be to cut back the growth and pull the tubers out. Not sure what the best approach is. I’m in central coastal area of Ca so not worried about leaving them in the ground.
I don’t know the answer… but depending how many you have you could do half and half - fit and pull some and leave others in the ground. Gardening IS basically a science experiment!
Now that it’s not a million degrees at my house, everything in the garden is waking up. Gary the gopher is still alive and well and continues to eat my vetiver grass. I transplanted some cacti from my mother-in-law’s house this morning. And planted a Santa Rita prickly pear that I’d previously bought at a nursery. When the weather gets cold in the winter, it turns purple! Pretty cool. I’m hoping that Gary doesn’t like prickly pear.
I bought this lemon on sale at HD. It did not look healthy so I trimmed it, gave it some food, and kept it on the porch hoping it would spring back to life. Unfortunately, I forgot it on the porch, and the frost got it! I was about to dump it in the compost pile, but noticed that there were some signs of life… the lemon sprang back! And even bloomed! And now we have lemons. It a survivor tree!
Reminds me that I meant to post about seeing garden (including some poison plants) at Marksburg castle. Viking river cruises have an included fee tour everyday, but I opted to do this extra excursion. The garden was an unexpected bonus. Medieval Kitchen and Herb Garden - Marksburg Castle, Braubach Germany
Hubby made this jam from garden huckleberry plants. It was my first time growing, and I’d read all these warnings about how it was impossible to get anything good from them - these are not like the native huckleberry bushes. But the jam tastes great!
Finally bought a verawood tree today! I’ve been jones’ing for one for 5 years. I still need to find a spot to plant it in the backyard. Am very excited! It gets covered in yellow flowers in the spring.
The bamboo on the side of the house that butts up against Nosy Neighbor’s property is sending up new shoots, which is awesome, because it means more privacy screening from her prying eyes.
The luffa vine is still growing! And still producing new baby luffas.
Harvested some lemon grass yesterday. I love how it smells.
Oh, you can! But it’s a thug
I grew it successfully one year in NE PA. Then I had all these luffas that I harvested, and stripped the exterior and saved the seeds inside the luffa and … nobody in my family would use them. (I can’t b/c exfoliating things do a number on my skin.)
So that was a waste.
I haven’t grown them since, but it sure was fun.
Here’s my bible for growing luffa. She’s in Canada and everything she says is true. (She’s also very funny!)
OMG I will check this out! My daughter buys it for me at her farmer’s market. I’d have to figure out how much a plant or two produces - I think they last awhile even stored - I love having mine in the shower.
sprang back! And even bloomed! And now we have lemons. 
