Garden July 2013

This is how the garden looks now that it has been raining frequently. It is fuller and greener.  There are not many flowers since I keep on trimming some plants.  I do not want them to get out of control like last year.

I started planning a garden makeover.  I started by getting rid of some plants that seed a lot.  I also planted more chaya plants in pots.  I do love eating chaya leaves and I want to start sharing them with neighbors and friends.

I have been researching products and I cannot wait to improve the look of the garden.
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Asi es como se ve mi jardin ahora que estamos en temporada de lluvias.  Todo esta mas verde.  No tengo muchas flores pues he seguido podando las plantas para que no crezcan demasiado pues eso me paso el ano pasado y perdi el control.

Estoy planeando cambiar algunas cosas en el jardin y he estado investigando productos.  Estoy tratando de erradicar las plantas que hacen muchas semillas pues despues tengo que estar arrancandolas para que no invadan el jardin.  Tambien he puesto mas plantas de chaya en macetas.  Me encanta comer las hojas de chaya y espero tener mas plantas para poderlas compartir con mis vecinos y amigos.

 

Pool area in need of makeover

A new plan for the garden

I listened to Michael Pollan's Ted Talk "A Plant's Eye View" and it made me realize I have been doing some things wrong in the garden.  Pollan says that we humans, think we are in control of the plants but that maybe it is the plants that make us do things for them.  After working in the garden for a couple of hours last night, I could not agree more.  I need to make a plan and decide which plants I need or can manage in the garden and get rid of some others.

The first one to go is going to be Potter's Weed.  I knew it was called a weed but it was too prety to pass and the butterflies and bees love it but it is too much work and I do not have the tiem to manage it.  I have hundreds of volunteers in the garden and not enough time to pull them out.  Another thing that I need to manage is the palm trees.  We have had them for 10 years but this is the first year that the seeds are going crazy, sprouting everywhere.  I am going to keep some to try to grow them but I need to put cardboard and much all around the palm trees.  I did not want to spend money on mulch but I might have to.  I have been putting the dead palm leaves on the ground but they do not cover the soil completely and there are still weeds and sprouted seeds.