The Ojai Garden

The Cooper's Hawks returned to the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden this week.They have been busy building a nest…and hunting. Photos by Les Dublin.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 06:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | author bio

Over 35 people came to the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden today, to learn about plant propagation from local horticulturist and arborist Michael Inaba.Mike donned a lab coat and goggles to model the correct attire for serious plant propagation. He brought several plants, such as this autumn-blooming anemone, to illustrate how plants propagate in nature,and demonstrated how to divide plants, such as irises.After questions, workshop participants had a chance to recycle newspaper by forming it into small pots perfect for germinating seeds or rooting cuttings. Participants then enjoyed an informative walk in the garden, and many went home with a gift — Bee's Bliss sage cuttings with roots, ready to plant at home. Photos by Les Dublin.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | author bio

and a thousand other of our beloved relations ...

have been our close companions this week, as I have been rebuilding bed after bed in our garden, after the winter storm destruction, and for planting our spring and summer repertoire of greens and produce.

lizard sat on my hand for a few minutes today as I toured the garden terraces, lulled into a stupor by the cold afternoon.

the 1st photograph, after dusk, is of small Kakashi guarding over our new spinach bed at the bottom of the garden. the lower photograph is of large Kakashi, during the last afternoon light, overlooking the progress on the reworking of the top end of the garden.

behind the spinach bed is a newly row of Japanese Dikon, and to the side is a newly seeded bed of lettuce. all on the end of a strawberry bed which I deepened with the addition of a 2nd young tree Eucalyptus tree trunk, brought down in the winter winds. [and the addition of five wheelbarrows of new soil.] and a pleasant surprise, a dozen young Jelly-Palm trees sprouting in the strawberry bed ... from a couple hundred palm-fruit I seeded some eight or nine months ago. hopefully there will be several dozen baby Jelly Palms to transplant to pots in a few weeks ... all looking for new homes in the Valley of Goddess Moon!

above that first garden terrace is the 2nd West terrace ... which I extended with another 'treefall' this week ... and it is full of several varieties of coloured sweet peppers, some newly-seeded and some survived through the winter ... and loads of annual and perennial flower seeds spread about.

the third West Terrace is similarly-broadcast with flower seeds, and is planted with the seeds from eight of our preserved summer squash varieties from last year. [which we allowed to grow large on the vines for generating seed for this year.]

the fourth West Terrace is seeded with Nasturtiums, and half-full of mature Red Russian Kale, and some volunteer Fava beans ... and will be seeded with many more beans this week.

the fifth West Terrace is our largest, and filled with our winter-greens mainstay -- Arugula, Chinese Broccoli, Lettuce and Mustard Greens. Not much lettuce or broccoli, but 'tons' of mustard greens.

a 'Western Addition' (courtesy another treefall) has been added to the fifth Terrace, where it will merge with the end of the sixth Terrace -- where I will shortly seed it with a variety of winter squashes ... including Butternut Squash, Orange and Green Kabochas, and a couple of LARGE varieties.

the main portion of the sixth Terrace has a mix of Korean Dikon -- which we planted to produce seedstock for future larger plantings -- and Black Dinosaur Kale, and a mix of Fava beans, Arugula, Red Russian Kale, Garlic, Onions, and young Collard trees.

the seventh Terrace is half-full of Collard Trees, and remainders of Basil, Fava Beans, Dill, and Calendula. half of it will be remade this week into cucumber and tomato beds. [we will skip the melon-beds this year -- the gopher 'family' and the skunks make short work of them ...]

the Eight Terrace may be more peas and beans, and eggplant. [currently it is a warm up-slope sunny holding-place for fourteen young Guava trees in five-gallon pots ... thirteen of them happily wintered, the 14th blown over and broken in half ... yet recovering.]

above the eight Terrace is another long bed of Strawberries, and above it two young dwarf Black Mission Fig trees. further to the West is a Goji (Wolf) Berry ... and East of the Strawberries is a Golden Cherry (Peruvian Ground Cherry) with a good-sized bed underneath where about a hundred of its fruit from last year were just planted in hopes of many many new seedlings to arrive with the spring. [similarly we have a dozen or so Goji Berries a half-foot high in pots, hopefully to fill out large pots this spring/summer.]

above the Golden Cherry is a strawberry Guava in the ground, and proceeding East there are six more Strawberry Guavas -- red and yellow varieties -- plus two well-established Chokos (Chayotes) and a VERY large volunteer tomato which grew right through the winter high up on the slope. [lots more large limbs from treefalls recently added to shore up the hillside under the Guavas and Chokos.]

in the East End of the garden is another large Strawberry bed, now spreading widely up and down the slope ... and beneath it another large bed of Collard Trees, and Swiss Chard. this terrace, just 'fattenned' this week with a large trunk from a treefall, also marks the home in the rock formation above, of Squirrel-Chan -- who moved in a few months ago and just LOVES chard leaves. hence, yesterday I brought in lots more soil for the bed and planted a couple hundred chard seeds there to try and keep ahead of the 'feasting' ...

beneath the Chard/Collard bed is our main Dinosaur Kale bed, and beneath it are two long and shallow terraces of mustard greens, Chinese Broccoli, Chard and Japanese Dikon.

at the furthest East End is another bed of Strawberries, elegantly perched on the sandstone bedrock behind a beautiful trunk from a fallen Willow tree.

it marks the entrance to our hillside garden, walkway carved out of the sandstone bedrock, and winding and meandering between and around all the terraces,

wild Jerusalem Crickets (Earwigs and Pillbugs) and the
occasional Millipede 'policing' ..

Millennium Twain

here's our garden slide show from nearly a year ago, only two months old -- imagine it now with ten times the plants and foliage -- and artistry of tree limbs and trunks holding it on the hill.

http://www.slide.com/r/KIUYHsaa1D95-qIcPIFuwKjOV-RBflvY

time for us to compose another slide show!

(and host another season of garden potluck gatherings ...)

..

Posted by Millennium Twain at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | author bio

Come learn all about plant propagating techniques at this free, hands-on workshop on Saturday, February 23, at 10:00 A.M.! Learn how to start seeds like a pro, and how to multiply your existing plants using cuttings, division, layering and more, with expert horticulturist Michael Inaba.The workshop will take place rain or shine in the Ojai Community Demonstration Garden, 401 South Ventura St., behind Ojai City Hall.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | author bio

There are several varieties of drought tolerant native gooseberries (Ribes spp.). This one has a flower that resembles a fuschia.Its blooms are a welcome addition to the winter garden. Photo by Les Dublin

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | author bio

Over 20 people came to the Ojai Community Demonstration Garden this morning, where herbalist and nutritional counselor Carol Wade talked about rosemary and demonstrated different ways of using this common herb for healing.Culinary uses of rosemary were discussed as well. Participants enjoyed rosemary-blueberry tea, rosemary bread drizzled with rosemary olive oil, and went home with a bottle of rosemary smelling salts.Photos by Les Dublin.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | author bio

Rosemary is found in many gardens, and most of us are familiar with its uses in the kitchen, but this beautiful aromatic plant is more than just a culinary herb. Its medicinal virtues have been recognized throughout the ages. Learn about the cultivation, many uses, and different ways of preparing this versatile herb at a free workshop with herbalist and nutritional counselor Carol Wade. The workshop will take place at 10:00 AM on Saturday, February 9, in the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden, 401 South Ventura St., behind Ojai City Hall.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | author bio

The sun came out long enough to warm the volunteers who came to learn pruning and help out this morning in the City of Ojai Community Demonstration Garden.In the second pruning workshop of the year, Master Gardener and horticulturist Charles Duncan discussed the uses and care of tools, and the basics of pruning,before heading into the garden to demonstrate different methods for pruning a variety of plants. Volunteers from the community got some hands-on experience as they set to work pruning,and the garden looks great! Photos by Les Dublin.

Posted by Ojai Community Demonstration Garden at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | author bio