The Ojai 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 ...)

..