Happy New Year! Welcome 2016
Happy New Year and welcome 2016! Can you believe that it is the eve of 2016? Wow! The New Year is a good time to reflect on days past and to focus on goals for the year ahead. For me, my garden is a good place to start.
New Year Garden Review
Mulch, living soil, Coastal Live Oak, Montecito, Landscape design ideas, Santa Barbara
As I look out my window, I see hummingbirds and other birds whose names are unfamiliar flitting from plant to plant looking for nectar, bugs and dew. The earth is thick with mulch and there are flowers everywhere in pots and in the ground. Cymbidiums are starting to spike, getting ready for their annual show, in the distance a field of Matilija Poppy are sending out new growth and brightly colored geraniums are spilling out of pots. My garden is an endless source of entertainment.Funny thing is that when we moved into our new "digs" a few months ago it was a dead zone. I'm not kidding, there was no life, no birds, just dead, raked earth, dust and a few struggling trees. So, we set to work to bring the garden to life.The first thing we did was to bring in truck loads of chips from local tree companies (thank you Branch Out and Vista Tree) and spread this on every square inch of the soil.Using a variety of our favorites appropriate to an Oak Woodland; Manzanita, Bay, Rhamnus Californica, Cleveland sage in the front to create screening from the street and a double line of Italian buckthorn which will make a thick, green screen by fall.We then spread Sacred Cow Biodynamic Compost around every plant. Feed the soil not the plants, as the saying goes. Nothing does that better than compost and compost tea. Compost brings life to the earth and living soil takes care of the plants.The addition of bird baths and a regular watering schedule (using less than half of our monthly allocation) and voila! Birds began to visit, just one or two at first, then word spread and now we have a continuous stream of feathery company. Plants have begun to put on growth and even the big, old Oaks seem grateful for a little attention.There, that was the year in review and as for my plans in 2016? I'm determined to get my fountain working, my over-crowded cymbidiums divided and repotted (after they are finished blooming, of course), build more raised beds for veggies and a cutting garden just for a start.That was fun. Now it's your turn! Until next time, fill your garden with joy and have a safe and prosperous 2016.