A Gardener's Nightmare!

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Jacaranda mimosifolia

Jacaranda mimosifolia
Originally uploaded by dewelch

While they might not be "mountains majesty" they are certainly purple.

The Jacaranda trees (Jacaranda mimosifolia) are bringing their spectacular show to the Los Angeles area this week. I find the quite beautiful when in bloom, but some complain about the cleanup when the blossoms drop in a purple carpet on lawns and cars.

Blue Jacaranda
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Blue Jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia more often known simply as the "Jacaranda", is a sub-tropical tree native to South America that has been widely planted elsewhere because of its beautiful and long-lasting blue flowers. Older sources give it the systematic name Jacaranda acutifolia, but it is nowadays more usually classified as Jacaranda mimosifolia. It is also known as the Black Poui, or as the fern tree. In scientific usage, the name "Jacaranda" refers to the genus Jacaranda, which has many other members, but in horticultural and everyday usage, it nearly always means the Blue Jacaranda.

Read more at Wikipedia.org

Video: Troy-Bilt Cultivator Review

iPod Ready Video

Product Review: The Troy-Bilt TB154 Electric Cultivator

The Troy-Bilt TB154 Electric Cultivator

Listen to this review
Watch video of the cultivator in use

When I moved to Los Angeles 22 years ago, I left behind my grandmother's ½ acre garden and our own ¼ acre plot behind the house. I thought little of gardening for almost 10 years. Some people are good with houseplants. I am not one of them. So gardening was fondly remembered as something I did way back when.

It seemed like everyone in my hometown (New London, Ohio, pop. 2600) tended a garden and I spent my childhood with a hoe in my hand, riding a lawn mower, behind huge rototillers and eventually driving tractors around our small farm.

Finally, twelve years ago we purchased our first home and inherited a 10 year old, quite mature, garden. My wife and I typically tended the garden with shovel and hoe, but when I received an offer from Troy-Bilt to review some of their products, I jumped at the opportunity. We have a variety of beds on the property and after 12 years they could all use a bit of TLC. I thought an electric cultivator could help a lot.

The Troy-Bilt TB145 Electric Cultivator(Click to get more info from the Troy-Bilt web site) arrived in a box about 4'x 2' we found on the porch one day after returning from Little League practice. I was eager to try it out, so like a typical user, I opened it up, set the owner's manual aside (of course) and put the cultivator to use. The only assembly required was attaching the handle, which took about 5 minutes and no tools.

The first task was a rose bed that, after being dug up for a sewer line replacement, was buried in tall grass. I had used a hoe to clean out the bed once already and couldn't face doing it by hand again. Thankfully this tool arrived just in time.

I was immediately surprised by the power in this small electric unit. I could easily pick it up with one hand, but it was cutting through the grass and quickly cultivating the bed to to 6" or more. Since it is so small, maneuvering it around the existing rose bushes was no problem. The bed itself is probably only about 3 feet wide, bordered by a cement block wall on one side and rustic wooden edging on the other.

The long grass would occasionally wind up around the tines, but the cultivator is designed with quick release pins on each end that allowed me to simply pull off the tines, remove the grass and get right back to work.

Managing the electrical cord is always a concern with a device like this. (I have cut the extension cord with my hedge trimmers at least 3 times (!!!). The cable management is well designed with a simple clip to hold the extension cord towards the back of the unit and along the handle so it is always in your sight and within easy reach of your hands.

For me, personally, this is a great unit that fits well with my environment and I already have 4-5 more jobs waiting for it.

The next weekend we brought out the cultivator to work up another small bed where we planned to put some tomato plants. I had picked up 3 seedlings from Tomatomania (Watch the video) in nearby Encino and was eager to get them, and a small pot of basil, into the ground. This bed was even narrower than the first and surrounded by cement on two sides and the stucco of the house on the other. I thought about taking the outside tines off the unit, but the full width ended up being fine.

On this bed, I first laid out about 6 cubic feet of compost recently harvested from our old compost bin and then used the cultivator to work this into the existing soil. Again, the unit did a great job and quickly we had a nice, fluffy bed for the tomatoes. The tines handled the inevitable contact with the edges of the cement driveway with no ill effects. The blades showed no damage and simply bounced off the cement.

Overall, the cultivator works well as an all-purpose cultivator for a small to medium-sized garden. Those with large expanses of open garden would probably opt for a bigger, gas-powered unit. The TB145 would also be an excellent "second machine" for small beds and hard to reach areas such as annual beds, shrub beds and cultivating between rows in a small vegetable garden.

For me, personally, this is a great unit that fits well with my environment and I already have 4-5 more jobs waiting for it.

Link: Troy-Bilt TB154 Electric Cultivator Specs and Information at TroyBilt.com

A bit of "Yak Shaving" in the garden

Mulch in the Garden
Originally uploaded by dewelch

We engaged in a bit of "yak shaving" (Reference 1) (Reference 2) in the garden this morning, but at least it turned our more productive than a typical "yak shaving" exercise. "Yak shaving" is when you start out to accomplish one task but through a series of steps you end up (figuratively) shaving the yak, which is not what you intended to do at all. (SMILE)

I really hadn't planned on doing much work in the garden today, as it is supposed to be into the 90's by the afternoon. Then I saw that I needed to empty the kitchen compost bin into the larger bins out back. Of course, while I had the lids off, and since it was going to be warm, I might as well soak down the compost bins so they can use the heat to work a little harder. After this I noticed the bird feeders and bird bath were empty, so I might as well fill those, as well.

We had user our chipper/shredder for the first time last week and had some excellent mulch. I had the idea that we could use this to dress the rose bed we had recently cleaned up. Then I thought, "heck, we can use the large cardboard box the chipper/shredder was delivered in to underlay the mulch to cut down on the grass.

Unfortunately, we needed to soak the cardboard before we covered it with mulch and the hose in that area had been disconnected while some work was being done on the house. After re-hooking the hose, I could see it needed a new washer as it was leaking around the wind-up timer that I use to run the soaker hose. I always keep some washers in the garage, so I replaced the washer and re-attached the hose.

Now, after placing the cardboard, we realized we didn't have nearly enough mulch to cover, so we need to make some more. We had the leaves from a couple of rose beds in the back to work with so we gathered them up. When I went to start the chipper/shredder the engine wouldn't budge. Ok, open the discharge chute and look for a clog. Nothing. Hmmm.. Finally I tip the unit on its back and turn the engine over with my hand. Plonk! out comes one 3-inch long twig that obviously had gotten wedged in exactly the wrong position. Button up the chipper/shredder, put on my goggles and dust mask and fire it up.

We ran about 4 boxes full of leaves and small twigs through the machine and I found that I had filled the entire output bag in about 15 minutes. Cool! This should be enough to finish up the rose bed. (It wasn't, quite, but we will get some more in a day or two to finish up the small part of the bed we couldn't cover.)

Finally, after about 2 hours we had completed our project ( and a few others) and were ready to hit the showers. Now I find myself here in front of the computer, sharing my morning with you, very happy that I didn't have to shave too much of the yak today, but it was close. (SMILE)

Tomato Plants - April 22, 2008

Tomato Plants - April 22, 2008
Originally uploaded by dewelch

The tomato plants seem to have settled in nicely and the Sprite has about 8 flowers already. I will take pictures on a regular basis to share the growth and (hopefully) harvest of our first tomatoes.

Event: 4th Annual Green Gardens Tour from LAist

LAist points out this upcoming garden event. It is a fee event, but some might be interested in checking out this tour of Green Gardens.

Photo Preview: 4th Annual Green Gardens Tour

This upcoming Saturday, April 26th, marks the 4th Annual Green Gardens Tour, which gives attendees a backstage pass to see six home gardens on the Westside that "demonstrate sustainable designs, practices, and technologies."

Continues on the web site

(Via LAist.)

Sunday in the Garden LIVE with Douglas

I am streaming our work in the garden today. Stop on by and say HI!

My First Tomato Patch

My First Tomato Patch
Originally uploaded by dewelch

I am not one to grow veggies on my little garden, mainly because it is quite shady and I didn't think they would do very well. That said, Tomatomania (Video) got the better of me and I ended up with 3 varieties and a small pot of basil. (Can't beat tomato with basil, ya know, at least for eating.) -- San Marzano, Legend and Sprite.

I added a bucket of homemade compost and turned over a small plot on the south side of the house and got them in the ground yesterday. We already had a soaker hose in this bed, so watering will be a snap. Need to think about some possible fertilizer options. Maybe something organic...or nothing at all. Typical benign neglect on my part. The same way I garden with everything else. (SMILE)

The Sprite has shown some flowers since I brought them home so I hope this bodes well.

Wish me luck!

Flowers found while Walking Van Nuys

Walking Van Nuys 002
Originally uploaded by dewelch

The iris are in bloom in my neighborhood. I took this shot (and others available on my Flickr account) as part of my new project, Walking Van Nuys. Read more about this project in My Word with Douglas E. Welch

Click the photo to find pictures of iris, California Poppy and more.

What I'm Reading...

Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma



La Bella Cucina by Viana La Place



Italian Slow and Savory by Joyce Goldstein



My Italian Garden by Viana La Place



Contorni by Susan Simon



Pots in the Garden by Ray Rogers

Roses of the San Fernando Valley 2008

Our early wet spring has been a boon for every garden plant and the roses in the San Fernando Valley are exploding with huge, colorful blooms.

On my 2 mile walk through the neighborhood this morning, I took the opportunity to photograph as many roses as I could to give you an overview of what is happening.

Link: Roses of the Valley Photo Gallery

Tomatomania

Scenes from this weekend's Tomatomania here in Encino, California

Link: iPod Ready Video

Tearing down the trellis

iPod Ready Video

Blooms in the garden - March 20, 2008

Bewitched Roses
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Quite a bit is blooming in the garden, thanks to all the rain we had in January and February. March has been try, though, so I hope we get another good soaking before the heat of summer hits.

Here is a collection of photos from my Flickr account showing everything in bloom around here. The orange blossoms are from a neighbor's yard up the street, but the smell is everywhere.

Rosanne and I tore down the old trellis behind the office today, as it was starting to fall apart on its own. It is probably almost 20 years old, do it has certainly put in good service. Now we have to figure out what we want to put in its place.

One photo is off the Troy-Bilt Electric Cultivator I received for review from the company. We put it to work first thing yesterday and I am quite pleased. It is going to make some jobs around here a lot easier. Full video and blog reviews coming soon.

I hope March treated you well and April is even better. I know it is "mud time" in other parts of the country, so keep your Wellies by the back door so you can get out in the garden, even if it is a bit wet.

Spring is on the way!

More Photos:

Neighborhood blooms and today's work

Phone-001
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Since I am walking everyday now, I am finding more blooms around the neighborhood. I only had my cell phone today, but here are two pictures I was able to capture. Not sure what this flower is, but the second is of the orange trees that suddenly came into bloom this week, The air is filled with the smell of oranges.

I took some time to rake up one area of leaves before trash day tomorrow, as well as prune off the dead limbs on the Japanese Maple. Last year's frost seems to have it hit pretty hard. I couldn't tell where to prune until the leaves started to show, which happened this week.

Orange Blossoms:

Mouse and Trowel Awards - Nominations now open!

Nominations for this year's Mouse and Trowel gardening blog awards is now open. Click the link below to nominate your favorite gardening blogs and podcasts.