(no subject)

Reading Material:	Northern California Gardening: A Month-by-Month Guide by Katharine Grace Endicott
	Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katharine S. White
	+ asst. romance novels and children's books

New Thing(s) I Learned:

The world record garlic bulb was grown in Eureka

I've been reading gardening books. This has led directly to a lustful craving for seed catalogs. I thought this would be easy. Seed companies seem to share their mailing lists like good neighbors might share cuttings and bulbs over the fence, so, before I moved, I was receiving several with very little effort on my part. My first attempt to step back under the deluge has revealed that they only ever loved me for my money. Thompson and Morgan will send me a catalog, but unless I order seeds at the same time, it will not be free. Closer examination of a battered copy of last year's catalog has revealed that they are happy to send free catalogs to the two closest friends of proven customers, but strangers off the internet who may just want to drool on the flowers... Guess it's time to do an address change instead of starting over. My flower catalog reputation is more valuable than I realized.

As I type this I am also holding Connor on my lap and feeding him cheese crackers and milk by hand like he's an orphaned calf or something. He has just suffered a minor setback that's resulted in this bemusing and mildly irritating request for babying. In a few minutes, he's off and running again.

My gardening method is something like this:

1. If there are bees all over it, buy it, unless the flowers are white.
2. If it's a perennial herb, buy it, unless the flowers are white.
3. If it seems to require regular watering, more fertilizing than compost can provide, or is beloved by pests then it wasn't meant to be.
4. If it's a bulb, look at the picture and weep honey, 'cause you suck at bulbs.

Most gardeners are probably optimists and I suppose I am no exception. I was just considering giving bulbs one more try. I am in a different climate now after all. And different it is. (Connor has just given me a white beach pebble and run off again.) I had pretty much thought gardening was over, only to read in the paper a couple of months ago that I can plant a wide variety of cold weather veggies for Thanksgiving consumption. (a piece of petrified wood) This notion was astounding to me, but I am speedily getting used to it. (misc. rock) I am learning that the difference between annuals and half-hardy annuals actually has meaning here. (jade) Half-hardy annuals can be planted now and they will not only survive but establish themselves through the winter and perform much better in the spring than if I waited until then. Which reminds me, I need to go look for that butterfly bush that I saw growing by the side of the road. They've mowed since I discovered it, but I'm hoping it has recovered enough for me to spot it again. Nothing like free shrubs.