More notes from the garden

I mentioned yesterday that I like to grow my veggies with my flowers. I don't like the look of a raised bed, plants all rowed up, nothing but the same plant and soil. Give me texture, color, depth and chaos! Controlled chaos that is...The garden is a great place for a control freak; I'm like a god here. If a plant doesn't perform well, grows the wrong way or in the wrong place, I cut it or move it or pull it completely. My garden is exactly that, MINE. It looks the way it does because of the choices I make and the care I put into it. 

From right to left: Bee Balm, State Fair Zinnia, Gomphrena "Fireworks", Cucumber, Gazania, Portulaca, Sun Gold Tomato, Alyssum, Thyme, State Fair Zinnia, Coreopsis, Chive, Painted Tongue and a bunch of snap dragons that seem to blend in.

The cucumbers are being trained up the trellis. Last year I grew gourds this way with great success. I don't have room for trailing vines on the ground so vertical gardening has allowed me to grow some sprawling plants not possible before. Also on trellises: Cucamelons, Hops, Cherry Tomatoes and Thunbergia.

'Flora' is the sweetest hen

On the other side of the bed shown above, is the chicken run. The cherry tomatoes are trained to grow over the fence and into this space. The hens can't get enough sun golds and I can never eat them as fast as they're ready. This arrangement keeps everyone happy and the chickens out of my yard (always a heart breaker with their scratchy ways). Chickens are fun and easy to keep but they will turn every bit of land into a moonscape eventually. I toss weeds, plant clippings, bugs, worms and all manner of garden detritus into the chicken area. This makes for delicious eggs and content chickens.

Hops & Sunflowers on a perfect Oakland day