My Adventures in Gardening
I grow vegetables and fruit, rescue orchids, and sow wildflowers for the pollinators. These are my notes as I learn: what I planted, what went wrong, and what I'd do differently.
What's Here
Orchid Rescue
An abandoned phalaenopsis I found in a park, and getting orchids to rebloom
Vegetable Notes
What I plant each season and whether it worked
Natives & Wildflowers
Drought-tolerant flowers from mixed seed, and which ones are really natives
Local Shops
The small, independent nurseries and florists I shop at
What I've Learned
Mostly mistakes, and what I'd do differently.
Rescue an Abandoned Orchid
Start with the roots. My rescue checklist, and the four orchids I look after, are on the orchid page.
What Worked, What Didn't
Every crop gets a record: the variety, when it went in, and how it turned out. Rats, aphids and a broccoli that went to flower are all in there.
Wildflowers From Mixed Seed
Mixed seed keeps something blooming most of the year, but most of it isn't native. Of my flowers, only the sunflower is.
Flowers Among the Vegetables
I grow flowers around the vegetables for pollinators, and marigolds with the tomatoes as companion plants.
Keep Plants Alive Indoors
A spring cactus that blooms every year in the sunroom, and the rescued orchids that live inside with it.
Ask a Master Gardener
The UC Master Gardeners answer gardening questions for free. Their helpline is (650) 276-7430.
About This Site
I'm a home gardener sharing my love for gardening. I grow vegetables and fruit, rescue orchids, and sow wildflowers for the pollinators. I write down what happens as I go: the varieties, the dates, what failed, and what I'd do differently. Everything here comes from my own garden, unless a caption says otherwise.