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Many years ago, when I first started my Web site, I created an online diary of my gardening activities and observations. However, with work and the commute from Hell, I was often so tired I had to choose between maintaining my garden and maintaining my diary. Sometimes, I did neither. In 1998, I stopped my diary and removed the pages from my Web site.
Now I am retired. I am well-rested and have plenty of time to both garden and maintain a diary. So here it is.
Also see What's Blooming in My Garden Now?
Entries are in reverse order (latest at the top). Daily, I might stoop to pull a weed or use a hose to water some potted plants; however, I don't consider those significant gardening activities. Thus, you will not see daily entries. Also, I might accumulate a few entries before updating this page on the Web.
When plants have well-known common names, their scientific names are given only the first time they appear on this page (entry closest to the bottom). There, the common name is in bold.
Dates refer to other entries in the same year (but perhaps a different page) as the entry in which they appear unless a different year is given.
| Date and Weather | Observations and Activities |
|---|---|
| 23 February
Partially cloudy, mostly sunny, and cold Temp: 39-54
Rain — |
The flower buds on the peach tree were starting to show color, so I applied a second coat of dormant spray (24 Jan). I also fed the tree, broadcasting some generic lawn food over the root zone. Rain is expected next week and will rinse the fertilizer into the soil.
Despite the Great Freeze of '07 (15 Jan) — during which the loquat tree was in full bloom — the tree seems to have set some fruit. Stirred the compost pile. Then I tossed some high-nitrogen fertilizer (urea) on top. While walking across the patio, I tripped and fell on my face. I broke a tooth, ending an ambitious day of gardening. |
| 4 February
Clear, sunny, and warm Temp: 58-84
Rain — |
Who, first arriving in southern California today, would believe we had record-breaking cold just three weeks ago? Crop losses in orchards and market fields are estimated at over $1,000,000,000. That's billion, not million. Large amounts of strawberries, avocados, and citrus were lost. I'm still assessing the damage to my own garden.
Repotted the bromeliad that sits in my dining room. The main plant flowered a year ago, and then formed an offset. Today, I broke off the offset, treated its break with rooting hormone, and put it in the pot where the parent plant had been growing. I discarded the parent plant. |
| 24 January
Clear, sunny, and mild Temp: 56-76
Rain — |
The weather turned very nice, but the damage from the "Great Freeze of '07" was already done. While I don't think any more plants will be found dead beyond the wax-leaf begonias (15 Jan), I am discovering more plants with some damage. Overall, the garden will likely not recover fully until a year from now.
Sprayed the peach tree and roses in front with dormant spray. I use an emulsion of a light oil and copper sulfate in water; I add a little liquid soap as a wetting agent. This is one of the very few preventative sprays that I use. It has proven effective in preventing leaf curl on the peach and reduces the occurences of mildew and rust on the roses. I will have to spray this on the peach again, just before the flower buds open. But I only spray the roses once. |
| 21 January
Clear, sunny, cold, and windy Temp: 43-57
Rain — |
Finally finished pruning the peach tree. It may still have 2-3 years of productive life left.
Surveyed the front and back for further damage from the "Great Freeze of '07". In addition to what was already noted (15 Jan), the Cuphea hyssopifolia, tea tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), and Camellia sasanqua in back received severe damage. I'm not sure if the Cuphea will recover, but the other two should do okay. Also, most of the leaves on the Ficus benjamina on the front porch are dead; I think this one too will recover. Much of the pink clover (Persicaria capitata) in front and back is severely damaged; however, a heavy leaf mulch likely means that the plants will survive. Meanwhile, the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) and Camellia japonica 'Pink Pagoda' in back and the Christmas heather (Erica canaliculata) and French lavender (Lavandula dentata) in front are still in bloom, although many of the open camellia flowers were killed by the freeze. I might even get some loquats to eat this coming summer. The dwarf kumquat, navel orange, and tangelo all seem okay, with the kumquat showing no damage at all. There might be two good results of the freeze. The peach should have an extra good crop this year (despite the tree's declining vigor) since peaches prefer a good winter chill. And most of the seedlings from The Tree (28 & 31 Dec 06) are now dead. |
| 15 January
Clear, sunny, and very cold Temp: 38-50
Rain — |
In the past week, our nearest weather station reported night-time temperatures down to 32°F. From the evidence in my garden, I suspect the temperatures were even lower here. The wax-leaf begonias are mush. Several bulbs — especially the bearded iris and lily of the Nile (Agapanthus orientalis) in back — have damaged or dead foliage. The eugenia (Syzygium paniculatum) in front has crisp, brownish-gray foliage. Azaleas in both front and back are going dormant although they are supposed to be evergreen. I expect all of the plants to recover except for the begonias, but those that do recover will not be vigorous for another year. I just hope my new citrus is not severely injured. Of course, my peach and roses will likely do better this year because of the chill.
Less than a week ago, we had day-time highs in the 70s and 80s with night-time lows in the 60s. What a change! Since then, we have had temperatures colder than anything in the past decade, with some areas getting all-time record lows. Day-time highs at the nearby weather station have been in the 40s and low 50s with night-time lows in the 30s. I have seen many blackened shrubs, both in my immediate neighborhood and also in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles (about 15 miles away). A jacaranda tree at the end of my block — which bloomed so nicely last year — might now be dead. While everything else was freezing, the miniature (shrublet?) rose on my patio continues to bloom. I cut a fresh flower with about half the stem and took it to a local nursery, hoping they could identify the variety. They are stumped! Their rose manager was off today, so they kept the flower for him to examine tomorrow. |
| 5 January
Clear, sunny, cold, and windy Temp: 39-52
Rain — |
Finished pruning the third limb of the peach tree (31 Dec 06). It was just too cold to continue on to the fourth limb.
I've been eating oranges from my dwarf tree. The fruit in this crop have all been quite small, but still quite flavorful. |
Weather data are from the Cheesebro (CHE) weather station, a little less than 1.2 miles ENE of my house.
The high temperature (°F) is daytime for the indicated date; the low temperature (°F) is for the night ending on that date.
The relative humidity is at noon. (In my garden, it is likely higher than reported, a result of regular irrigation.)
Wind speeds (mph) are average (not peak) low and high, midnight to midnight (subject to later correction for diary entries posted before then end of the day).
Rain is in inches. Rain amounts are omitted after 60 consecutive days elapse without any measurable amount.
Season is the cumulative amount of rainfall since the start of the current rainy season, which began on 2 Oct 2006 with the first measurable rain, until noon on the indicated date.
Week is the cumulative amount of rainfall from noon seven days ago until noon of the indicated date. If no rain fell in that period, Days since last is reported.
Characterization of the weather (e.g., Clear, sunny, and warm) is purely subjective; for example, "warm" might occur with higher temperatures than "hot" if the former occurs with lower humidity and more breezes than the latter.
The signature line I use when writing messages about my garden includes the following:
 Main gardening page |
 Current month's diary page |
 David Ross home |
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