Winter Seasons

The weather has shifted.  It is starting to be coolish in the morning.  Winter here is short.  Before long I will be prepping for Summer Season.   This time I did something new, I planned.  Especially after the bug-hell I have been in I thought I should spend a little more time getting ready for winter. Plus I am hoping to cut down on the mystery plants. So I've consulted my Magic Garden Companion Guide, picked my winter veggies and Viola! A garden map to end all Garden maps:

Classy right?

So what did I pick and why?
Well first of all Aphids, Aphids Aphids.  The reason I have had so many aphids is because I have had so few beneficials.  I have had so few beneficials because I have no habitat for them.  I have started an "overwinter" garden (which will also be my main garden next year) but thought I would try to pull in some regular plants that might help.

Carrots: Attracts a TON of beneficials such as parasitic wasps, (see my first one HERE!).It also attracts lace wings, assasin bugs and "big eyed bugs" (whatever that is). It also provides added water to the soil (a must here in the desert). It grows really good with Peas and other winter veggies.

Beets: Add tons of minerals to the soil. Also a good companion plant to brassicas (brussels and cabbage).  They are improved by Garlic.

Onions: Supposedly keeps aphids away. I'm not sold on this as I have put in TONS of chives around my more aphid infested plants. But maybe a stronger allium would help. I will also be marking at least two to go to seed.  I think the flat white flowers will attract lots of the beneficials that I am missing.

Garlic: Not only another aphid resistor but also something that will help the orange tree-who knew?. So I sandwiched it between the beets and the orange tree.

Peas-now here is where things got tricky tricky. Supposedly peas and onions are not friends in the garden (despite making a tasty treat in the kitchen). So I pulled them apart a little bit, hopefully this is enough.

Not on the Map-Dill, and Coriander- Both are good garden plants.  Also both taste good. Also Dill and Cilantro are closely related; seems good right? Well maybe not. They cross pollinate.  I have dill growing in the overwinter garden; hopefully that will be far away enough to put some coriander in the garden but where? Carrots and Dill don't play nice, does that mean Coriander won't either? I'm going to need more research to figure this out.

Also I forgot to add Broccoli from some bizarre reason. I think they will go where the lettuce is and the lettuce will be sprinkled around the garden like basil was during the summer. OH yea and SPINACH, forgot that too, i'll find a spot somewhere...

Transitioning, I'm doing it wrong

Most of my garden packs for "cool weather plants" are indicating that it is time to start getting those leafy greens in the ground. It appears that according to the gods that pack those seeds in the hermetically sealed envelopes, August and September are the transition to fall weather, in zone 'orange'.

So I have begun my winter veg plans:  picking plants; beets, broccoli, and brussels, celery, carrots, leeks and lettuce.  Checking my handy dandy companion guide (companion guide Magic Garden Nursery )and planning out where things will go. (trying to avoid another round of 'mystery' veggies). And trying to refresh my soil for these heavy feeds with compost as hot guys die off. (This compost process is probably the most stressful garden planning I have...what is so difficult about garden trash? I'll tell you another time)

But apparently the weather did not get the memo from the seed packers...

High's in the low 100's is technically a transition from high's in the 110's!

So while this is technically a transition we are NOT yet in fall weather, heck this is still hotter than other peep's summer. So while I had gotten prepared for planting my first winter garden it is back to summer maintenance around here. (Especially as some of my summer weather plants have decided to finally wake up.  I went out to a deserted corner the other day and found some late blooming somethings, mystery plants...Time will tell what they are, its been months with nothing popping up over there so I have no clue what/when I planted those little guys.)  It is back to watering, watering, watering and trying to prevent sunburn. .  Guess we will just have to wait...

The plus is I will be getting one more sweet round of tomatoes, beans, squash, cukes and whatever that is:

a buncha new fellas

2nd set of leaves-at least he's happy