Friday, April 1, 2016

Moving to California


Waiting a whole year since having much of a garden has been very difficult for me. Uprooting an established family can be very difficult, but giving up a garden has been very hard on me. Although I felt forced to move from Arizona, because of health problems, the lack of therapy that a garden provides has weighed on me for a while. So, it is time that I provide an update on my family and gardening experience.




After getting our old house fixed up, I moved to Fairfield California, without my family, for six weeks. The housing market here is very tight, and even with very good credit my family had to get on a waiting list to get into a rental home. Once we finally moved into the rental home, it still took quite a while to adjust. As our family is still reconciling our feelings about moving to California, I was grateful to recently dig out two small garden plots in our new home.

After getting our old house fixed up, I moved to Fairfield California, without my family, for six weeks. The housing market here is very tight, and even with very good credit my family had to get on a waiting list to get into a rental home. Once we finally moved into the rental home, it still took quite a while to adjust. As our family is still reconciling our feelings about moving to California, I was grateful to recently dig out two small garden plots in our new home.

The two available plots where I knew I could replace the soil and replant grass seed were in the front next to the roses and in the back, on the south side of the house.



In front of the rose bushes, I transplanted some tomato plants and lowered my sweet potato pot into the ground. I have already transplanted some Purple Dingess slips into another part of the yard, but the Alabama Purple has yet to come up yet.




On the south side of the house, I planted some cucumbers. Though I would like to try out a new Carosello variety sent to me by my Italian friends Guiseppe and Angelo, I first need to get some better quality seeds of the Long Dark Green Armenian. Additionally, I want to get seed of the Arkansas Little Leaf cucumber, so I planted some of this small cucumber variety as well. Hopefully, I can get seeds of this variety as well. Because cucumbers and melons do not interbreed, I should be able to get pure seed from both cucumber varieties.


My only Purple Dingess Sweet Potato Slips
While moving to a beautiful place like California is nice, having a little garden will definitely help me to feel whole on the inside. Although uprooting a family can be difficult, planting a garden is definitely a way to start reestablishing a connection with our new home.

15 comments:

  1. Welcome back, Jay! I'm happy you finally found a new house in a better climate.
    -Giuseppe-

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Giuseppe!

      Yes - the climate is much better.

      However, the slugs keep destroying my seedlings! )=

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  2. I forgot: I've got two new Carosello varieties you mayn't have...

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  3. It is wonderful to see you have landed and are gardening again!

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  4. Having moved a couple years ago from North Carolina to Massachusetts, I can testify to the difficulty of uprooting. Having a garden is definitely a great way to start 'putting in roots' in your new place, though. I hope you enjoy your new place and acclimate quickly!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the understanding, Indie! It has been pretty difficult. It is quite a transition. Hopefully, we can grow where we're planted. (=

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  5. I hope you are in a part of California that provides you a great growing season.
    Ray

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  6. are you still selling seeds? i recently found your website and live in AZ and just started to learn how to garden. Of course after you move out of Az that is.

    Siens

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    Replies
    1. Dear Siens. Yes - I am still working on developing some varieties also. Arizona is a tough place to learn to garden, but if you keep at it I'm sure you'll do great!

      You can find all the carosello and Armenian cucumber varieties I offer at CucumberShop.com

      Happy Gardening!

      -Jay

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  7. I actually used to live in Fairfield 20+ years ago. Moved to the Seattle area from the Midwest a couple years ago. Connecting with a community garden plot was one of the first things I did when I arrived. Been trying to relearn gardening in the PNW ever since.

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    1. Dear Kerry,

      Along the North Pacific coast you can grow perennials that are not able to grow in other climates, such as oka. Best wishes on continuing to hone your gardening skills up north!

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    2. Thanks Jay, I am loving the longer growing season and the mild summers. Tomatoes are a challenge though. Can't have everything I suppose. I'd never heard of oka/oca but was just reading about it. Will have to try it.

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    3. Ah - yes - I did misspell it - didn't I? It is Oca. My father grows it and it does wonderfully. The plant looks a lot like nasturtiums (my father calls them tuberous nasturtiums). He is out of the country right now, so I could not hook you up with some, if I wanted to right now.

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I look forward to learning more about gardening with you. Your comments help me recognize that gardening is a life-long journey.

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