Torn, as always, between striving to be a truly lazy gardener and wanting to get dirty, the latter won out today. Yes I know that I said I was going to try to do very little in the garden to prove that native plants can be the basis for a low-maintenance garden but there is lawn to remove and vegetables to plant.
Container plants that I potted up for my son and daughter-in-law’s backyard wedding found a new home in the area of the receding grassline in the front yard. This will in fact reduce work in the future since container plants require more vigilance when it comes to watering than plants in the ground. They also would have needed to be potted up (replanted in larger pots).
Potted De La Mina verbena (Verbena lilacina ‘De La Mina’) and monkeyflowers (Mimulus ssp.)
And here is where they are going. I’m hoping they will be in bloom for the TPF Garden Tour in April. 
I didn’t buy much at the RSA plant sale this year (though I am going to GNN tomorrow so that may change in a moment of weakness). I did buy these Will Flemming wiregrasses. They were fairly crowded in their pots but should do just fine.
Both of these Juncus patens ‘Will Flemming’ were potbound. The one of left has already been attacked with a spade, cutting the circling roots. Both were prepared this way before planting because it helps them establish better in the soil. Grasses and other grass-like plants (wiregrass is not a true grass) with fibrous roots can and should be teased apart – or in this case muscled free.
This plant is in the bed surrounding the avocado tree in the front yard. The roots of the avocado were growing densely in the soil where I planted it. It will be a tough place to get nutrients and water… and it was a pretty tough start moving from a tight densely-filled pot. I’ll let you know how it does.
The other area I worked in was the vegetable garden. I couldn’t get a good picture of it because my wide angle lens is being repaired. I think I increased its area by about 30%. I rebuilt the rock walls, turned and added new soil from the compost area. I plan to get some lettuce, swiss chard and maybe eggplant (is that a winter veggie???) for this garden tomorrow.
The other area I worked in was the vegetable garden. I couldn’t get a good picture of it because my wide angle lens is being repaired. I think I increased its area by about 30%. I rebuilt the rock walls, turned and added new soil from the compost area. I plan to get some lettuce, swiss chard and maybe eggplant (is that a winter veggie???) for this garden tomorrow.
Doesn’t look like I changed this much, but it really is bigger than before.
On one final note, does anyone out there know what to do with an overabundance of serrano peppers. Can they be frozen?
I freeze bell peppers all the time and they thaw great. I don't see why you can't freeze hot peppers like that too. I cut mine up before freezing.
Roast or BBQ them and then freeze in a plastic bag. Lots will fit in one bag. Pull out one or two when you want to use some – slip off the skins and scoop out the seeds. Easier to do that after freezing.
Thanks Nickie and Anon. I was going to cut them in half, remove the membrane and seeds and then freeze. I think I will try both ways. Roasting or bbqing before hand sounds great.