High-Tech Dirt

When it comes to garden chores, I can be quite efficient (some might call it 'lazy'). Compost is often the most tedious chore of all. I figured it was time to try something innovative and let technology work for me. So, I got myself the eComposter. This ain't your grampa's tumbler. No cranking, no shoveling, no turning or churning. I just take it out for a roll around the yard and let the high-tech design take care of the air flow and stirring.

For the eComposter, I filled it with all my material:

paper waste

(tissue, shredded documents, paper bags, etc.)

veggie kitchen scraps
(old lettuce, cut flowers, banana peals, etc. - no meats or oils)

lawn clippings
(grass blooms, weeds - no worries)

yard waste prunings
(no diseased plants, no bougainvillea, no ruellea, no cactus)

Add water and mix. It's just that simple! Now we'll see how long (or not) this baby takes to make me some good 'ol garden gold.

Stay tuned....

It's An Invasion!

Oh no - they're here!

And they're taking over my garden!
(Yeaaaa!!!)

It's the attack of the Compost Makers!
After years of managing my rickety compost bins made from recycled pallets, I decided to try these new-fangled eComposter (from CostCo). I started them in May 2009 and I figure they should be done cooking by mid-August.
Stay tuned to see what hatches...

Surviving Summer

It's hot here in Phoenix. Really hot. Yesterday was 115* degrees. Today it was 115*. And the forecast consensus shows over 110* degrees for all of next week. YIKES!! If you think it's tough on us humans, be assured it's tougher on our plants. Remember, outside it's not only hot, but the sun is intense. If it's not a cactus, it's stressing.


One of the easiest ways to beat the heat (well, tolerate the heat) is simply installing shade cover. Just by reducing the amount of direct intense sun, life gets a little bit nicer for plants.

The set-up in my garden is quite rudimentary. It's not pretty, but it is effective, and it only took ten minutes to put in place. My new seedlings are much happier now.


This is all a temporary solution for current season. Since my back garden receives west exposure, I have a greater plan for future protection. In summer 2008 I planted some new trees (palo verde, bauhinia, crape myrtle, pomegranate) to create natural shade cover. By next summer 2010, too much sun will not be an issue for me.
(keep cool!)

Something Simple...

One fun thing I love about summertime gardening (even though summer is still technically 3 weeks away), is how you have to challenge yourself to be inventive. With the impending heat, it's always questionable what to plant next that will survive.
Instead of wrestling with flowers, and keeping them watered, and fertilizing them, and deadheading to keep them blooming, and wondering when they will finally fade away, etcetera, etcetera....
I thought I'd try something interesting with succulents.

This is an old antique wheelbarrow with the bottom rusted out. It used to be filled with geraniums (a few times throughout the year because they would die from lack of watering, too much drainage, and harsh sun exposure).
First I converted it to a stone garden with a couple cactus. Not quite impressive, I then added another plant or two. Finally, I put together a plan using some small scale succulents, a few cuttings, and a couple feature specimens (in the end, about $15 on plants). It took less than six months to entire planter to fill in, and this photo was taken just after pruning. The planter is located under a large elm tree and receives midday filtered sun and then about 3hrs of full afternoon exposure. It is quite a conversation piece in this downtown Phoenix garden.

Home Grown Good Stuff...

Make your own compost!
It's fun! It's Easy! It's free!

Make a pile out of lawn clippings, tree litter, leaves, old dead plants. No need to be too scientific about the mix of brown (carbon) and green (nitrogen) materials. The best thing for compost is kitchen scraps. Make a hole, dump them in and cover them up (helps keep the flies and gnats away).


Turn the pile with a shovel or pitch fork and water it to keep the micro-bugs active. Do this weekly or so.
(I turned this pile every other day when I took out kitchen scraps.)


About eight weeks later I had brown gold - nature's alchemy! Use it as a planting soil, fertilizer amendment, or top mulch. Anywhere in the garden, it's good stuff!
Check out my compost workshop coming up at the Phoenix Downtown Farmer's Market.