Laying Landscape Fabric in the Garden

Before getting into the garden, I have to feed my pet babies, two dogs, two cats, two guinea pigs, two goldfish, and a bunch of cichlids. Once they are satisfied, I can enjoy my day in the garden. In this case, it took me two days to completely cover my garden area with landscape fabric, but I'm SO glad I did it. I love it! I purchased the landscape fabric from Amazon and it arrived fast. I was surprised since it was so heavy and bulky, but it is a nice woven fabric. I wanted to try this type of fabric this time to see how well it holds up to the weeds. The wind was blowing pretty hard on this day and I was doing this project by myself so rocks definitely came in handy. So far I like the landscape fabric I purchased and would recommend it to others. I know other YouTubers who garden in-ground use it too, but it's working out nicely for me.  The video below shows my process for completing this task, laying landscape fabric in the garden.

Are you working on a garden this year? If so, how has it been going?

Products I Used in This Video

Weed Barrier 6.5 x 300 FT Garden Landscape Fabric 

Ashman Landscape Staples, 200 Count Heavy Duty & Anti Rust 

Planting Sunflowers in the Garden

In the video below, I am planting sunflower seeds in the garden. I purchased my seeds from Eden Brothers and another vendor, mentioned in the video. Overall, the sunflowers germinated nicely in my garden. However, earwigs decided to nibble on many of my baby sunflowers in the ground so I had to grow more indoors and fill in the areas where the earwigs had their feasts. I left some Bonide pellets for organic gardening down which seems to be working. Many sunflowers bounced back from the nibbling and are growing taller and taller every day. It really seems to be perseverance and consistency that keeps the garden growing. It's starting to pay off now. This video shows you how I planted the sunflower seeds and a quick update on their status after planting. I'm hoping to show their huge blooms on a future garden tour. It should be a sight to see.

How to Use Vigoro No-Dig Landscape Edging Kit #intheGarden

I am progressing even more in my garden, as I get it ready for more fruits and vegetables. I decided to use the Vigoro No-Dig Landscape Edging Kit in the garden to prepare the area for placing landscape fabric and then mulch. I also needed to define the spaces within my garden for planting sunflower seeds and my zinnias. The product comes with everything you need and if you need to purchase more stakes that's possible too. I used what was provided in the box. The instructions recommended using a rubber mallet, however, I just used a hammer and it worked nicely. The job was a quick one so this video is pretty quick as well. I will keep you posted on the next steps in this project as I continue to prepare the space for this year's growing season. I found this Vigoro product in my local hardware store, but you can find it on Amazon as well.

• 60 ft. No-Dig Landscape Edging Kit

• EasyFlex Heavy Duty No-Dig Edging Kit - 100 ft., Black

My First Year Fall #Garden Tour 2021

My first-year fall garden has been doing very well. It has been unusually warm this fall, but cool enough for my peas to thrive. I have been enjoying them tremendously. I still have tomatoes pulling through and they have been plentiful too. I have carrots, radishes, beautiful lavender, and other plants in my raised beds. I'm glad I am able to share my fall garden with you, in hopes that you will see that you can grow your own vegetables too. It wasn't easy in the beginning, but I stuck with it, through the insects, caterpillars, earwigs, aphids, and others. I'm looking forward to learning even more in 2022 and sharing my future garden ventures with you. The weather will be cooling off, even more, this week, so I finished this video garden tour just in time. I have my Brassicas (cabbages, cauliflower, etc.) growing from seed in the house, but they will be heading out once they are larger and stronger. They enjoy the cooler weather so I will keep you posted.

Planting Grapes in Whiskey Barrels #Gardening

There has been an extreme heatwave in Southern California since late May. However, I have been diligently working on my first-year garden. In March of this year I planted grapevines I purchased as transplants from Tractor Supply and FastGrowingTrees.com. I am happy to report that they are doing very well. The varieties I planted appear to like the heat and grow more when it's warmer. I chose to plant Niagara, Suffolk, and Himrod. Currently, they all have plenty of foliage and they are making their way up the trellises I built for them. Although the Niagara grapevines are not first-year plants, I do believe that I will have production next year. These were very easy to get started and I will have to keep you posted on their growth. The heatwave is still present in the weather forecast, but hopefully, within this next week, we will get a break. I know my fruit and vegetable crops will appreciate it. 

I created a video showing you how I planted them and the soil and fertilizer I used to establish the grapevines. It's never too late to start a garden. Grab some seeds and start growing.

Helpful Resources for Growing Grapes and Other Fruit Trees
Grape Growers Handbook: A Guide To Viticulture for Wine Production

The Fruit Gardener's Bible: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruits and Nuts in the Home Garden

The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruits and Berries Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply (Back-To-Basics)