I have always admired real gardeners. You know the type; everything they touch explodes into fabulous flower or grows taller, or wins prizes at the fair. I am not that gardener. I have been in horticulture for twenty plus years. I know plants. I know how to sell them, organize them in a landscape, prune and propagate them but I do not consider myself a gardener.
When I lived in Oregon I had a beautiful vegetable garden for several years. I was under the delusion that I was pretty good at gardening until I moved to California. Oregon has amazing soils, abundant rainfall and mild temperatures. Anyone can be a gardener in Oregon, but the Central valley of California has some challenges. Its dry most of the summer with temperatures ranging from the mid 90's to over 100 degrees and don't get me started on the bugs. I have spent hours along with my husband creating the perfect raised bed garden that is big enough to feed a small country. Yet I have had three years of a lack luster garden. Hence the name of my blog, The Wanna Be Gardener.
I work for Frantz Garden Center in Hickman, California. It is a beautiful garden center with amazing plants, grown primarily in our wholesale division, Frantz Nursery. . We also have a display garden that include landscape, some hardscape and a wonderful vegetable garden. Do you see where this is heading? I have been given the opportunity to plant the display garden this fall. I have never planted a fall garden but I am hopeful that it will turn out better than my dismal spring/summer garden. Here is my chance to see if I can garden in California in the fall and perhaps my bruised ego will heal and I will be motivated to master my spring/summer garden.
I have a plan. My goal is to blog my successes and failures in hopes that successful gardeners will provide input; that other wanna be gardeners will be encouraged and that my trail garden will explore the pro and cons of both organic and non-organic gardening.
These are real gardens so if you would like to come visit. I am at Frantz Garden Center in Hickman, California. Check out our website. www.frantzgardencenter.com
More to come real soon.
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