Hi. I rather rudely just jumped in and posted a couple of times without introducing myself. Sorry about that. It's just that all of you were talking about...gardening. Hard to resist
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One of my next projects will be trying out some Native American heritage food plants.
I hope you keep us updated on that because it sounds hella interesting.
Given your climate, I hope you're going to bury your drip irrigation system?
I'm thinking you're going to have a tough time planting enough to share. I'd say, go with a small fence. Ours is dark green with silvered wood posts (I live in Massachusetts, so that's a standard color scheme) and I don't really even see it unless I go stand next to it.
If you buy fencing and it's ugly, paint it to fade into the background.
Thanks! I will update as things move along. This is an ACTIVE commmunity! And very welcoming - thanks to everyone for the warm welcome!
Yes, we'll bury the drip lines for certain. As for the fencing, what everyone out here seems to do is put up "coyote fencing" (five-foot chain link) around a certain portion of their property (the more money you have the more you fence, the less, the less you fence; we'll be on the less end of that spectrum!) It's ugly but functional. I plan to get chickens and keeping coyotes from wandering in and grabbing a meal would be good!
I think I'll still have to fence rabbits and ground squirrels out of my vegetables and some flowers too.
> We're at a bit less than 4000' ... Little rain (well, it's a desert). Coldness. Heat. Weird soil. Weird critters. Changeability. Sometimes I think I must be crazy. NO NO... noooo... it sounds divine!! You've just described the semi-arid regions of australia, except for the elevation ~ this country is so flat it will amaze you. There's a geo guy (academic) who I L.J. chat with sometimes who read some really interesting research into how Australia has relatively poor soil because of the lack of geo-related activity (hence why we're so flat).
I think where you live sound absolutely stunning! I'd live in a place like that in second.... like the high-elevated areas of Arizona... beautiful!
> Big problem here, the rabbits We have a terrible problem with rabbits in our semi-urban landscapes here too. They're just vermin! Have you seen the movie "rabbit proof fence?"
> either plant enough to share or figure out some good fencing techniquesWell, except for the rabbits, I think you should plant enough for all to share ~ but that's
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Hey, I grew up in the high desert of CA...where are you exactly? It is a really hard place to garden. You will have to research your chosen plants carefully. I commend you for wanting to try native plants and others that flourish in your conditions. I have watched the town I grew up in turn into suburbia for folks who work in the LA basin, complete with completely unsuitable landscaping. I am convinced, and have been since my early teen years, that that is one of the contributing factors to global waming (the planting of and attempt at maintaining plants not designed/suitable for your climate/area).
Best of luck! Gardening is totally a labour of love (I just had my entire spring garden/bloom pulped by a massive hailstorm; we had about 4" of pea-sized hail in about as many minutes, plus a tiny tornado...I just cried), but I couldn't ever stop playing in the dirt no matter how many disappointments I have...
We are near the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Mountains, about 25-30 miles west of Victorville? Do you know the area? What part of the high desert are you from?
We are in unincorporated county land but we're watching Victorville gobble up all the land it can. Truly, all the formerly small towns around here have turned into completely unsustainable cities, the whole conglomeration being the eastern edge of LA's sprawl. It's horrible. We've lived out here for a couple of decades plus and even in the six years we were in the Victorville area, it has changed some. It's changed enough for me to worry about what comes next. Big uncaring developers and land speculators have been making fistfuls of money off of the area. I work in an environmental occupation and I sometimes get to see a very bleak side of human nature trying to preserve what's left.
Yes, I do know where that is; I grew up in Hesperia, and before that lived on the former George AFB out past Phelan. It really is too terrible what the developers are doing to the desert. I went back there a couple years ago to visit my parents and I was just horrified and saddened to see what had been done. Hesperia's town planners did a bad thing when they laid out the town, and put it smack in the middle of both a flood path and a flood plain so now every decent thunderstorm (which isn't that uncommon out there) floods just about the whole city...but instead of trying to find ecologically friendly and supportive ways of fixing that or living with it, they just keep paving over more of the desert, and wondering why their flash floods keep getting worse...
I wish you the very best of luck; it's nice to know that although I've given up on CA there's those who haven't.
I've lived in Wrightwood (10 years worth), Hesperia, and Victorville, as well as Pinon Hills, for quite a long time. Pinon Hills is where I first discovered the world of desert gardening. I agree with you about Hesperia. Things have not gotten better as far as the thought of sustainable planning go. Victorville is just as bad. Apple Valley is getting in on the act now too.
In the work I do as a contract archaeologist, I have sometimes walked huge washes that head right into the Mojave River, especially in Hesperia, just as you say. I'm not sure who is doing the IE statements on flood potential, but stuff is being built that shouldn't be built at all. This is a big hot button for me.
Thanks! The kids are just dying to get dogs. Dogs are high on our list. We are negotiating which breeds, since we can't have 'em al! I know that even a barn cat or two might be helpful. Of course, we don't have a barn. Maybe a coop cat? And a couple of dogs...
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I hope you keep us updated on that because it sounds hella interesting.
Given your climate, I hope you're going to bury your drip irrigation system?
I'm thinking you're going to have a tough time planting enough to share. I'd say, go with a small fence. Ours is dark green with silvered wood posts (I live in Massachusetts, so that's a standard color scheme) and I don't really even see it unless I go stand next to it.
If you buy fencing and it's ugly, paint it to fade into the background.
Good luck!
Reply
Yes, we'll bury the drip lines for certain. As for the fencing, what everyone out here seems to do is put up "coyote fencing" (five-foot chain link) around a certain portion of their property (the more money you have the more you fence, the less, the less you fence; we'll be on the less end of that spectrum!) It's ugly but functional. I plan to get chickens and keeping coyotes from wandering in and grabbing a meal would be good!
I think I'll still have to fence rabbits and ground squirrels out of my vegetables and some flowers too.
Reply
NO NO... noooo... it sounds divine!! You've just described the semi-arid regions of australia, except for the elevation ~ this country is so flat it will amaze you. There's a geo guy (academic) who I L.J. chat with sometimes who read some really interesting research into how Australia has relatively poor soil because of the lack of geo-related activity (hence why we're so flat).
I think where you live sound absolutely stunning! I'd live in a place like that in second.... like the high-elevated areas of Arizona... beautiful!
> Big problem here, the rabbits
We have a terrible problem with rabbits in our semi-urban landscapes here too. They're just vermin! Have you seen the movie "rabbit proof fence?"
> either plant enough to share or figure out some good fencing techniquesWell, except for the rabbits, I think you should plant enough for all to share ~ but that's ( ... )
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I like your idea of the sound device. I'm going to check that out!
I haven't seen that movie. I wonder if I can find it on Blockbuster Online?
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Best of luck! Gardening is totally a labour of love (I just had my entire spring garden/bloom pulped by a massive hailstorm; we had about 4" of pea-sized hail in about as many minutes, plus a tiny tornado...I just cried), but I couldn't ever stop playing in the dirt no matter how many disappointments I have...
Reply
We are in unincorporated county land but we're watching Victorville gobble up all the land it can. Truly, all the formerly small towns around here have turned into completely unsustainable cities, the whole conglomeration being the eastern edge of LA's sprawl. It's horrible. We've lived out here for a couple of decades plus and even in the six years we were in the Victorville area, it has changed some. It's changed enough for me to worry about what comes next. Big uncaring developers and land speculators have been making fistfuls of money off of the area. I work in an environmental occupation and I sometimes get to see a very bleak side of human nature trying to preserve what's left.
Reply
I wish you the very best of luck; it's nice to know that although I've given up on CA there's those who haven't.
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I've lived in Wrightwood (10 years worth), Hesperia, and Victorville, as well as Pinon Hills, for quite a long time. Pinon Hills is where I first discovered the world of desert gardening. I agree with you about Hesperia. Things have not gotten better as far as the thought of sustainable planning go. Victorville is just as bad. Apple Valley is getting in on the act now too.
In the work I do as a contract archaeologist, I have sometimes walked huge washes that head right into the Mojave River, especially in Hesperia, just as you say. I'm not sure who is doing the IE statements on flood potential, but stuff is being built that shouldn't be built at all. This is a big hot button for me.
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Best Wishes
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