Subject: Re: California(Mediterranean) gardeners

From: [email-masked] (Alice Ramirez)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 14:34:26 -0800

First of all, run right out and buy a copy of Growing Citrus and
Subtropical fruits published by Ortho.  It is a well-illustrated,
inspiring and excellent introductory book that gives complete
information on issues such as minimum temperatures tolerated, best
varieties for CA/FL/AZ/TX.  It has nice pictures so that you can see
what the various things look like, includes some recipes for
inspiration, and is under $10.  You can usually find it in places like
Home Depot, as well as well-stocked nurseries and garden centers.  It
is still in print.  What can be grown in your area will probably amaze
you.  (I recently visited a friend in W. Los Angeles who grows bananas
around his pool.  It was amazing to see three banana stalks, all three
bearing almost ripe nine-hand bunches (big bunches o'bananas!)  You
just have to know a few tricks.

You might also consider joining California Rare Fruit Growers.  The
magazine they publish, Fruit Gardener, also includes sections on
vegetable gardening although, of course, the main emphasis is fruit.

There are chapters all over California, so that you can also attend
meetings and connect with people in your general area who are (for
now) more knowledgable than yourself.  Meetings also feature talks by
a speaker on  some fruit-growing topic or other.  Many members who
live in areas particularly rich in chapters, especially if fruit
gardening has taken them over and turned them into proselytizing
fanatics, join more than one to get that much more exposure 
(in L.A., where I live, you can join one that
meets in West Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and the L.A.
Arboretum in Arcadia.  There are also ones farther-flung like the
Tri-county chapter (LA Ventura and whatever other county is up there
and just to the east)  The meetings are also fun and include
refreshments, many using interesting fruit.   Sometimes they include
fruit tastings.  If you are esp. lucky, some kind soul will have
brought in a durian.

The organization, or some part of it, also organizes occasional group
tours to places like Borneo)  I know people who've done this, although
I have not, due to my hatred of hot climates.

Membership is $16 a year in the U.S., and the address for CRFG is:
California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.
The Fullerton Arboretum
Cal State Univ., Fullerton
Fullerton, CA  92634.  

If you join, be sure to include your name, address, special gardening
interests.  THey also ask for occupation, but I think this is rather
nosy of them.

You can grow wonderful things in this climate, and do so year-round.
Winter is good for cole crops, carrots, etc. (as well as citrus) while
summer is great for tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc.  (among other things.)
[email-masked] (Yllen) writes:

>Hi Sean
>I am a southern California gardener who would be very interested in
internet 
garden
>resources for mediterranean climates.  I would especially be interested in
>what edibles do well in particular areas, and which ones taste the best! 
>I would love to be kept informed about this. Thanks.

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From: [email-masked] (Alice Ramirez)
Date: 21 Mar 1995 14:34:26 -0800

internet 
garden