Get it started!

Check out this video made by someone who spends lots of hours trying to help gardeners like us grow.

This should help you get growing without spending too much.  I'm not sure if the Home Depots near me have them.  Please comment on this blog post if you have seen these products or something similar in the Fresno area.

Goji berry sprouts!

I purchased these seeds online from bontifulgardens.org for $2. A three year old plant costs $25 so I will be saving lots of cash if I can keep even just one alive. They ship you the dried berries, and I received 10. The first berry I opened had 13 seeds in it and the second had 51. So two of the ten berries gave me 64 seeds. The six pack pictured has 24 seeds in it. They are perennial shrubs that I intend to use as a hedge in a couple years in my attempt at an edible landscape. They are also a superfood!

What can I plant right now in the Central Valley?

     I have found lots of sources of info on what to plant in our climate zone.  Most of them had similar planting dates, but for different veggies the start dates could vary up to 2 months.  I had already spent hours trying to merge these sources to create my own simple version.  At a community garden conference, there was a class about what to plant and when taught by a Master Gardener.  She move to the Central Valley to grow year round and has been doing just that for years.  She gave out handouts titled Vegetable Gardening at a Glance and here is a link to its source.  She was very clear in stating that these dates are "direct sow, when you put the seed in the ground."  Her class was very helpful and she taught with a confidence that I have been looking for when asking gardening questions.  She also shared some varieties(listed below) that she grows every year and has always had success with.

• Spinach - Bloomsdale Long Standing
• Tomato - Supersonic
• Eggplant(aka Aubergine) - Japanese
• Lettuce - Red Sails
• Pepper - Sweet Italian Frying

     I also came across this more simple classroom education version called Crop Circles.  I really like this layout and could have benefited from this when I first got into growing.  Hopefully someone will remake the more complex Veggie at a Glance table in this circular layout and sell posters for a couple dollars.
So... this is what you can plant in Fresno, CA in February according to California Master Gardeners.
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Chard
Chives
Leeks
Lettuce
Onion(bulbing)
Parsley
Peas
White Potatoes
Radish
Rhubarb
Turnips

Where can I get these?  There are thousands of sources of seed online, but my favorites so far are: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Bountiful Gardens, Park Seed. Orchard, Home Depot, Lowes, Fresno Ag, Riverside Nursery, Belmont Nursery, Whole Foods, and many others sell seed year round.  Home Depot, and Fresno Ag have plants already.
There are other things like fruiting trees and berries not on this list, and I haven't done much research on these because I don't have space to plant them.  Have fun!