2008 - Page 9 of 15

1 Potato, 2 Potato…

If there's one thing I unwittingly repeat over and over again, it's this:

You haven't lived until you've grown your own potatoes.

Potatoes have been part of my garden for years. They are comfort food for some, or the carb from hell for others, but aside from tomatoes, they are the quintessential vegetable (okay, tuber) to grow as a home gardener.

About a month ago, I planted an assortment of seed potatoes in my back yard garden. I obtained them from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine, where they sell organic, non-GMO seed potatoes and other organic vegetable seeds. I was thrilled to ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 30, 2008
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:3 Comments

Made in the Shade

Enjoy salad greens even in the blistering sun with the help of shade cloth.

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 24, 2008
Post category:Blog
Post comments:0 Comments

Saving Arugula Seeds

A new question came in on the wire this week:

"My crop of arugula has bolted / flowered. How do I get the seeds so I can store them and plant again next fall?"

I have fond memories of saving arugula seeds - my first seed-saving experience, in fact. It's about as easy as it gets when it comes to seed-saving. Here's how it works:

Your arugula will send up little white flowers with dark veins. It sounds like this part has already happened. Then little seed pods will form along the stem. These can be eaten fresh but beware, they are very spicy ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 22, 2008
Post category:Sage Advice
Post comments:14 Comments

Worm Compost Care & Use

A new question rolled in this week in Ask Gardenerd:

"I have a worm bin that is great for disposing of my kitchen scraps but I really don't know what to do with the liquid it produces. Also I don't know how often to "harvest" the compost produced. I am new to your website and am so happy I can ask questions. Thanks for your help. - Emily."

Well Emily, first of all, thunderous applause for using a worm bin! Kudos all around. Worm bins, as you already know, are a great way to dispose of your kitchen waste, and to make wonderful ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 17, 2008
Post category:Sage Advice
Post comments:3 Comments

Gardenerd Appearing in Mar Vista

Hey local gardenerds, here's a chance to get something for free!

I will be giving a free organic gardening lecture at the Mar Vista Farmer's Market on Sunday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m. We will be set up at the Mar Vista Community Council booth with plenty of chairs for everyone.

The Mar Vista Farmer's Market is located at Venice Blvd. on Grand View, by the post office. Wear a hat, and come get the free scoop on gardening this spring.

http://marvistafarmersmarket.org/

...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 17, 2008
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Shake, Water and Roll

This Tip of the Week has hot tips for keeping tomatoes goes strong this spring and summer.

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 17, 2008
Post category:Blog
Post comments:0 Comments

Small Space Gardening – a Container of Fun

This morning, six fellow gardenerds joined me for the Small Space and Container Gardening class. We had a range of gardening space situations, from a no-space garden to patio and rooftop gardens, and even someone with a back yard that has a little bit of soil for a vegetable garden. Most were beginning gardeners, but we had a couple intermediate level green thumbs as well.

We watched a little video about Square Foot Gardening, talked about terra cotta versus plastic pots. We discussed the recent article about a three year container garden test trial from Ed Smith where he found that ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 11, 2008
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Mother’s Day Herb Basket

Give your mom, or mom-like person, the gift that keeps on giving. The gift of herbs planted in the yard will keep her thinking of you.

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 10, 2008
Post category:Blog
Post comments:0 Comments

Hello Garden

Gardenerdiness seems to be a theme this week. Why fight it? This is just too darn cute to pass up...

So I was at my brother's house visiting my niece, when my sister-in-law and I got to talking about gardening. She's been into gardening for awhile and says the "h" in "herbs" because she's Welsh. There's a long history of proper gardening in Great Britain, and you might imagine my sister-in-law to be pretty straight laced and formal because of that. The truth is, I don't know many straight-laced Welsh gardeners with fuchsia hair and chunky black leather Doc Martin's that lace up to the knee. She's a ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 10, 2008
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Gardening at Night

Warning: This blog entry is a pure, unadulterated display of Gardenerdiness.

Tonight I satisfied a desire I've had for years - to garden in the dark, after the sun has completely set. It's a desire I've never been able to indulge in because my gardening space, the community garden, closes at sunset. Now that I am a homeowner, the world is my oyster, so to speak, as far as living out my nighttime gardening fantasies. Now, I'm not talking about gardening outside where it's well-lit. I'm talking about piercing the night's dark shroud with good old fashioned geek gear - a head ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 10, 2008
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments