Read more about the article Raised Beds – Part 1- Materials

Raised Beds – Part 1- Materials

Continue ReadingRaised Beds – Part 1- Materials

The backyard renovation is about to begin.  This is very exciting considering how long it is taking to cull our ideas together.  The one thing we've been able to decide on is what to do with the raised beds in the vegetable garden. They're falling apart and need to be rebuilt.  We took to opportunity to mentally imagine a clean slate and fantasize about what we'd like to have if money were no object.  Of course, money is an object, and we also want to be as environmentally resourseful and responsible as possible.  With that in mind, I began researching recycled materials, including plastic lumber and composite lumber, as well ...

Caution: Fall Garden in Progress

Continue ReadingCaution: Fall Garden in Progress

After a previous year of not planting too much due to a home remodel, I was heart set on getting seeds in the ground for this, my favorite planting season.  It's a process, but one I'm enjoying immensely.  In warmer climates or in cold frames in colder ones, you can enjoy some of the best vegetables of the year starting now, and watching them grow from seed to harvest is one of the most rewarding experiences I know.  Here's what I have planted so far in my fall garden:

Raised bed #1
Sugar Snap Peas (they share a space with a ...

Read more about the article The Gardens of France – Part 2 – Valensole

The Gardens of France – Part 2 – Valensole

Continue ReadingThe Gardens of France – Part 2 – Valensole

Okay, this isn't so much a garden as it is a farm, but the idea is the same - broad spectrum appreciation for what the earth can give us through growing plants.

I leafed through the guidebook to find the page highlighting a tour of lavender fields. We only had half a day, after having spent the morning in Tarascon at the farmer's market, where we bought some cheese, bread and tomatoes for lunch later on. We headed onward to Aix-en-Provence. We stopped in Aix for lunch; a peasant's lunch on a stone bench. ...

Modified Compost Tea

Continue ReadingModified Compost Tea

The first day of fall came with an unexpected surprise in Southern California.  A torrential rainstorm hit and dropped almost an inch of rain in less than 20 minutes in some places.  I had an impulse that I couldn't resist.  

I drove to my favorite nursery and as I walked from my car to the door, I felt the first drops of rain land on my nose.  Time is of the essence, I thought.  Quickly I ordered up four bags of Bumper Crop (an organic soil amendment that includes bag guano, chicken manure, worm castings and a bunch of other great things).  One bag for each raised bed in my community garden plot.  ...

Dirty soil

Continue ReadingDirty soil

A new member of the Gardenerd community writes in:

"I just recently moved into a newly constructed house and would love to have a garden in the backyard. However, the soil around the house is filled with chemicals from the construction process. I plan on removing about 2 and a half feet of dirt, covering it with organic compost, and letting the sun (heat) and oxygen do its thing so I can plant in march.  Is this enough? Should I be doing something else?"

Firstly, congratulations on your new house!  I think a garden is a perfect choice (but then again, ...

Read more about the article The Gardens of France – Part 1- Tarascon

The Gardens of France – Part 1- Tarascon

Continue ReadingThe Gardens of France – Part 1- Tarascon

I had never been to Provence.  Dreams of sweeping hills of vineyards and lavender fields had always lead me there in my mind, but never in reality.  This summer, after a tour of Ireland, my husband and I decided to extend our stay and see Provence and all its wonders.  The first stop on our tour of the gardens of France is Tarascon. 

At a friend's recommendation, we utilized France's Gites de France system of bed and breakfasts to find a place to stay, and boy did we score: a 17th century monastary overlooking this little city's cathedral, now inhabited ...

Read more about the article True Bug – Good Luck Charm or Messenger of Death?

True Bug – Good Luck Charm or Messenger of Death?

Continue ReadingTrue Bug – Good Luck Charm or Messenger of Death?

Another great question came in this week from a fellow Gardenerd:" I'm pretty sure we have a variety of stinkbugs including harlequin bugs.  Any suggestions after destroying infested plants and accompanying bugs?" First things first.  I just found a really great website featuring a insect photo catalog to help you identify your critters.  Simply hover over the diagrams on the left hand side to find the right category of insect.  You will find Stinkbugs and Harlequin bugs under the category…

Read more about the article A Sentimental Tree

A Sentimental Tree

Continue ReadingA Sentimental Tree

"[My daughter] has a tree she planted from seed.  I'm not sure what it is, at one point thought it was a Chinese Elm.  It has completely outgrown the huge pot it was in (cracked it in half wide open), and is much too large for us to keep in the pot, and no where to plant it.  The tree is somewhat sentimental (if trees can be that - it is to us, we're weird).  Is there anyway I can keep part ...

The Gardens of Ireland – Part 4 – Kylemore Abbey

Continue ReadingThe Gardens of Ireland – Part 4 – Kylemore Abbey

I've saved the best for last.  I am hoping that you will share my enthusiasm for what pictures can only begin to describe as the most amazing garden in Ireland.  I speak - with hand ceremoniously held over heart - of Kylemore Abbey. Kylemore is a castle tucked into a wooded hillside on the edge of a lake.  That alone has a pretty high drool factor.  What you can't see from the entrance of the estate, however, are the sweeping gardens that are a shuttle drive away down a windy road nestled in the forest. 

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