Recipe: Penne with Poblano Chiles, Corn and Cilantro Cream
I love when a recipe drops in my lap that calls for ingredients readily available in the garden. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's like grabbing the golden ring. This recipe for Penne with Poblano Chiles, Corn and Cilantro Cream highlights delicious summer flavors without spending too much time at the stove. We used the one successful Poblano chile we've harvested so far (even though the recipe calls for two), and the last of the cilantro just…
Review: The Garden Seed Savers Guide by Jill Henderson
If you like your books short and sweet then you'll love The Garden Seed Savers Guide: Easy Heirloom Seeds for the Home Gardener (Groundswell Books) by Jill Henderson. It's under 65 pages and gives you a basic guide to saving seeds for a range of crops, from lettuces to beans, from broccoli to squash. After lessons in seed nomenclature, pollination, and isolation distances, Henderson organizes the book into plant families to address specifics about saving seeds across a species. She…
Gardenerd’s 1st YouTube Live Thursday!
Tune in today, July 20, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. for Gardenerd's first YouTube Live broadcast on the Gardenerd YouTube Channel. We'll be chatting about summer gardening - heat and harvesting. Bring your burning questions, and learn a thing or two. No matter where you live, you can participate. Of course we'll share some of our favorite tips from 400+ Tips for Organic Gardening Success, too! AND - did you know that we're running a contest? Three lucky gardenerds will win…
Ask Gardenerd: When to Water?
A question came in from Karen at Ask Gardenerd this week: "During these very hot summer days, what's the best time of day to water my vegetable garden?" Irrigation is key during hot weather in climates where rain is scarce. Here in Los Angeles, where days are topping 108° in the Valley and other inland areas, and rain is non-existent, it's important to water regularly to keep plants happy. But when? It's a good question. Ideal watering times Watering is…
YouTube: Vegetables and Fruits for Bees
The last video in our Plants for Pollinators Series on YouTube is all about vegetables and fruits for bees. A diversity of crop varieties will give bees plenty to forage on during the summer when there is a dearth of flowering plants. Grow crops like peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, beans, and melons to give bees something tasty to enjoy during the spring and summer. In fall and early spring, grow peas, cucumbers, lettuces and other greens and let them go…
Tomato Worms, Flies, and Flower Drop – Oh, My!
Several questions came in all at once from David this week. He asks, "How do I get rid of flies that like to hang around in my back yard and bask in the sunlight? Also, why would my tomato plants not produce any fruit? The flowers just shrivel up and die. AND, what can I do to prevent the worms from eating my tomato's and apples? Thank you." Those are all great questions, David, with varied answers. Let's start with…