Everyone else's winter is California's spring. Check out these California natives in bloom. And not a California native, but certainly a trademark of California: More to come!
It happens to everyone at some point, we get injured. Injury brings garden progress to a halt. All those plans for fruit tree pruning, rose pruning, turning compost piles, etc., stop dead while injuries heal. Or do they? I recently had a little roller disco accident while celebrating a friend's 40th birthday. I think it's needless to say, at this point, that "40th" and "roller disco" probably shouldn't be uttered in the same sentence. But it happened, and I've been…
Prepping your beds for spring is the most important task a gardener can do before planting..
Squirrels will take a bite out of every single piece of fruit on your nectarine tree if they can. Here are some tips to keep them from getting their in the first place.
Now that we've finished combing through the pile of seed catalogs that came in the mail over the holidays, we've made our list of new seeds we'll be planting this spring. It's a Gardenerd tradition to share our new seed favorites for each year. Let 2015 be no exception. Several of our selections came to us via seed saving: Marina di Chioggia David King at the Seed Library of Los Angeles handed out wedges of Marina di Chioggia squash last…
I get this question all the time: how do you know when broccoli is ready to harvest? The answer is in your fingertips. You can tell when to harvest broccoli by touching the head, or bud (that's what broccoli is, a cluster of flower buds), and squeezing. If the head is firm and tight, and about the diameter that is expected for the variety you've grown, it's ready to pick. If the head gives when you squeeze it, or there…
This tip comes from Organic Gardening magazine and Jeff Cox’s book 100 Greatest Gardening Ideas.
Every year we experiment with growing a new grain, not only to enjoy it in the kitchen, but to generate biomass for the compost bin. This year we chose White Sonora Wheat, and heirloom wheat. According to Slow Food USA, White Sonora is "one of the oldest surviving wheat varieties anywhere in North America. Predating the Red Fife and Turkish Red wheat." Even small space gardeners can grow grains. In our 4x4 bed, the yield isn't high enough for a…
You would never know how different honey can taste from hive to hive until you've tasted a few samples side by side. It's astounding, really. The flavor profiles range from grassy to floral to fruity, just like a good wine or chocolate. This past Sunday, beekeepers from all around submitted their honey for the Honeylove Honey Tasting Competition. There were jars sent from as far away as Nepal and as close by as our backyard. 17 samples in all, and…
Take a look at some of our favorite winter pie recipies for Nation Pie Day.