Preparing for Blight
Every year blight can be an issue for your garden
Easter Traditions
Check out Easter traditions from around the world.
A volunteer tomato sprouted from under our compost storage tub.
Volunteers: Nature’s Helpers
This time of year, we have a lot of sprouts popping up in odd places. We didn't plant them, they are "volunteers." Volunteers are a godsend in filling in spaces around the yard with spring flowers, extra lettuces, and even the best tomatoes you'll ever grow. We call them "Nature's slap in the face" because they do better than most of the plants we've cultivated on purpose. They don't need much help from us, and so they tend to be…
A loquat tree with cages of cotton hanging about
Native Garden Tour- Part 2: The coolest thing ever
Plants are interesting. Birds are interesting. Put them together and you get a Xerces Society Certified Pollinator Habitat. Last week on the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour, we started off with a jaw dropping experience in Beverly Hills that was worthy of its own blog post. It was the coolest thing ever. For those who missed the first installment of this tour, read up and come back. Okay, now onward. The first stop on the tour lent mystery before…
Contaminated Soil?
Perform soil tests to check for contaminates where you grow
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YouTube: How to Plant Tomatoes
It's tomato season, and we've got ours in the ground already. It may be early for some, but we're experiencing 80 degree days this week, so we took a chance and were so bold as to plant tomatoes (18 of them). Crossing our fingers to avoid early blight (and late blight...and rats, etc.) Maybe this will be a great tomato year. For those who missed the recent newsletter with step by step instructions for planting tomatoes, or for those who…
Dendromecon Hartfordii and it's cousin, Dendromecon rigida are sunny additions to any California native garden.
Native Garden Tour – Part 1: Great Plants for Pollinators
I was gifted two tickets to the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour this past weekend and set out with my co-chair for the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase to see what native plants people are growing in Los Angeles right now. We came away with a few new favorites and some terrific experiences. Native plants, no matter where you live, are great plants for pollinators. They support wildlife of all kinds with food and shelter, and more importantly, they…
Fun with Native Plants
Learn about native plants and which ones are in your region
Climate Change Round Up (AKA Things I Care About)
#Climate Change was trending on Twitter yesterday. As gardenerds, we don't need Twitter to point out the changes in seasonal behavior. We can spot when things are off. Things are definitely off. Mudslides, more intense icy winters, more frequent flooding, bigger storms--these are all the signs that our planet is out of balance. Signs now point to the notion that we're beyond help, the window has closed, it's too late and there's nothing we can do. The talk now is…
Grow plants under grow lights through winter. Start seeds too.
Keys to Lighting Your Indoor Gardening System
Today's guest post is from Chris Wimmer, an urban hydroponic hobbyist who uses hydroponics to maximize his 400 square foot yard and extend the short Chicago growing season. Chris blogs about how to start growing with hydroponics at HealthSmartLiving. Today he's offering his advice for growing with indoor lighting. Take it away Chris! Keys to Lighting Your Indoor Gardening System Indoor gardening is a great way to grow vegetables, herbs, and other flowering plants year round. One of the biggest…