Let it be known that the kumquats are here. Lots of them. More than we know what to do with.
We planted a kumquat tree as an appetite suppressant for my husband. During "snack attack" moments, instead of opening the refrigerator, he wanders out to the front yard and eats a few kumquats. (He also drinks grapefruit juice for the same reason). The flavor is so powerful - that combination of tart and sweet - that he desires nothing for several hours after ...
Learn about some easy ways to integrate flowers into your meals with this week's tip.
Yes, Woolly School Gardens needs your vote, and I'll tell you about that in just a minute, but first a little story:
On Tuesday, June 1st, I had the opportunity to help install two Woolly School Gardens at two neighboring schools in downtown Los Angeles. Together with a team of Woolly gardeners, we filled Pockets with soil and planted food gardens for students to enjoy. We planted herbs like sage, chives (which some of the kids pronounced chee-vess), thyme, basil, rosemary and ...
Here's a recent question that came in last week:
"I have lots of shade but some sun in my front yard. Combination of city trees, large bushes I don't want to part with etc. I seem to remember a device that one can put in a spot to determine the amount of sun it gets per day. I want to try to incorporate veggies into the landscape and this would help tell me where. Do you know where I might find this and ...
If you have a bounty of strawberries around, here's a great use for them. Learn this quick recipe for strawberry jam in a jiffy.
Last fall 2009, I planted brown mustard seed as an experiment in the test garden. I wanted to see how much seed I would get for my favorite Indian food dishes from growing seed in 7 square feet. After the birds got their share of sprouts, I ended up with 7 or 8 plants that grew to fruition. I've waited until the harvest this spring to share the process with you.
The mustard ...
So you've got a worm bin. Now what? This week's tip shows you how to harvest your black gold.
Lightning in a Bottle is a festival that might be hard to describe. Some say that it's Burning Man with less dust, while others say that it's enchantment in a perfect blend of music, art, and funky people enjoying the outdoors. My experience of Lightning in a Bottle (back in 2008) was most profound in meeting a collection of forward-thinking people out to save the world with big new ideas.
This year, ...
Here's a question that came in last week:
"How can I speed up composting without spending a lot of money. Cover it with a tarp? Helga"
Hi Helga,
There are a few things you can do to try and speed up your compost production, and none of them cost money:
The first is to build a bigger pile - at least 3 x ...
Awhile ago, when I referenced a really cool article about using household supplies in your garden, I heard from the author himself, Greg Holdsworth of Plano, Texas. Since then we've been trading emails and sharing cool garden stuff. I asked Greg to be a guest blogger some day and he just sent me his latest publication. He's got some really good ideas to share here. Take ...