August is a time of abandonment. We want to leave town, and our garden can look less than stellar as punishing heat dries up the soil. At least that's the case here in Los Angeles. Late planting (in late June/early July) brings some life to the garden as hot weather crops take off. The harvest is bountiful, and it is a time to watch nature's circle of life round the corner.
Gardening is as much about cultural connection as it is about sustainability and sustenance. Once per year, a group of Maya farmers come to The Learning Garden in Venice, CA, to share the seeds of their culture. This year, farmers from Qachuu Aloom Association in Guatemala brought more than seed, they brought recipes for how to cook with amaranth seed and leaves. In short, they made us an Amaranth Torta and showed us how to do it ourselves. It's fascinating…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…