Gardenerd's Organic Gardening Blog

Where's Gardenerd? In a Hinau tree (Elaeocarpus dentatus) at a local park.

Where’s Gardenerd: Spring in New Zealand!

Imagine our joy when we saw the first photos documenting Where's Gardenerd popping up in New Zealand last week. Perfect timing because it's spring in the Southern Hemisphere, and gardens are going gangbusters there. David Scully took the challenge and ran with it. He took Gardenerd to local parks and rivers to share with us armchair travelers the flora and fauna of New Zealand. He posted his adventures on Instagram through his feed @David_Suclly. Check this out: Apparently a Dragon…

Post author:Christy
Post published: December 1, 2015
Post category:Blog Where’s Gardenerd?
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Pruning Bulbs and Grasses

Time to do some Fall cleaning to help support the coming months

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 27, 2015
Post category:Blog
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In progress. Hauling in the mammoth raised beds.

Design: Tall Beds for Deep Roots

We recently completed a new garden installation in Sherman Oaks, CA, where a homeowner wanted tall raised beds to remind her of her garden in Oregon. Stately, tall beds with plenty of root space for veggies to grow big and strong. Gardenerd was happy to oblige. The space was already mapped out with a foundation of decomposed granite. So we knew drainage would be great. Located near the family pool, the garden would be out of the way enough to…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 25, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Parsnips, carrots, a purple sweet potato and Yukon potato

Thanksgiving Dishes from the Garden

In a pinch about what to make this Thanksgiving? Let Gardenerd help you. We've got a stash of recipes using all your favorite fall-harvest crops. Revisit a few Gardenerd Gazettes and you'll have more than enough for your Thanksgiving table. When it comes to Thanksgiving dishes it's really about the sides. Roasted veggies, garlicky greens, new potatoes, sweet potatoes! Check out these recipes to fill your menu with color and home-grown goodness. Root Vegetable Jambalaya – okay, not at all…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 24, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Save the Tomatoes?

Tomatoes need temperatures above 70 degrees to set fruit.

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 20, 2015
Post category:Blog
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Proven Winners plants came to the door one day.

Proven Winners Winner

Not to brag or anything, but apparently that's what I am: a Proven Winners winner. I won 8 plants from Proven Winners and a set of Corona pruners at the Garden Writers Association Symposium back in September. Rather than ship the plants in spring (which is what they usually do) I convinced Team Proven Winner that perennials are best planted in Southern California in the fall. They were game. So last week I opened the door to find a box…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 18, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

The new raised beds are still in a little bit of shade, but in the sunniest part of the yard. Surrounded by fruit trees and native plants.

Design: Front Yard Veggie Garden

We've been hard at work helping people get rid of their lawns in favor of edible front yard landscapes instead. Our latest garden is located inland where temperatures are high in summer, but large trees create a lot of shade; two conditions less than ideal for growing food. This new front yard veggie garden works around all that. The homeowners, both rabbis, wanted to incorporate as many of the Seven Mystic Fruits of Israel into their garden as would fit.…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 17, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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What to Plant with Onions

Tuck green onions in between other crops, grow shallots next to your chard.

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 13, 2015
Post category:Blog
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Jade is hard to kill.

Ask Gardenerd: Winter Care for Succulents

This week's question is a good one: "Hi and thank you in advance for your help. I live in Texas and have a lot of succulents in pots (20) and other things in the ground like cannas. Question is: how to keep them alive through winter? Get some kind of tarps or bring them into the house or invest in a small greenhouse if so what kind? Thanks!!" Winter in Texas can be brutal, and like many places, you may…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 11, 2015
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
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All-blue, russet and red potatoes are jewels from the garden.

The Martian and His Potatoes…and Mistakes

Everyone, I mean everyone told me, "You must see The Martian. He grows potatoes on Mars." So I went. It was well done, except for a couple things: 1) No one could possibly stay that positive in those circumstances, and 2) His potato-growing experiment most assuredly would have failed. Walking out of the theater, my husband asked how accurate the potato farming was. After counting on my fingers the errors made, his first words were, "They should've asked you." Let's…

Post author:Christy
Post published: November 10, 2015
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments