It's magical to come home after a vacation to find that the garden has not taken any time off. We get used to looking at our gardens everyday,
so we don't notice the changes as much as when we take a break and return to find a bumper crop waiting to be harvested.
That's exactly what happened last month when we took a trip to Europe. We came home to beets, kale, lettuces, Swiss chard and more. In ...
After last week's Tip of the Week on beets, it got me thinking about red velvet cake. Where did it come from? How was it made before the introduction of Red #40? A quick search revealed that prior to the availability of more alkaline "Dutch processed cocoa", bakers could count on the reaction between cocoa and acidic ingredients like vinegar or buttermilk to create a red tinge to the ...
The latest post from Mar Vista's Bounty Hunter is ready for your perusal. Find some hidden gems in the local artisan scene (with websites
included for those farther away) for great gifts this holiday season:
Gift Ideas from the Mar Vista Farmers' Market
...
This one's for Angelinos. If you're in the mood to watch a few soul-inspiring films and do some eco-conscious holiday shopping, be sure to
check out the Third Annual Los Angeles Film Premiere next Thursday night, December 8th,
from 7-10 p.m.
Green Living Project has partnered with Green Drinks and Green ...
It might seem odd to go to Europe to celebrate an American holiday, but when your American relatives live there, Thanksgiving must travel.
One of the benefits of traveling to other countries at different times of the year is getting the chance to see foreign vegetables and fruits of the season. We visited Umbria, Italy in May of this
year and found some beautiful offerings there. Our visit to Rome this November
offered even more.
Campo dei Fiori's ...
Got a sweet tooth? These French macarons fit the bill. See what's new at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market:
France Meets Mar Vista with Local Macarons
...
One of the benefits of participating in the Westside Produce Exchange is that,
while you never know what you're going to get, you can usually count on something new and unusual. This month's Exchange featured Jerusalem Artichokes.
The participants stood in a cluster, staring down at these knobby roots (tubers actually) wondering 1) what are they? and 2) what do we do with them? The answers that followed were as colorful
as the questions.
4 ...
It's time to start thinking about the future, and whether that's the upcoming holiday season or next year's garden, Gardenerd is here to motivate you. What better way to start the ball rolling than a
tour through the new 2012 Spring/Summer Seed Collection?
Each year we select our favorite heirloom varieties, or coveted heirlooms that we've been dying to grow. We choose a trusted seed source that takes the Safe Seed Pledge and promotes bio-diversity by
offering heirloom and open pollinated varieties that you can grow, save and plant again year after year. ...
Fall is the time to start thinking about next year's fruit, mainly because bare root fruit trees and cane berries will soon be in stock. Most seed companies and nurseries encourage you to order early
for deliveries that start in January, and their supply sells out quickly. So now is the time.
Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply has always been my go-to place for bare root fruit trees
and cane berries (no, I don't get any kickbacks for promoting them, I just love these guys). The folks at ...
October was a busy month for garden design, as Southern California gardeners became excited about fall gardening. Our most recent project already had an existing vegetable bed, but the homeowner
wanted more space to grow, and less grass to mow. We took it from there.
The existing garden bed was infiltrated with devil's grass, crawling its way up through 18 inches of fecund soil. Crabgrass surrounded two young fruit trees, potentially hampering future growth. The
homeowner wanted berries and had an ideal location along a neighboring garage wall.
...