What's Growin' On Archives - Page 112 of 136

When 1+1=10: Harvesting Potatoes

Garden math breaks the rules. It's one of the only places where things multiply without the need for a calculator, or the stress of bubble tests or sweaty palms. Possibly the best example of garden math is the potato. Plant one, get many.

Spring is a great time to plant potatoes, and lucky for us, spring is coming soon. In warmer climates, you can also plant potatoes in the fall. That's what we did last October with a couple of scary potatoes left in the pantry too long. Yesterday we ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 2, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:5 Comments

Ladybugs – Nature’s Aphid Brigade

For some unknown reason, my Swiss chard is covered - no, make that enveloped - with aphids. I have fed the plants with worm castings and compost and worm tea. I have sprayed them off with a strong hose blast. I have squished the aphids with my bare fingers. I have pleaded and begged for them to go away, to no avail.

My next plan, as a last resort before pulling out the chard, would be to try laying down a layer of tin foil around the base of each plant, to reflect ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 27, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:6 Comments

False Garlic – you lie, you lie, you lie.

I don't know where it comes from, but it shows up in the strangest places. Unannounced, just after the rain, it pokes its slender leaves up through the soil to bring terror to the fastidious gardener. I'm talking about false garlic.

False garlic (Nothoscordum borbonicum Kunth) is found primarily in California, Oregon and the Southeastern states, as well as some warmer parts of Europe. It's pretty, but don't be deceived. This little bugger will infest a garden and is ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 20, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:15 Comments

Chinese New Year at Bellagio Gardens

The place mat before me says, "Luckiest of all signs, you are also talented and articulate. Affectionate, yet shy, you seek peace throughout your life." This is the fortune for someone born in the Year of the Rabbit.

2011 celebrates the Rabbit once again; something that happens every 12 years according to the Chinese Zodiac. Technically, Chinese New Year starts on February 3, but Bellagio Gardens got a head start. I took a stroll through the garden to witness the bigger-than-life display honoring the Rabbit and the New Year.
...

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 12, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Seed Catalog Highlights

I love the sound of seed catalogs dropping into the mailbox. There's a particular "clunk" of distinctive heft that only a thick garden catalog can make. I keep a pen close at hand as I dog-ear the pages and circle interesting new varieties, dreaming of their vibrance in the garden.

This year heirloom varieties are popping up all over. The hunt for biodiversity is on, and we're part of the plan for preservation. If you are into seed-saving, here are ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 5, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

New Year’s Resolutions for the Gardenerd

I'm generally not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions, but rather like to make "gentle intentions" instead. It just feels kinder and gentler, and less likely to fail. This year, however, I'm feeling a little more assertive, at least where the garden is concerned. So without further adieu, here are a few New Year's Resolutions for the garden in 2011:

Heal the Sick - I will diligently ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 4, 2011
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:3 Comments

Growing Broccoli – Italian Style

Each year it's exciting to try growing new things. This fall we planted an Italian broccoli previously unexplored: Cavolo Broccolo a Getti di Napoli

That's a mouthful. Basically it means that it's a broccoli from Southern Italy, specifically Naples, that has a sprouting behavior. "Getti" literally means "jets" in Italian. It shoots out little heads of broccoli, but more than that, the leaves are edible!

Broccolo a Getti di Napoli seeds

I picked up these seeds at the LA Garden Show at the ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 16, 2010
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments

A Gardenerd’s Wish List, 2010

Each year it is a family tradition to form a wish list in October for holiday gift-giving ease. Inevitably, my wish list gravitates toward garden gear. I'm sure my family is sick of it by now, but when you're a gardener, what else do you need?

It has become a Gardenerd tradition to share the wish list on the blog, not to solicit gifts, but to revert back to childhood and dream big together. Here's what I hope Santa brings this year:

Patriot Electric ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 15, 2010
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

Kidney Bean Bonanza

With cool weather upon us, it's time for soups and stews. What better way to showcase the often-neglected kidney bean (it's not just for the salad bar) than to highlight some of our favorite dishes made with this crimson legume?

I'll confess, I didn't grow kidney beans this summer, but I will someday. In the meanwhile, we buy them dry and soak them overnight to make great meals. We cook them for about 15 minutes in a pressure cooker and voila! Perfect beans.

Cooked ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 9, 2010
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:0 Comments

MacGyver me this: Broken Watering Can Rose

There isn't much that can't be fixed with duct tape. Garden tools are no exception. While I wouldn't trust a loose-headed pick-axe after wrapping it with several rounds of shiny silver duct tape, I would trust it to fix my reliable yet cheap, plastic Rite-Aid watering can with a broken rose attachment.

Plastic is, as we know, forever. Except in the case when it photo-degrades. Plastic pots or tools become brittle and cracked, and eventually useless for their intended purpose. ...

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 8, 2010
Post category:What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments