This is my second year growing quinoa, and it occurred to me that I hadn't documented the process yet. So - without further delay...
How to grow quinoa:
The first thing you need to know is that while quinoa seed heads are covered in saponin (a natural soap that keeps birds from eating them), the seeds that you plant are somehow going to be
completely appetizing to birds in ...
One of the great delights about gardening is growing something for the first time. Each season, we plant new varieties or a veggie we've never grown before to see what it's like. In our test garden so far, we've planted and enjoyed asparagus (3 years ago), brown mustard seeds , quinoa (details forthcoming), garbanzo beans (stayed for a blog on that) and popping ...
If there's an inherent addition in my family, it's popcorn. Start at the top of the bowl and eat until you hit bottom. That's how it goes. My father went so
far as to buy the top of the line popper, special popcorn salt, and yes, even figured out to how keep buttered pop corn fresh until the next morning (hair of the dog).
As part of an effort to grow more compost crops we decided to try ...
My first experience making lavender ice cream several years ago did not end well. As mentioned in a previous blog entry, I somehow released all the camphor in the blossoms and ended up with Vicks Vapo-Rub ice cream. Since then I've vowed to attempt another batch, but it wasn't until our trip to Ojai in June that I discovered what to do differently. In case you missed that trip to the U-Pick day at
During the Dwell on Design conference, I was fortunate to be asked to participate on a panel with two other gals about community and school gardens. One of the ladies, Hynden Walch, was the founder of the Hillside Produce Cooperative, which is a monthly free food exchange that helps distribute the surplus in a given community. She pointed me in the direction of Naomi Curland, who started the Westside version of this ...
Last week I was interviewed by Bruce Boyers of Organic Connections Magazine. He wanted to know how Gardenerd got started and why we're doing
all this food-growing stuff. Check out the article here:
The Gardenerd: Grow Your Own Organic
...
This past Saturday, August 7, was our very first Summer Potluck and Seed Exchange.
In our last episode, our protagonist was struggling to understand where excessive zinc levels came from in her garden soil. In case you missed it, you can read about it here: Can You Pass the Soil Test?
This week, we explore the world of phytoremediation as a possible solution. What the heck is that, you ask? To answer that question, let's go back ...
Thanks to our fabulous Nicole and her endeavors in PR, our upcoming Summer Harvest Potluck and Seed Exchange got a mention on the LA Times
blog this morning. Check it out and come join us for fun and food in the summer sun!
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/07/gardenerd-garden-nerd-seed-exchange.html
For more details, visit the Gardenerd Website.
Happy Gardening!
One of the best ways to celebrate the bountiful harvest of summer is to get together with friends. Just imagine platters of veggies grilled
to perfection, mounds of fresh tomatoes ready for eating, and slices of watermelon - the quintessential summer fruit - all lined up on a table amongst friends.
Now picture another table blanketed with seed packets, with small envelopes nearby. You see a vegetable variety that you've been dying to try in your garden. ...