Read more about the article Growing Watermelons and Melons

Growing Watermelons and Melons

Continue ReadingGrowing Watermelons and Melons

I've never had much luck growing watermelons in our coastal climate. The plants usually succumb to powdery mildew before they really get going and the result is little melons or no fruit at all.   This year I tried something different and have seen great results. Apparently, it's all about timing.

Watermelons like hot weather to mature, in fact according to the University of Ohio, they need daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees. (While we're at it, soil pH is preferred between 6.0 ...

Read more about the article Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

Continue ReadingBlack Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

The Three Sisters garden is a Native American planting technique that consists of beans, corn and squash. The corn is planted first, and when it reaches 2 feet tall, pole beans are planted around the corn. The beans use the corn as a trellis to climb. Then squash (usually pumpkins) are planted around the base of the corn and beans to provide shade so the sun won't dry out the soil. It's been done for centuries... let's see how I can screw it up.

The corn part went well. It's the beans that ...

Read more about the article Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

Continue ReadingTomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

We have a tradition with a longtime friend in which we gather together, bringing our best tomatoes each season, to share in the bounty of the summer harvest. We slice them with care and taste each variety to determine our favorites. There is olive oil and salt, a little basil, and very good bread on hand. Each time we've done a tasting we have come away with a new favorite. This year was no exception.

We gathered in the garden with our contributions and began with show and tell. My husband and ...

Read more about the article Culver City Garden Show Review

Culver City Garden Show Review

Continue ReadingCulver City Garden Show Review

This past Saturday I wandered through the 58th Annual Culver City Garden Show. I had never been there before, and what a fun time it was. Gardenerds abounded with booths selling plants and plant-related items. Master Gardeners were present to answer gardening questions. The California Native Plant Society was on hand to talk about native plants and plant care. But my favorite part, of course, was the vegetable and fruit display.

There were contests for the best fruits and most obscure vegetables. This table below featured ...

Solar Flax Chips

Continue ReadingSolar Flax Chips

We're constantly trying to replicate store-bought treats in the Gardenerd kitchen, and this week we successfully tackled raw flax chips/crackers. We did it all in the solar food dryer too - so the entire experiment was carbon neutral! 

If you are looking for a substitute for potato chips or any other salty snack, you've got to try these flax chips. They are nutritious and delicious - it's hard to eat just one. Here's how we did it:


The Recipe - ...

Harvesting Triticale (and other grains)

Continue ReadingHarvesting Triticale (and other grains)

August means harvest time, and even in a small garden there's plenty of work to do to bring garden treasures in for the season. Harvesting grains can be a bit time consuming, but it is particularly satisfying when the process is over. After all the chaff is removed, you have a finished product that can be used to make cereals, breads, pie crusts, and other baked goods through winter.

We grew triticale this spring and just harvested it this week. Now it's time to prepare it for the ...

End of content

No more pages to load

Newer Posts
Older Posts