This year has been the most challenging gardening year for us here at Gardenerd HQ. Even with dozens of rat traps, our cat Mittens, and night vision cameras, we're still losing to rats this year. But that makes the harvest we do get all the more delicious.
Much like our recent lettuce video, we took to YouTube to share our Favorite Basil Varieties. Each year we grow at least 8 different types and you can do. Just want this video and jot down the names of these beautiful, leafy green herbs.
Back in April we spoke with a fellow Great Grow Along speaker, Wendy Kiang-Spray about growing and cooking with Asian vegetables. Wendy is the author of The Chinese Kitchen Garden: Growing Techniques and Family Recipes for a Classic Cuisine. She's a speaker and inspirational garden blogger, and she just lived through the cicada emergence in Maryland.
Cooking from the garden is one of the most satisfying treats any day, but this Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte pushes that satisfaction to the next level.
Back in 2014, we took a field trip to The Little Farm, a 2 acre private residence in the Valley in Southern California. Clive Segil is a rare fruit grower, and he transformed his sloped parcel into a jam packed, productive jungle with a menagerie of livestock and fruit trees. In our latest YouTube video, we return to see what has changed since we were there last.
This week we're delighted and honored to have Ira Wallace as a guest on the Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast. Ira is co-owner of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and is a well-known seed saver and educator.
I don't know about you, gardenerds, but the pest population here in Los Angeles has exploded this spring/summer. We're experiencing rats like never before (emboldened by our absence over 2020, no doubt). White flies are absolutely everywhere, and leaf hoppers are abundant.
"What are the best seeds to save for beginners?" asked one of our YouTube subscribers. Seed saving is a huge topic, and it can be overwhelming. So we were happy to do this video on Seed Saving for Beginners to narrow the search to just a few types of plants from which to save seeds.
Our guest this week is Matt Rees-Warren, author of The Ecological Gardener: How to Create Beauty & Biodiversity from the Soil Up. He chats with Christy from his home in England about how we can reduce plastic, conserve resources, and create ecosystems in our gardens.
Let's take a look at the 2021 Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Guide.