What's Growin' On Archives - Page 65 of 142

Discoloration and thinning of the stem right above soil level is a sign of damping off.

Damping Off – What to do?

The most exciting thing in the garden this time of year is the ritual of starting seeds for fall, but nothing bursts your bubble like damping off. What is damping off? It's when seedlings are overtaken by a pathogen (a fungus or mold) that damages them to the point of failure. Let's take a closer look. Damping Off Sucks When you put moisture, soil, and light together, you get germination. You may also get diseases. Damping off occurs under a…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 26, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Different seeds that can be pressed for oils.

Field Trip: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – Pt. 3 – Knowledge Passed Down

During my time at the Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello, I took a few classes. It was more like I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to gather as much information as possible from the abundance of classes on offer. In two days, I learned 3 ways to grow your own sweet potato slips, how to process seeds for home-grown oil, how to use every part of okra, and I heard an inspiring talk about…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 19, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The West Indian Gherkin was first planted in Jefferson's garden in 1812. We brought home seeds to try on this latitude.

Field Trip: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – Pt. 2 – Veggies and Fruits

Now for the good stuff: specific crops grown at Monticello. Some of these veggies and fruits date back to 1774 when Jefferson first planted the crop. We brought home a few seed packets (who could resist) to try them out in the Gardenerd Test Garden. Before we get started here are a few fun facts: Garden staff have successfully harvested artichokes 13 out of the 21 years that they have been grown at Monticello.They are also growing cardoons.Jefferson's favorite herb…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 13, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Field Trip: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – Part 1 – The Garden

I didn't think I had a bucket list until I realized I hadn't yet been to Monticello. That was nearly 10 years ago. Last weekend, I ticked Monticello off the bucket list. It was worth the wait in every way imaginable. Thomas Jefferson's 5,000 acre estate in Charlottesville, VA was his home during the latter part of his life (from age 76-83) after being the first Secretary of State, the second Vice President, and the third President of the United…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 12, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Basils, chives, sage, oregano, thyme and parsley all grow well in containers.

Design: Productive Patio Garden

We specialize in small-space biointensive gardening here at Gardenerd, so we get a lot of calls to install patio gardens from eager folks with limited space and sunlight. Our latest patio garden project gave the homeowner an herb garden, a space for veggies, and a few new fruit and berry crops in a small space. The homeowner has 2 children who were interested in eating home-grown veggies. They also like to play basketball and jump on a trampoline, so most…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 6, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Fresh goji berries! A treat we didn't know would grow well here. Apparently they grow well in containers.

Wordless Wednesday: Keep Going!

Summer winds down and our thoughts turn to fall gardening, or for some, the end of the season. Sometimes it's hard to move forward when all we want to do is take a nap or escape to some far-off place. But the cycle continues; there is no rest for the gardener. Along the way, we can pause to enjoy the beauty of the summer garden. In honor of those affected by Hurricane Harvey, here's a little inspiration to keep going.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 30, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Bee-friendly plants from around the world, and ways to create habitat for pollinators in your yard.

Plan Your Bee-Friendly Garden

Today's post includes an infographic sent by Budget Direct down under. It shares how to create a bee-friendly garden for your local pollinator population. While here at Gardenerd we always recommend starting with native plants for your particular climate and hardiness zone, here are plants from around the world that will help keep bees and other pollinators well-fed during the year. Plan your fall garden to include some of these bee-friendly plants. Next spring you'll have all the pollinators you…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 29, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Al Gore talked with the films producers.

#BeInconvenient

With the recent release of Al Gore's The Inconvenient Sequel, and the recent news of America's exit from the Paris Climate Accord, it seems appropriate to focus on what we can do to reduce our carbon footprint once again. While companies like Tesla tackle the automobile industry and fossil fuel dependency, we gardeners and farmers can hone in on soil carbon sequestration. I had the pleasure of sitting 1 row away from Al Gore during an interview after a screening…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 16, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Kiara Boone (not Pamela who is pictured above) shared the importance of acknowledging our nation's history.

Review: Soil Summit 2.0 – Terroir

Last week I attended the Urban Soil Summit 2.0, a deeper look into soil and how to bring it back to life. This year's theme was Terroir, a sense of place. Terroir encompasses the environmental conditions (soil, terrain, water, climate) that effect the flavor of whatever is grown there. For the Urban Soil Summit 2.0 humans are very much included in terroir. Two days of mind-blowing, bigger-than-us discussion is difficult to summarize. For those not familiar with the Urban Soil…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 15, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Winnetka Purple Artichoke is ready to check for seeds.

Wordless Wednesday: The Waning Garden

August is a time of abandonment. We want to leave town, and our garden can look less than stellar as punishing heat dries up the soil. At least that's the case here in Los Angeles. Late planting (in late June/early July) brings some life to the garden as hot weather crops take off. The harvest is bountiful, and it is a time to watch nature's circle of life round the corner.

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 9, 2017
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:3 Comments