Read more about the article Toddler Garden
Mostly started from nursery transplants to make it easy for beginning gardeners. We did plant seeds for radishes and carrots though.

Toddler Garden

Continue ReadingToddler Garden

It's important for kids to know where their food comes from, so here at Gardenerd we like to start them young. Really young, in the case of this recent garden installation. A two-year-old was about to get a younger sibling, so her parents wanted to give her something small to call her own: a toddler garden. Naturally, we needed to keep it simple for both child and parents. They'll have their hands full, so this garden needed to be self-sufficient…

Read more about the article Garden New Year’s Resolutions 2016
Rare, but becoming more available, Glass Gem Popping Corn is one to grow in 2016.

Garden New Year’s Resolutions 2016

Continue ReadingGarden New Year’s Resolutions 2016

I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. High expectations at the beginning of the year often lead to disappointment in a short time, once life steps in to remind us why we didn’t check off those resolutions last year. I’d rather make a list of hopes and aspirations for the year instead. Then each accomplishment is a celebration when achieved. We had a very busy 2015 here at Gardenerd, so the goal for this year is balance. Here…

Read more about the article Design: Therapeutic Garden For Recovery
A mixture of lettuces and kale, planted from nursery transplants, allow residents to see the difference between starting from seed and buying from the nursery.

Design: Therapeutic Garden For Recovery

Continue ReadingDesign: Therapeutic Garden For Recovery

Every once in awhile we get to be part of something big. Build a garden that really makes a difference. This is one of those gardens. For those who've never heard about "horticultural therapy," take a look at the latest garden we installed in October. It's a therapeutic garden for recovery. Horticultural therapy is all about engaging people in the act of gardening to improve well-being. We garden for health, well-being, and sanity, right? Horticultural therapy goes a little farther,…

Read more about the article Yes, Virginia, There is a Winter Garden
Multicolored carrots include Yellowstone, Cosmic Purple and Scarlet Nantes

Yes, Virginia, There is a Winter Garden

Continue ReadingYes, Virginia, There is a Winter Garden

So many people are shocked to discover that you can grow food in winter. In many places, where the ground freezes, it is more challenging but still possible. In warm-winter climates like Los Angeles, it's a piece of cake. Folks flock to Hollywood from other parts of the country, for stardom, yes, but mainly for the weather. If you've never grown a winter garden, let's start now. It's December, and for colder locations it's too late to plant, so take…

Read more about the article Design: Tall Beds for Deep Roots
In progress. Hauling in the mammoth raised beds.

Design: Tall Beds for Deep Roots

Continue ReadingDesign: Tall Beds for Deep Roots

We recently completed a new garden installation in Sherman Oaks, CA, where a homeowner wanted tall raised beds to remind her of her garden in Oregon. Stately, tall beds with plenty of root space for veggies to grow big and strong. Gardenerd was happy to oblige. The space was already mapped out with a foundation of decomposed granite. So we knew drainage would be great. Located near the family pool, the garden would be out of the way enough to…

Read more about the article Thanksgiving Dishes from the Garden
Parsnips, carrots, a purple sweet potato and Yukon potato

Thanksgiving Dishes from the Garden

Continue ReadingThanksgiving Dishes from the Garden

In a pinch about what to make this Thanksgiving? Let Gardenerd help you. We've got a stash of recipes using all your favorite fall-harvest crops. Revisit a few Gardenerd Gazettes and you'll have more than enough for your Thanksgiving table. When it comes to Thanksgiving dishes it's really about the sides. Roasted veggies, garlicky greens, new potatoes, sweet potatoes! Check out these recipes to fill your menu with color and home-grown goodness. Root Vegetable Jambalaya – okay, not at all…

Read more about the article Proven Winners Winner
Proven Winners plants came to the door one day.

Proven Winners Winner

Continue ReadingProven Winners Winner

Not to brag or anything, but apparently that's what I am: a Proven Winners winner. I won 8 plants from Proven Winners and a set of Corona pruners at the Garden Writers Association Symposium back in September. Rather than ship the plants in spring (which is what they usually do) I convinced Team Proven Winner that perennials are best planted in Southern California in the fall. They were game. So last week I opened the door to find a box…

Read more about the article Design: Front Yard Veggie Garden
The new raised beds are still in a little bit of shade, but in the sunniest part of the yard. Surrounded by fruit trees and native plants.

Design: Front Yard Veggie Garden

Continue ReadingDesign: Front Yard Veggie Garden

We've been hard at work helping people get rid of their lawns in favor of edible front yard landscapes instead. Our latest garden is located inland where temperatures are high in summer, but large trees create a lot of shade; two conditions less than ideal for growing food. This new front yard veggie garden works around all that. The homeowners, both rabbis, wanted to incorporate as many of the Seven Mystic Fruits of Israel into their garden as would fit.…

Read more about the article The Martian and His Potatoes…and Mistakes
All-blue, russet and red potatoes are jewels from the garden.

The Martian and His Potatoes…and Mistakes

Continue ReadingThe Martian and His Potatoes…and Mistakes

Everyone, I mean everyone told me, "You must see The Martian. He grows potatoes on Mars." So I went. It was well done, except for a couple things: 1) No one could possibly stay that positive in those circumstances, and 2) His potato-growing experiment most assuredly would have failed. Walking out of the theater, my husband asked how accurate the potato farming was. After counting on my fingers the errors made, his first words were, "They should've asked you." Let's…

Read more about the article Field Trip: More Italy!
Artichoke hearts sold fresh, floating in water.

Field Trip: More Italy!

Continue ReadingField Trip: More Italy!

There's nothing quite so exotic as a farmers market in a foreign country. You get to see the staples of the local diet on display. Here in the US, we see peppers and eggplant and tomatoes just like in Italy, but the varieties are different and there's so much more. Radicchio, fennel, porcini mushrooms and chestnuts are readily available at Italian farmers markets right now. Just remember, the rules there are different: don't touch the produce, tell the vendor what…

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