Read more about the article Recipe: Plum Skillet Cake
Finished cake - the recipes says it's 4 servings. It really is 8.

Recipe: Plum Skillet Cake

Continue ReadingRecipe: Plum Skillet Cake

Back in July we were up to our eyeballs in Santa Rosa plums raining from our front yard tree. We ate as fast as we could, but still there were about 60 plums on the counter at any given time. Drastic measures needed to be taken. Enter Plum Skillet Cake. Martha Stewart is good for one thing if nothing else: ideas for excessive amounts of fruit. Her recipes for plums run the gamut, offering a plethora of options for the…

Read more about the article Growing Cowpeas (Black Eyed Peas)
A little more than 1/2 a cup of beans. We'll try again next year.

Growing Cowpeas (Black Eyed Peas)

Continue ReadingGrowing Cowpeas (Black Eyed Peas)

Cowpeas, or black-eyed peas, are a staple of Southern cuisine, but the pea (actually a bean) itself traces back to Africa, Southeast Asia and even Native American traditions. Last year we discovered a Native American heirloom called Tohono O'ohdam "U'us mu:n" cow peas.  Say that 10 times fast...if you can. This spring/summer we grew them out to see how they would do in our climate. Cowpeas, you should know, are available as both bush and pole varieties. Our packet of…

Read more about the article Growing Fish Peppers
Tiny flowers turn to fruit quickly

Growing Fish Peppers

Continue ReadingGrowing Fish Peppers

If you haven't guessed by now, we love growing heirlooms here at Gardenerd HQ. This year we were excited to try growing fish peppers. Both the fruit and leaves offer visual interest in the garden with variegated, cream-striped green pods, and white-mottled leaves that look like a beautiful mistake. Fish peppers also have a history dating back to the 1800s, with African-American culinary roots tracing back to the 1940s. Hot white sauces made from these young fruits kick up the…

Read more about the article Pruning Tomatoes
Young tomatoes in cages - Rule #1: give them proper support

Pruning Tomatoes

Continue ReadingPruning Tomatoes

Today we have a guest post from James White, a self-described kombucha tea-sipping blogger who focuses on green building and sustainable living via his family blog Homey Improvements. He's offering advice on how to prune tomatoes for those who are pruning-averse. Take it away James! How to Prune Tomatoes The first year I planted tomatoes they all died. Year after year, I’ve made every mistake you possibly can when it comes to tomatoes but I’ve learned so much that now I…

Read more about the article Revisiting the Huntington Ranch
Edible landscapes of a different sort have taken over the Ranch

Revisiting the Huntington Ranch

Continue ReadingRevisiting the Huntington Ranch

Back in 2010 we attended the grand opening of the Huntington Ranch, a secret garden of sorts outside the normal sites to see at the Huntington Library and Gardens. In its infancy, the Huntington Ranch promised to bring back the original use (and nostalgia) of the early days of the Huntington, when fruit orchards and vegetable gardens were in center focus on the property. Now, 5 years later, the Ranch is all grown up. Unrecognizable from its early installation days.…

Read more about the article Growing and Harvesting Ground Cherries
Tiny tomatillo-like fruits are oddly sweet and savory at the same time.

Growing and Harvesting Ground Cherries

Continue ReadingGrowing and Harvesting Ground Cherries

It's always great to discover you can grow something in  your climate that you didn't think was possible before. This is true of ground cherries for me. Until this spring, they were a mystery to me, relegated to northern climates, or so I thought. Then a friend sent seeds from Canada and I couldn't resist the opportunity to see how they would do in a completely different latitude. Ground cherries, otherwise known as Physalis, are in the nightshade family and…

Read more about the article Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 2
Compost ingredients

Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 2

Continue ReadingSoil Food Web Intensive – Part 2

In our last episode, we shared the wonders of Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web Intensive course. Today, we'll continue with more tidbits and tricks that will help you build better compost (and compost tea) for a healthier garden. In my opinion, every gardener should have a compost bin. It's not only the best way to reduce what goes in the garbage, it's the best way to improve your soil for all eternity. What is compost? I've said it before,…

Read more about the article Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 1
Soil Food Web

Soil Food Web Intensive – Part 1

Continue ReadingSoil Food Web Intensive – Part 1

I've just returned from spending 5 glorious days with Dr. Elaine Ingham, the soil microbiologist who coined the term "Soil Food Web." It was, indeed, intense. Even though I'd been circling this information since 2009 when I saw Jeff Lowenfels speak about the Soil Food Web and his then upcoming book, Teaming with Microbes, at the San Fransisco Garden Show, there's nothing like getting it from the source. Dr. Elaine Ingham has been solving soil issues around the world, soil…

Read more about the article Growing Turban Squash
Female flowers create a fruit that's flat on one side.

Growing Turban Squash

Continue ReadingGrowing Turban Squash

Turban squash, also known as Turk's Cap, is a winter squash that is so alluring it steals focus from pumpkins any day. We pilfered one from the Heirloom Expo last year, saved the seeds, and grew them out this spring. Not knowing how the squash was grown (whether it was grown the proper distance from other squash varieties of the same species to prevent cross pollination or not), we took our chances to see what we would get. So far,…

Read more about the article Design: Balcony Garden Joy
She'll guide cucumbers and pole beans up the trellis this summer.

Design: Balcony Garden Joy

Continue ReadingDesign: Balcony Garden Joy

Small space gardening is our specialty here at Gardenerd. We like making the most of tiny gardens, and our latest project was no exception. Using pre-fab products, we turned a plain old balcony into a farm-for-one in Hermosa Beach, CA. You can do this too. Here's how: The Balcony The client's balcony was tiny, to say the least. 2 outdoor seats and some pots with succulents took up much of the space. The client was so excited about growing some…

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