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…

Read more about the article Growing Jerusalem Artichokes

Growing Jerusalem Artichokes

Continue ReadingGrowing Jerusalem Artichokes

Back in December, we planted a handful of Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a. sunchokes) that had sprouted in the refrigerator. Having never grown them before, it was an experiment (as is much of what we do here at Gardenerd). We knew them to be invasive, so we opted to plant the tubers in a dilapidated container to keep them as contained as possible but still connected to the soil. The bottom was missing on the container, so there was still a chance…

Read more about the article Recipe: Caramel Blackberry Goat Milk Ice Cream
The finished product will be delicious and refreshing.

Recipe: Caramel Blackberry Goat Milk Ice Cream

Continue ReadingRecipe: Caramel Blackberry Goat Milk Ice Cream

Here's one for anyone who can't do cow. We recently discovered a raw goat milk vendor at our local farmers' market and decided that it was time to experiment with goat milk ice cream. Since blackberries are in season, it seemed like the perfect combination. Most recipes include a list of ingredients with eggs and cow's cream for a custard-style base. Since the whole point is to avoid cow's milk, we sought out a recipe using only goat milk...and found…

Read more about the article Harvesting Wheat
Grains and chaff waiting for winnowing.

Harvesting Wheat

Continue ReadingHarvesting Wheat

We grew White Sonora Wheat over winter, and now that it's May in Southern California, it is time to harvest. Our 4x4 foot raised bed was filled with tall, slender wheat sheaths that turned progressively more golden brown. The seed heads began to nod, and that's when we knew it was time. Here's how to harvest your own patch of heirloom wheat: Admittedly, 4x4 isn't very much room for growing wheat. Ideally we'd have 100 square feet for the task.…

Read more about the article Wordless Wednesday: Mid-Spring Garden Flourish
Tiny watermelons set fruit (shot through the crook of a watermelon leaf)

Wordless Wednesday: Mid-Spring Garden Flourish

Continue ReadingWordless Wednesday: Mid-Spring Garden Flourish

It's too pretty out there, we had to share. Enjoy these photos from the Gardenerd Test Garden in mid-spring as the garden flourishes. That's our mid-spring garden flourish. What's growin' on in your garden this week? Share what's flowering, fruiting and sprouting here.

Read more about the article Starter Garden for Family
Thornless boysenberries climb a trellis behind strawberries.

Starter Garden for Family

Continue ReadingStarter Garden for Family

A family in Manhattan Beach called us saying they were "accidentally" growing pumpkins in a plastic storage container, and they wanted a real garden instead. In truth, they had great instincts and those pumpkins were growing like crazy on their back yard patio. It was also true that they needed more space to grow food. They had several fruit trees successfully growing in the ground, but they had blueberries, grapes, boysenberries, and tomatoes growing in pots; many of which were…

Read more about the article Recipe: Andrew’s Kumquat Marmalade
Quartered kumquats (say that 10 times fast)

Recipe: Andrew’s Kumquat Marmalade

Continue ReadingRecipe: Andrew’s Kumquat Marmalade

The kumquat tree was planted for the husband. Yours truly doesn't care for them. To be honest, the husband uses them as an appetite suppressant (the sourness makes one not want to eat anything afterward; it has the same effect as brushing one's teeth). So, now that the kumquats are going gangbusters, the husband decided to make some marmalade for his toast. He's a bit of an experimenter, the husband. Never one to follow a recipe to the letter. So…

Read more about the article Harvesting Radish Seeds
Radish seeds are medium sized, so you won't need a very small screen.

Harvesting Radish Seeds

Continue ReadingHarvesting Radish Seeds

Locally adapted seed is an important ally in the garden. Seeds you save and plant again become more adapted to your climate, water conditions, soil, etc. Each time you save seed and then grow it out properly, that seed improves. Here are tips for harvesting radish seeds. Last winter we ran out of Purple Plum radish seed, so when we spotted one of our large roots bolting to seed at the end of the season, we seized the opportunity. Technically,…

Read more about the article Earth Day Wordless Wednesday: Spring’s Abundance
Blackberries

Earth Day Wordless Wednesday: Spring’s Abundance

Continue ReadingEarth Day Wordless Wednesday: Spring’s Abundance

We're preparing for the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase this week, so enjoy this Wordless Wednesday for Earth Day: photos of spring's abundance in our Test Garden and stop by on Westminster this Saturday if you're in Los Angeles. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

End of content

No more pages to load

Newer Posts
Older Posts