What's Growin' On Archives - Page 89 of 141

Basic instructions come with the tree, but more is available online.

Million Trees LA – Free Fruit Trees

Last Sunday at the Mar Vista Farmers' Market we were treated to a free fruit tree giveaway by the City of Los Angeles. It's all part of the Million Trees LA program, the project set on planting one million trees in Los Angeles to reduce energy waste (trees insulate homes and keep them cool in the summer), and increase our green infrastructure (tree help reduce pollution). The program ordinarily gives away up to 7 shade trees per household, delivered to…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 8, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:9 Comments

Packets before going into the oven - a thing of beauty!

Recipe: Seitan, Vegetables and Cracked Pepper en Papillote

New Year, new recipes to cook up home grown goodness. It's also time for quick meals that don't require a lot of work or fancy preparation. This recipe may look fancy, but it comes together quickly using vegetables and parchment paper (papillote) in about half an hour. If you are exploring more meatless meals, this is one to try. I used homemade seitan on-hand, but store-bought is fine. You can probably substitute an animal protein if desired, just adjust cooking…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 7, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Greens and roots make a big show in winter gardens

Late-Fall Garden Happenings

Half the country may be covered with snow, but the Gardenerd Test Garden is going strong here in Southern California. Don't think of it as bragging; think of it as a beacon to spring plantings to come. This Saturday marks the first day of winter, but it also means the days will get a little longer each day--a step closer to spring as each day passes. How nice for you...what can I do now? This is the time to spray…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 18, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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It didn't look like this for long.

YouTube: Growing Chicken Forage Mix

Our last YouTube video of the year is up and running, and it's all about growing chicken forage mix. Homestead hens love to eat fresh greens and those greens can be hard to come by in winter. Start a seed flat or two of forage seed mix and you'll have happy, healthy hens all winter long. We use a regular seed flat and a seed mix from Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply. It's offers healthy omega-3s for you and…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 17, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Custom trellis for the flower garden.

New Keyhole Garden for Jesse

With every new house comes the opportunity for a new garden, and in the case of Jesse Carmichael, a new keyhole garden. Some of you may remember the first garden we did for Jesse a few years ago. Now he's moved and needed a new garden to go with it. His new space had a great view and a small area for a vegetable garden. The style of the home is woodsy and casual, overlooking a pool and well-established trees.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 4, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

A California grape is used for more resilience

Field Trip: Getty Villa

After a glorious morning hike overlooking the ocean, Gardenerd's Senior Strategy Officer (aka husband) and I took a drive down Pacific Coast Highway to see if we could get in to the Getty Villa for a scenic bite to eat at their patio cafe. What luck! The gate guard was giving away tickets. But before we could reach the cafe, we spied a short line for a garden tour, about to start in moments. How could we resist? We grabbed…

Post author:Christy
Post published:December 3, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The chrysalis becomes translucent as the butterfly prepares to hatch

Monarch Butterfly Update – Rebirth!

For those who have been following our recent visitors to our milkweed plants, we have some exciting news. We were fortunate enough to catch the transformation of Monarch butterfly from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly last week. (If you want to catch up, click the link above to go back to the beginning). We were out in the garden early one morning and saw that the chrysalis had changed color. What was bright green had turned dark, and we could…

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 26, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

YouTube: Saving Celery & Dill Seeds

This week's YouTube video is all about saving celery and dill seeds. They are easy to save and abundant in supply.

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 19, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

Field Trip: Organic Solution – High-tech Worm Castings

Last week I was invited to geek out with the guys at Organic Solution, a Southern California worm castings company. A pleasant drive out to Camarillo yielded more than just an earful of good-for-the-garden tidbits. These guys are elbow deep in the best worm castings around. Located next to McGrath Family Farms, a certified organic produce company selling to local farmers markets, Organic Solution mixes up batches of premium worm castings, vermachar (worm castings mixed with biochar), and shelf-stable worm…

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 18, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

YouTube: Planting Potatoes in Pots

Our latest YouTube video is live, and it's all about planting potatoes in pots. Here in Southern California we can plant potatoes in fall or spring. For those in cooler climates, you may have to wait until spring, but here's something to keep you learning through the winter: https://youtu.be/AbsZYZAx46o We have plenty of blog posts on how to grow and harvest potatoes no matter where you live. Check out these links for details about planting potatoes, harvesting and growing in…

Post author:Christy
Post published:November 7, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:5 Comments