What's Growin' On Archives - Page 93 of 142

A bacterial-eating nematode

Up Close and Personal with Compost

Nerd Alert: this blog post may cause irrational desire to look at compost under a microscope. Ever since I took Alane Weber's compost immersion workshop last year, I have been trying out the techniques I learned to make better compost. In our test garden, we've been building Active Batch Thermal compost piles as well as cold compost piles (slowly adding material over time) with plenty of water and a good balance of carbon and nitrogen materials. The results look good,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 31, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Aeroponics for the Home: Growing Without the Mess of Soil

By now you've probably heard of aquaponics and hydroponics--growing plants in water instead of soil. This week we have an interesting post from a guest blogger who explores aeroponics (growing plants in air and water). Our guest Linda Bailey is from housekeeping.org. She is a Texas-based writer who loves to write about housekeeping, green living, home décor, and more. She welcomes your comments at b.lindahousekeeping @ gmail.com. Take it away Linda... Aeroponics for the Home Do you want a garden…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 30, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:6 Comments

Re-purpose any container as a planter

ReStore / Repurpose a Garden Planter

We usually leave crafts to Martha Stewart, but this week we were invited to teach a class at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to show people how to turn just about anything into a garden planter. It's simple, just think outside the planter box. A walk down the isles of Habitat's ReStore was all it took to find household items that could be repurposed as a container. This amazing organization removes construction materials from homes as they are being demolished…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 24, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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First time growing this heirloom squash

Summer Garden Virtual Tour

Our summer garden is growing strong, and since we've posted about new varieties and projects earlier in the season, I thought I'd post an update to share how things are going. We've seen successes and failures this year, but that hasn't stopped us from harvesting the bounty this summer. Take a look: Sure we have leaf miners and powdery mildew, but the Lakota squash is still beautiful and interesting in a summer garden. Our Poona Kheera cucumbers developed this amazing…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 17, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:6 Comments

Woolly Pockets and shade tolerant plants make up this new garden.

School Garden Wonderland

School playgrounds in urban environments tend to be comprised more of concrete than soccer fields. Still there is always room for green. Kehillat Israel Early Childhood Center in Pacific Palisades, CA wanted to create more garden space for their kids to grow food and enjoy something green every day. They also wanted to clean up the space and make it more orderly. Enter Gardenerd. The playground (along with abundant tricycle parking) included a race track, craft tables, a jungle gym,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 16, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Home grown poblanos ready for deliciousness

Recipe: Home Grown Chili Fries (Poblano Pepper Poppers)

We're up to our ears in Poblano Peppers from our second-year pepper plant. The little guy hardly produced last year, but over winter the plant started sprouting new leaves and by spring it had doubled in size and was full of flowers. So far we've made chile rellenos and roasted poblano quesadillas, but what else could we do? Chips. Something crunchy but healthy that didn't require roasting and peeling the skins. That's what I wanted. I found this: Rachel Ray's…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 10, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

We selected our hens from several stalls like this one.

New Hens in the House

Over the past year, we've lost 2 chickens for various reasons. Our remaining hens grew louder (we assume due to loneliness - they are social animals, after all) so we decided to bring in more chickens to enliven the party. Last week we made a trip out to Chickens Galore in Norco, CA to pick out three new hens to join the flock. We brought our research--a dog-eared book highlighting different breeds for the best egg layers, disposition, etc. The…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 9, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:5 Comments

Is this a White Peacock? So beautiful.

Field Trip: Butterfly Pavilion

The Natural History Museum's Butterfly Pavilion is more than a place to see butterflies, it's a place to learn what to grow so you can attract them to your garden. I spent some time there last week taking in the beauty of the butterfly, and words just can't express it as well as a photograph. It's my first time using the "gallery" feature on this blog post, so forgive any formatting glitches when you try to click on the photos…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 3, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Spicy Zucchini Soup

Zucchini Overload? Spicy Zucchini Soup to the Rescue

You know the drill: you go away for a weekend and come back to baseball-bat sized zucchini. After you've given away as many as you can and your neighbors have stopped talking to you, there's only one thing you can do--make Spicy Zucchini Soup. This recipe is the perfect solution for zucchini overload because it uses 2 POUNDS of chopped zucchini (you don't have to shred or even peel it). It comes together in about 30 minutes and is perfect…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 2, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Hot weather crops get the sunniest part of the garden

Tiny But Mighty Venice Garden Makeover

Those who are familiar with Venice Beach, CA know that it's a great place to live, but the lots are tiny. Finding a place to garden is challenging and finding adequate sunlight can be even more of a challenge. Last month, Gardenerd helped one couple find the perfect solution to both issues. The homeowners were excited to take back control over their food sources, and wanted to grow as much as possible. The front yard was the only place that…

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