What's Growin' On Archives - Page 96 of 142

Corn and a mystery cucurbit -most likely cucumbers grow together this season.

Interplanting – It’s a Good Thing

You've most likely heard of companion planting, so interplanting won't be entirely unfamiliar to you. It's basically the idea of planting two or three different plants together to take advantage of available space, and to benefit the plants involved. For example - by alternating plantings of lettuces and kale in rows, you can take advantage of slow-growing kale by using the space in between to grow a quick crop of lettuces. Another example is radishes and artichokes or squash. You…

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 3, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments

Finished dish awaiting devouring.

Recipe: Pasta al Cavolo Broccolo e Romanesco (Gluten-Free)

It's a mouthful of a title, but basically Pasta al Cavolo Broccolo e Romanesco is pasta with Romanesco broccoli and a delightful Italian sprouting broccoli otherwise known as Spigarello or Cavolo Broccolo a Getti di Napoli. I made up this recipe based on what was in the fridge. Spigarello is grown for the leaves more than for the heading flowers. You can use it as a substitute for kale, collards or spinach in cooked dishes like this. Our recipe starts…

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 2, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Honey bees taking pollen and nectar from wisteria blossoms.

Wisteria (Wistaria) on My Mind

Wisteria blooms each March in Southern California, though last year it bloomed in February (well hello, climate change). Each year we look forward to fragrant blossoms hanging delicately from the pergola overhead and we don't seem to mind the beautiful mess they make as the purple petals fall to the ground. Bees love wisteria and dance around each dangling cluster of blossoms gathering nectar for this season's honey stores. But before we wax rhapsodic any further, let's get something straight:…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 27, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments

Finished chowder, served with rosemary olive oil bread.

Recipe: Root Veggie Chowder with Collard Ribbons

Spring may have arrived, but we're still seeing winter root veggies and greens at the Farmers' Market and in the garden. We tried this new recipe from Vegetarian Times' Eat to Beat Inflammation ebook to use up some of our home grown carrots and collard greens. The recipe involves cooking veggies separately, but all in all it was easy to put together in under an hour. It calls for rutabaga, but we substituted parsnips because we had them on hand…

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

meet Christy at these Gardening For Geeks events!

Meet The Author

Now that Gardening for Geeks is on the shelves, it's time to celebrate with a chance to "Meet the Author" and talk dirt (soil, that is). Here are some upcoming events where you can bring your copy to be signed or chat with fellow gardenerds about your spring garden escapades. Gardening for Geeks Launch Party - April 7, 2013 - 4-6 p.m. Where: Ilan Dei Studio Shop, 1650 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice CA, 90291 Ilan Dei has graciously agreed to…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 19, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Changing of the Guard: Exit Winter, Enter Spring

Spring is just around the corner, and those who can grow fall crops are just starting to swap out winter's harvest for spring seedlings. Here's what we're harvesting this time of year: Lettuces Broccoli Romanesco Cavolo Broccolo a Getti di Napoli - Spigarello to many of you Spinach Arugula Kale Peas Root veggies - carrots, parsnips, beets, etc. There are a few nibbles here and there on lettuce leaves, and more aphids than we'd care to admit, but that's just…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 13, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Colorful watermelon radishes enliven this salad

Recipe: Watermelon Radish & Goat Cheese Salad

Just to be clear, it's not a watermelon and a radish in this salad, it's two Watermelon Radishes. If you haven't grown them, put them on your list of "musts" for this season. Watermelon radishes look boring on the outside; their whitish-green exterior doesn't lend much excitement to a dish. Cut them open, however, and you'll find jewel pink centers that make other vegetables jealous. There's a trick to growing watermelon radishes though: you have to let them get large--about…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 12, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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The "thermal" in active batch thermal composting

Active Batch Composting

What the heck is "Active Batch Composting" anyway? You're about to find out, but first let's look at another term: Cold composting. Cold composting, though the name is a bit of a misnomer, is what most gardeners do. We have a compost bin or pile, and over time we add our kitchen scraps and garden waste, some leaves and shredded office paper, tissues, paper towels, etc. We water it and wait. The temperature may climb to 100-120°F but that's about…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 6, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:4 Comments

Linda's husband, Richard's recording studio overlooks a slope of rosemary, fruit trees and artichokes.

Field Trip: Permaculture / Biodynamic Garden

Field trips are always fun because you get to see concepts in practice. Visiting Linda Gibbs' garden was no exception. I stopped by her Malibu home last week for a look at her Permaculture/biodynamic garden as she prepared for spring. Linda's property sits at the edge of a gulch and overlooks the ocean. Lush green views and ocean breezes lend themselves to a peaceful garden experience. Over winter, wild fennel, borage and grasses volunteer to cover the hillside to attract…

Post author:Christy
Post published:March 5, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:1 Comment

New bed, ready for compost and plants

Turning Cover Crops

Let us depart from conventional wisdom of turning cover crops into the soil beneath. Let us instead take a lesson from John Jeavons' GROW BIOINTENSIVE method and use the cover crops as compost materials elsewhere. Buy why, you cry? Why can't I just turn my cover crop over into the soil, cover it with finished compost or manure, water it and wait? It's that last part...the waiting. You've already waited for the cover crop to grow, then flower, so why…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 28, 2013
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments