New Edible Landscape for a Cottage

Back in November, I got a call from a woman who wanted to turn her front and back yard into an edible landscape. She had seen me on Food For
Thought with Claire Thomas, and felt instinctively that Gardenerd was the right hire for the job.

We worked together to come up with ideas: moving existing baby fruit trees to permanent homes in the front yard, adding a vegetable garden and more fruit trees in the backyard. She …

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How to Do a Home Soil Test for Citrus

Growing up, my parents had orange trees and stone fruit trees that I swear were planted in unamended clay soil and were never – ever – fertilized.
They thrived. My three citrus trees, on the other hand, which were planted with good drainage, plenty of compost and lots of care, are sad, sad, and more sad. What gives?

Our top New Years’ Resolution was to figure out what was wrong with our …

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Think Bare Root

Fall is the time to start thinking about next year’s fruit, mainly because bare root fruit trees and cane berries will soon be in stock. Most seed companies and nurseries encourage you to order early
for deliveries that start in January, and their supply sells out quickly. So now is the time.

Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply has always been my go-to place for bare root fruit trees
and  cane berries (no, I don’t get any kickbacks for promoting them, I just love these guys). The folks at …

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Hey Gardenerd, Fancify My Garden

October was a busy month for garden design, as Southern California gardeners became excited about fall gardening. Our most recent project already had an existing vegetable bed, but the homeowner
wanted more space to grow, and less grass to mow. We took it from there.

The existing garden bed was infiltrated with devil’s grass, crawling its way up through 18 inches of fecund soil. Crabgrass surrounded two young fruit trees, potentially hampering future growth. The
homeowner wanted berries and had an ideal location along a neighboring garage wall.

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Gardenerd at Large – Planting Fall Gardens

It’s been busy these last few months.  It seems that everyone wants a garden, and I’m happy to help. 

Today I helped a family in Corona Del Mar to plant a garden in a small space in their back yard.  The space was occupied with a couple of recently planted fruit trees that weren’t yet established, and some shrubs.  After measuring the space and making some suggestions for plant removal, we were on our way….

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Sale Extended: Christy’s Books 40% Off

You read that correctly: Sale extended on Christy's books through December 16th. If you (like us) have trouble wrapping your head around your holiday gift list until after the Thanksgiving…

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10-24-24 Fall Takes Over

In this issue: October in the Garden - Fall Takes Over Video: Seed Saving Laws Clarified - Learn the laws for seed-saving Gardenerd Tip of the Month: Fall Planting Guide…

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