Gardenerd Archives - Page 3 of 15

All-blue, russet and red potatoes are jewels from the garden.

Winter’s Bounty: Harvesting Colors in Warm-Winter Climates

As much of the country is covered with snow, or too soggy to start spring gardening, the warm-winter gardener is reaping the blessings of mild temperatures. Winter's bounty is a basket of root crops, greens and peas. Take a look at what we're harvesting from this season's Test Garden (p.s. we're not bragging. There have been plenty of failures due to drought conditions and heat waves, but these pictures are too colorful not to share). Our kale may be full…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 11, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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Anabelle is the quiet one, and the low chicken in the pecking order

Chicken Update – Round 2 is Going Well

Some people have been asking for a chicken update, and since we haven't posted about them in awhile, it seemed like the perfect time. For those new to the blog, here's our original post about our new girls from last July. Meet the girls (from right to left): Wilma the Wellsummer, Anabelle the Americauna, and Sylvia the Silver-laced Wyandotte. These beautiful birds are, as you can see, quite full of personality. As they have grown we've enjoyed watching their quirks…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 5, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:3 Comments

New Landscaping: Dog-friendly Oasis in the City

Every once in awhile someone hires Gardenerd to landscape their property, not to install a vegetable garden. This particular client already had a thriving vegetable garden, but wanted new landscaping to create an oasis in the city. Here were her issues: Her front yard consisted of lawn and a hodge podge of treasured plants discovered over the years. Many of the plants required more sun than was available, so they stretched out toward the light, making them leggy and sprawling.…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 4, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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WomansWork hand cream soothes cracked and tired hands.

Winter Hand Therapy Giveaway

Are your hands dry and cracked this winter? It seems like no amount of lotion will solve the problem, but maybe we just need the right lotion. You're in luck! Gardenerd has partnered with the strong women over at Womanswork to offer this winter hand therapy giveaway. We gardeners understand the demands of working with our hands, and we demand in return something that works for us. Womanswork Lavender Mint Shea Butter Hand Cream is designed by gardeners, for gardeners,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 29, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:21 Comments

YouTube: Best Seed Catalogs for 2014

Warning: this video can lead to excessive spending and an overabundance of seeds in your collection. It's true, after making this video, I visited the websites for most of these seed catalogs and had a glorious time spending money on the best seeds for 2014. It's a weakness, but one with great rewards. After planning out this year's spring garden, you'll have a map to inform you of how much room you have (and therefore how many new crops/seeds you…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 28, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:2 Comments

Shower essentials: A bucket and timer

New Drought, or New Normal?

Governor Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency as California has yet another year of lower than average rainfall. In the case of 2013-2014, almost none. Not only is rainfall at an all-time low, temperatures have been at an all-time high. (Excuse me, 80° in January?) Is this just a new drought, or is it the new normal? There's no way to know for sure, but we all need to prepare for having less access to water. What can we do…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 22, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
Post comments:7 Comments

Recipe: Porcini Sea Salt (AKA cheating Williams-Sonoma)

In my 20s, when I had nothing, I drooled over Williams-Sonoma catalogs with wistful aspirations of "one day." Now many years later, stocked with a full set of cookware, I see WS for the overpriced eye-candy it is. Okay, principle aside, I still want everything in their Agrarian department ('cause it's pretty), but I have everything I need and can easily talk myself down. Or better yet, make what they're selling for a lot less. Case in point: Wild Porcini…

Post author:Christy
Post published:January 21, 2014
Post category:Blog What's Growin' On
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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:7 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
Post comments:0 Comments