Cilantro seed is ready to harvest for growing out again or grinding into coriander.
Wordless Wednesday: Celebrating Freedom
Since we're celebrating the 4th of July week, we can't help but express gratitude for the freedom we share as gardeners.
Yellow crookneck squash is off an running. It is always the first to peter out as the heat comes on, but for now it's working.
Wordless Wednesday: Community Garden Bounty
Things are really going off in our community garden plot, so we wanted to capture it before its beauty wanes. We've already spotted the first cucumber beetles so that means we'll probably lose some squash plants to bacterial wilt. Fingers crossed, and enjoy it while it lasts, right? 3 types of pumpkins sprawl through one raised bed. We plant each type at the point of a triangle in a 4x4 bed in our community garden. Room enough to grow and…
We received 8 Anello beans at a seed swap last year. Grew them out and here's what we got.
Wordless Wednesday: Summer’s Not Over
The chickens are putting themselves to bed a little earlier every night, but I refuse to believe that summer is over. Temperatures will remain in the high 80's for at least another month here in Los Angeles. Soon we'll be starting seeds for fall, but right now it's harvest time. Enjoy this Wordless Wednesday as summer fades. Enjoy these final weeks of warm weather and sunshine. Fall will be here before you know it and cool season crops will…
Ground cherries drop to the ground when ready to pick. Easy peasy.
Ask Gardenerd: Green Ground Cherries
We received a question to Ask Gardenerd from Cheryl Dickson this week. She asks, "I have ground cherries that have fallen to the ground but a lot of them are still quite green. Should I leave the husk on them to ripen inside, or should I remove the husk to let them ripen? Thank you in advance for your answer!" Great question, Cheryl. As you may know, ground cherries drop to the ground when they are ripe. Occasionally they will…
Styrian Hulless pumpkins are already on display as a centerpiece. We'll press the seeds for pumpkin oil soon.
Wordless Wednesday: Dog Days of Summer
It's hot, and the Dog Days of summer (July 3-Aug 11) promise to continue through the end of the month. Here's to keeping cool, and harvesting often. As I write this, one of our new hens is in the egg box for the first time. We await our first chocolate brown egg from our Cuckoo Maran. I'll post a picture if it happens today.
Bright red, our fish peppers aren't too hot.
Ask Gardenerd: Freezing Peppers
The most timely question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Corinne today. She asks, "Do I need to roast my chili and jalapeno peppers before freezing them or can I freeze them whole and roast them as I use them?" Great question, Corinne. The answer depends on how you plan to use them later on. Freezing Peppers To Roast... If you plan to roast the peppers before using them, you should roast them before freezing. Then peel the skins off,…
A bounty of tomatoes including Michael Pollen (green pear), Roman Candle (yellow roma), Sunrise Bumble Bee (striped cherry), and Green Cherokee (green beefsteak).
Things to Do with Tomatoes
If we're lucky as gardeners, we arrive at mid-summer with a burden of "too many" tomatoes. There is no such thing, really, but there is an urgency about what to do with them before they spoil in the summer heat. Here are some of our favorite recipes to enjoy, can, and use up your tomato harvest. A bounty of tomatoes including Michael Pollen (green pear), Roman Candle (yellow roma), Sunrise Bumble Bee (striped cherry), and Green Cherokee (green beefsteak). Tomato…
We used Cocozelle Italian zucchini - cool stripes!
Recipe: Baked Parmesan Zucchini Bites
Whether you are sick of zucchini yet or not, we've discovered a recipe that will make you fall in love with this ubiquitous vegetable all over again. Any recipe with 2 ingredients is our kind of recipe. If it's any indication of how good these are, I have zero photos to show for my efforts. They were gone in minutes, before I could snap a shot. So, turn on the oven, get out your mandoline or a sharp knife and…
We've secured corn silks with a clothespin to prevent entry by corn worms. We'll see if this works.
Wordless Wednesday: Summer Garden Action
The garden is seeing a lot of action this summer. Winter squashes are setting fruit, corn is tasseling, and cucumbers are climbing trellises. The summer garden is ON, including the heat. Here's some inspiration to keep you going this summer. Water your plants early in the morning or after the heat of the sun has past in the afternoon. Soak roots deeply and use mulch everywhere. Your plants will reward you in return. Enjoy your summer garden and stay cool!
Beige-white patches on tomatoes means sun scald.
Ask Gardenerd: Tomatoes with Heat Damage
Temperatures hit 116° F in some Southern California gardens this week, causing heat damage to many crops. This question from Mary is timely: "My tomatoes are getting heat stroke! I'm wondering if it's too late to save all of them. I've installed a 50% sunblock shade, and I've thrown out any that have bleached. I wish I had picked them before this insane weekend, but now I'm worried that any of them with dime-sized white spots are goners. This is…