Recent Stories
July is National Blueberry Month, and we’re celebrating with lots of information and recipes. Blueberries and lavender are almost perfect partners. The sweet, juicy blueberries pair nicely with the pine-y, spicy flavor of lavender. And they both are in season at the same time, which makes it easy to come up with lots of delicious [...]
Zucchini is probably the most common, and most often maligned, of the summer squashes. In some parts of the country it’s said that in late summer, neighbor turns on neighbor when the zucchini ripens. Garrison Keillor once joked that in August, the normally trusting citizens of Lake Wobegone would lock their car doors when they [...]
Beneficial predatory insects are an important element of an organic pest control strategy. Unless you have a serious problems, if they are living in your garden they will help to control pests without you having to do anything. While some insects, like ladybugs, can be purchased and released in your garden, you don’t really have [...]
Berry plants tend to be fairly low maintenance plants, put them in the right place, keep them watered and they will grow stronger, bigger and more productive every year (until they threaten to fill your whole garden and you have to start restricting them). Even so, there are a couple of things you can do [...]
This year has brought record high temperatures to much of the country (again, but don’t worry, Exxon says this has nothing to do with global warming), so I wanted to say something about keeping your vegetables garden happy when the mercury soars. Pick the right plants High temperatures don’t just make plants uncomfortable, they can [...]
While the rest of the country has been under severe heat warnings and drought conditions, summer has finally arrived for us in California, and in my garden we have already passed the point where the vegetables can get enough moisture from the soil. Until the rains start again in late October it is up to [...]
Earlier this week, I visited my local farmstand and saw bins of cute little red and blue potatoes next to another bin of tiny little “regular” potatoes, and felt it was only appropriate to buy some to make red, white, and blue potato salad to take to the family BBQ. And, one of my favorite [...]
Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida) is a beautiful addition to any herb garden. The leaves are often used as a tarragon substitute (hence the name), and the vibrant yellow flowers bloom well into late summer, and can perk up an otherwise drab landscape. The flowers are also known as Mexican Marigolds, and are an important symbol [...]
July is National Blueberry Month, and we’re celebrating with lots of information and recipes. You read that right. Grilled blueberries. Yes, you really can grill almost anything, even blueberries. Not sure how you would go about grilling blueberries? You’re not alone. I mean, they’re pretty small and would fall through the grate, right? Two words: [...]
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) are are delightful flowers to having blooming in the garden — they add vibrant color and attract butterflies and bees and other beneficial insects. They are very easy to grow, tolerate poor soil, bloom all summer, and are prolific self-seeders. The seeds germinate easily in sunny locations and bloom within two months. [...]
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