Strawberry plants produce blossoms, green, and mature fruit all at the same time. How did they get the name “strawberry”?In the ‘olden’ days, farmers mulched the plants with straw, not plastic like today. So they called the berries “straw” berries! Hot weather marks the end of the productive season for strawberries. The plants prefer moderate […]
Favorite July Flowers: Dahlia
I love to bring cut flowers into the house and dahlias provide a beautiful supply all summer. In my southern California garden, the dahlias return every year from their slumbering underground tubers. The foliage first pokes through the soil in late spring with the first flowers appearing in late June/early July. And spectacular flowers they […]
Out With the Lawn in With the Veggies: Part Two
What to Plant? Plant what you like to eat! Although this seems pretty obvious, I have often been too greedy at the nursery or seed rack and bought eggplant, hot peppers, and squashes that no one in my family will eat! Now I restrict myself to things I know we like with one or two […]
Favorite June Flowers: Hydrangea
Some flowers bloom only once a year for a brief time. I usually don’t have much patience for these types of plants preferring instead those with a long bloom season. But I make an exception for hydrangeas because they are just so spectacular! Dozens of individual flowers make up flower heads six to eight inches […]
Out With the Lawn, In With the Veggies!
My sister’s wedding was last Saturday and she and her husband had a lovely reception at their home, a typical suburban southern California house with a small backyard. The guests were pleasantly surprised to see not the typical small patch of grass but instead a very attractive and prolific vegetable garden! The kids acted as […]
Berry Harvesting Tips and Boysenberry Jam Recipe
Pick boysenberries when dark purple and green tops have begun to turn brown. An easy way to remove the tops from the berries is to fill a sink with water and place the berries in the full sink. The tops will float to the top and can easily be skimmed off. Drain the berries in […]
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