Grow good fruit! I’m excited to give talks on creating a Backyard Orchard this month at Disney Parks ‘Food and Wine Festival’. There’s nothing like the taste of fruit that you have grown yourself ripened to the peak of flavor . Follow these tips to create your own backyard orchard, even if you don’t have a […]
December Bloomer: Camellia Sasanqua
The ‘Easy to Grow’ Camellia In late fall and early winter there is not much in bloom in my garden. One of the gorgeous exceptions is my Camellia sasanqua ‘Apple Blossom’. Its white flowers blushed with pink and accented with a golden center are stunning against the dark green foliage. The sasanqua camellias are less […]
Garden Ideas from the Solar Decathlon
College Students Create Innovative and Sustainable Gardens Every two years the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Solar Decathlon, a competition of college teams to design and build houses powered by the sun. The event is being held this month at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine (last days open to the public are […]
Garden Tips from a Backyard Farmer
Farm to Table in Montana As mentioned in previous posts, when I’m on a vacation, I always keep my eyes open for cool garden venues to visit. This month I went to one of my favorite places in the world, the Swan Valley area of Montana (not too far from Glacier National Park). We rented […]
Free Succulents Garden Workshop
‘Sensational Succulents’ Workshop at the Orange County Great Park If you want drought tolerant, low maintenance, but colorful and interesting plants in your pots or garden, succulents are a great choice! University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners will demonstrate how to create beautiful succulent gardens in containers and your yard. Taking cuttings, propagation, […]
Garden Party
Five Easy Tips to Get Your Garden Ready to Party! It’s the perfect time for a garden party! There’s nothing more beautiful than the spring garden in all it’s blooming glory. With Mother’s Day, graduations, bridal and baby showers, and maybe even a wedding on your calendar in the upcoming weeks, here’s how to get […]
Growing Vegetables: Top 5 Summer Favorites
Growing Tomatoes, Peppers, and Squash, Oh My! Growing vegetables in your own backyard is the best way to get that vine ripened peak of flavor taste that you just can’t find in store bought produce. If you grew ‘cool season’ veggies over the winter and early spring, it’s time now to switch to ‘warm season’ […]
Vertical Gardening Update
Crate and Barrel Vertical Garden System In last month’s post on space saving vertical gardening systems, I promised an update on the vertical garden kit I purchased from Crate and Barrel. I put it together this week and it is pretty great! Here’s the low down on the assembly and planting process: Assembly It was […]