What are ‘spring onions’? Same as Scallions or Green Onions? Spring onions look similar to scallions but notice they have a small bulb on the end of the stalk. They come from the varieties of onions that are grown to produce bulbs. They are harvested before the bulb is fully formed but after the green […]
New Burpee Seed Introductions for 2017
Looking for some different veggies to grow? Try these new seed varieties! I received a very fun surprise from the Burpee seed company last November: an Advent Calendar full of seeds! For a passionate gardener, there’s no better gift than new varieties of seed. It was great fun to count down the days until Christmas […]
Top 5 Garden Tips to Start the New Year
Spend time now for a glorious garden all year! The hustle and bustle of the holidays is almost over and it’s time to get back in the garden for some much needed peace and re-connection to nature! January is supposed to be a wet one this year with El Nino rains predicted, but on those […]
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 […]
What to Do in the Garden: October
October: The busiest month in the garden! While my October garden is not very attractive after the long hot days of August and September, it’s my favorite time of year to be out working in the garden. October is a month of garden renewal, of visions of the glorious blooms to come in late winter and […]
What to Do in the Garden: September
Get Ready for the Cool Season During the hot days of September, it’s tough to imagine that the cool season is only a few weeks away! But starting in the second half of the month it’s time to plant cool season plants and get ready for one of the busiest planting months in southern California: October! Here’s […]
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 […]
Who Else Wants Non Stop Summer Flowers?
Continuous blooms, loves heat, pest resistant! Nicotiana Aztec are the longest blooming, pest and disease free summer flowers I have ever grown! I started it from seed donated by Seeds of Change to a public garden where I volunteer (the Farm + Food Lab in Irvine, CA). But that was a couple of years ago and […]