End of the Tomato Season I’m so sad. I returned from a Labor Day weekend trip to discover that tomato hornworms had decimated my tomato plants. In the space of five days, they ate virtually every leaf on eight mature tomato plants. Only one plant, in a separate raised bed, escaped with minimal damage. What […]
What to Do in the Garden: August
Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labors! The long hot days of August are not my favorite for doing a lot of work in the garden! But I sure enjoy eating all the good things out there! Once I take care of the harvesting, watering, and minimal maintenance, off I go to a shady corner with […]
What to Do in the Garden: June
June marks the transition from spring to summer. The typical ‘June gloom’ overcast mornings that often occur in southern California provide one last chance to get the garden ready to weather the hot days of July, August and September. It’s also not too late to do some planting of veggies and flowers that will take […]
What to Do in the Garden: May
Get Ready for Summer! The May garden is a beautiful sight to behold: flowers blooming, veggies growing, and lots of green growth on trees and shrubs. But the hot weather of summer is right around the corner and May is a great time to plant heat lovers and get the garden ready for those hot […]
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 […]
Garden Workshop: Bountiful Vegetables
Free Vegetable Garden Workshop Saturday, March 28 Want to have a veggie garden this year? Want some tips for success from the experts? University of California Master Gardeners will be holding a free Garden Workshop this Saturday in Irvine, CA. Tantalizing tomatoes, scrumptious squash, and crunchy cucumbers are just a few summer veggies to plant […]
Growing Tomatoes
It’s Time to Plant Tomatoes! Did you know 9 out 10 gardeners grow tomatoes?! I’m not at all surprised, is there anything that tastes better than a tomato picked from your own garden still warm from the sun?! In our southern California gardens March and April are prime months for planting tomatoes. The only trouble […]
What To Do in the Garden: March
Feed! Seeds! Weeds! March is probably the busiest month of the year in the southern California garden. So head to the nursery to get plants and supplies, slap on those gardening gloves, and let’s get busy! Feed Everything! It’s spring and everything in the garden is sending out new growth. Encourage vigorous healthy growth, and […]