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 […]
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 […]
Making Pickles: Super Easy, Super Delicious!
Got Cucumbers? Make Pickles! I grew up eating my Aunt’s homemade pickles but amazingly I never tried to make them myself until last summer. I have limited veggie garden space so I only grew one kind of cucumbers: the slicing kind. But last year I had a free package of pickling cucumber seeds so I […]
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 […]