Category Archives: Blog

Fall Garden Planning with Gardenerd

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Christy

Planning out your garden each season is more than just fun – it gives you the chance to plant new varieties and experiment each year. What are you going to grow this fall? 

In warm winter climates, fall gardens thrive. In cooler climates, you can still plant a fall garden with protection. Using cold frames, insulated floating row cover, and greenhouses, you can grow
cool weather crops all winter long. Here’s what to grow:

Root crops, broccoli (Italian broccoli shown left), kohlrabi, peas, chard and …
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Growing Watermelons and Melons

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Christy

I’ve never had much luck growing watermelons in our coastal climate. The plants usually succumb to powdery mildew before they really get going and the result is little melons or no fruit at all.
  This year I tried something different and have seen great results. Apparently, it’s all about timing.

Watermelons like hot weather to mature, in fact according to the University of Ohio, they need daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees.
(While we’re at it, soil pH is preferred between 6.0 …
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Grape Ideas for Summer

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Christy

The latest post from Mar Vista’s Bounty Hunter is up and running on Patch.com. It’s grape season, and here’s how to enjoy them:

Savor the Sweetness of Grapes
…
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Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Christy

The Three Sisters garden is a Native American planting technique that consists of beans, corn and squash. The corn is planted first, and when it reaches 2 feet tall, pole beans are planted around the
corn. The beans use the corn as a trellis to climb. Then squash (usually pumpkins) are planted around the base of the corn and beans to provide shade so the sun won’t dry out the soil. It’s been done
for centuries… let’s see how I can screw it up.

The corn part went well. It’s the beans that …
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Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Christy

We have a tradition with a longtime friend in which we gather together, bringing our best tomatoes each season, to share in the bounty of the summer harvest. We slice them with care and taste each
variety to determine our favorites. There is olive oil and salt, a little basil, and very good bread on hand. Each time we’ve done a tasting we have come away with a new favorite. This year was no
exception.

We gathered in the garden with our contributions and began with show and tell. My husband and …
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Mar Vista’s Bounty Hunter: Almond Joys

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Christy

The latest post of fabulous finds at the Mar Vista Farmers’ Market is ready for your viewing pleasure. Find out the skinny on Fat Uncle Farms blistered almonds:

Going Nuts for Fat Uncle Farms
…
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Culver City Garden Show Review

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Christy

This past Saturday I wandered through the 58th Annual Culver City Garden Show. I had never been there before, and what a fun time it was. Gardenerds abounded with booths selling plants and
plant-related items. Master Gardeners were present to answer
gardening questions. The California Native Plant Society was on hand to talk about native plants and plant care. But my favorite part, of
course, was the vegetable and fruit display.

There were contests for the best fruits and most obscure vegetables. This table below featured …
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Solar Flax Chips

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Christy

We’re constantly trying to replicate store-bought treats in the Gardenerd kitchen, and this week we successfully tackled raw flax chips/crackers. We did it all in the solar food dryer too – so the
entire experiment was carbon neutral! 

If you are looking for a substitute for potato chips or any other salty snack, you’ve got to try these flax chips. They are nutritious and delicious – it’s hard to eat just one. Here’s how we did
it:

The Recipe – …
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Eclectic Meal Choices in Mar Vista

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Christy

The weekly Farmers’ Market wrap up is available for your perusal on the Gardenerd Blog. You’ll get hungry just reading about all the options you have:

In the Market for a Meal? 
…
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Ask Gardenerd: When do I harvest my root crops?

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Christy

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week that I’ve been hearing for the past month or so. Seems like a good time to address it:

“When do you know when to pull out things that grow underground like radishes, green onions, even carrots?  I’m either too early or too late. – Rochelle”
Well Rochelle, the answer is in your hands. More specifically, it’s your index finger. When growing root crops, the foliage will put on a pretty show above ground, but the real magic is
happening underground. In order …
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Posted in Sage Advice | 4 Comments