Category Archives: Blog

Tools of a Different Kind

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Christy

Warning – nerd alert!

Yesterday, I met with a client to help design the food garden at his new home.  The entire house is being remodeled and is going to be one of the greenest homes in the United States
when all is said and done.  Using solar power, recycled materials, and renewable resources, the house is sure to be a centerfold in Architectural Digest or Mother Earth News in the coming
year, and I’m thrilled to be part of the process. 

I’m also thrilled that I got to use one of my favorite tools for the job.  It’s something I got …
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1 Potato, 2 Potato…

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Christy

If there’s one thing I unwittingly repeat over and over again, it’s this:

You haven’t lived until you’ve grown your own potatoes.

Potatoes have been part of my garden for years.  They are comfort food for some, or the carb from hell for others, but aside from tomatoes, they are the quintessential vegetable (okay, tuber) to
grow as a home gardener. 

About a month ago, I planted an assortment of seed potatoes in my back yard garden.  I obtained them from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine, where they sell organic, non-GMO seed potatoes
and other organic vegetable seeds.  I was thrilled to …
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Saving Arugula Seeds

Posted on May 22, 2008 by Christy

A new question came in on the wire this week:

“My crop of arugula has bolted / flowered. How do I get the seeds so I can store them and plant again next fall?”

I have fond memories of saving arugula seeds – my first seed-saving experience, in fact.  It’s about as easy as it gets when it comes to seed-saving.  Here’s how it works:

Your arugula will send up little white flowers with dark veins.  It sounds like this part has already happened.  Then little seed pods will form along the stem.  These can be
eaten fresh but beware, they are very spicy …
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Worm Compost Care & Use

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Christy

A new question rolled in this week in Ask Gardenerd:

“I have a worm bin that is great for disposing of my kitchen scraps but I really don’t know what to do with the liquid it produces. Also I don’t know how often to “harvest” the compost
produced.  I am new to your website and am so happy I can ask questions. Thanks for your help. – Emily.”

Well Emily, first of all, thunderous applause for using a worm bin!  Kudos all around.  Worm bins, as you already know, are a great way to dispose of your kitchen waste, and to
make wonderful …
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Posted in Sage Advice | 2 Comments

Gardenerd Appearing in Mar Vista

Posted on May 17, 2008 by Christy

Hey local gardenerds, here’s a chance to get something for free!

I will be giving a free organic gardening lecture at the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market on Sunday, May 18th at 10:00 a.m.  We will be set up at the Mar Vista Community Council booth with plenty of
chairs for everyone. 

The Mar Vista Farmer’s Market is located at Venice Blvd. on Grand View, by the post office.  Wear a hat, and come get the free scoop on gardening this spring.

http://marvistafarmersmarket.org/

…
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Small Space Gardening – a Container of Fun

Posted on May 11, 2008 by Christy

This morning, six fellow gardenerds joined me for the Small Space and Container Gardening class.  We had a range of gardening space situations, from a no-space garden to patio and
rooftop gardens, and even someone with a back yard that has a little bit of soil for a vegetable garden.  Most were beginning gardeners, but we had a couple intermediate level green thumbs as
well.

We watched a little video about Square Foot Gardening, talked about terra cotta versus plastic pots.  We discussed the recent article about a three year container garden test trial from Ed Smith
where he found that …
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Hello Garden

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Christy

Gardenerdiness seems to be a theme this week.  Why fight it?  This is just too darn cute to pass up…

So I was at my brother’s house visiting my niece, when my sister-in-law and I got to talking about gardening.  She’s been into gardening for awhile and says the “h” in “herbs” because
she’s Welsh.  There’s a long history of proper gardening in Great Britain, and you might imagine my sister-in-law to be pretty straight laced and formal because of that.  The
truth is, I don’t know many straight-laced Welsh gardeners with fuchsia hair and chunky black leather Doc Martin’s that lace up to the knee. She’s a …
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Gardening at Night

Posted on May 10, 2008 by Christy

Warning: This blog entry is a pure, unadulterated display of Gardenerdiness. 

Tonight I satisfied a desire I’ve had for years – to garden in the dark, after the sun has completely set.  It’s a desire I’ve never been able to indulge in because my gardening space, the
community garden, closes at sunset.  Now that I am a homeowner, the world is my oyster, so to speak, as far as living out my nighttime gardening fantasies.  Now, I’m not talking
about gardening outside where it’s well-lit.  I’m talking about piercing the night’s dark shroud with good old fashioned geek gear – a head …
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Going Native

Posted on May 3, 2008 by Christy

An enthusiastic gardenerd writes in:

“Where can I get a variety of CA native plants are cheap or free?  I’ve got a 30 X 25 foot area that has been cleared of weeds, etc and is screaming to go native!”

Congratulations on the weeding, first of all, and secondly your decision to go native.  There are a  lot of ways to get native plants for your area, not
all of them are legal.  It really depends on how quickly you want to your garden to take shape.  Here are a few suggestions:

Let’s start with Free.  The most free way …
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Starting Them Young

Posted on April 29, 2008 by Christy

On Easter, I spent some time with my brother and his wife and their 20 month year old daughter, Arianwen (that’s a Welsh name, pronounced
Ar-e-ahn-wen).  Not only am I completely in love with this child, I am completely biased in believing that everything she does is magical and fabulous.  This Easter proved to be
no different, when Arianwen began to garden right before my eyes. 

Since it fits into our theme, I felt compelled to share some home videos.  I know, I know, it’s ridiculous to think that anyone would be interested in watching my niece garden, but it’s
…
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