Category Archives: Blog

Winter Solstice

Posted on December 22, 2007 by Christy

Today, December 22nd, is Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.  The shortest day and longest night of the year.  From here on out, the
days get longer until Summer Solstice in June.  What a glorious thing to look forward to.

In celebration of the solstices and equinoxes, I try to spend time out in nature, and today was no exception.  I spent the morning in my garden at Ocean View Farms.  Since the last few
days included heavy rain and wind, I was wondering what I’d find when I got there.  To my surprise, everything was still in …
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Saving for a Rainy Day

Posted on December 18, 2007 by Christy

It’s raining in Los Angeles today.  A glorious, drizzly rain.  While most Angelenos would complain about the gloominess, Gardenerds rejoice!  There is something
about rain that nourishes the soil and plant life more than any irrigation system could do.  Even more importantly, it helps to ease the drought conditions all over. 

One of my goals as a new home owner is to incorporate a rain barrel into our water management system.  Rain barrels collect runoff from the roof and rain gutters, which funnel the rainfall
down drain spouts.  The drain spouts usually feed to a pipe that takes the runoff out to …
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A Gardenerd’s Christmas List

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Christy
Each year in late September, I get a familiar e-mail.  It’s from my mother and it goes something like this: 

All right everybody, it’s time to start making your Christmas lists.  You’re not allowed to buy anything for yourselves from September ’til January. Write it down instead and send it to
us.  You may see it under the tree in December. 

Okay, let’s call what I wrote above an amalgam of what my mother has said over the years.  At this point the e-mail is much shorter.  It just says, “Lists please!”  Every
year, I think two things.  …

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Organic Gardening Classes

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Christy
A local gardenerd writes in:

“Where would you recommend that one take a good basic course in organic vegetable gardening in the SF Valley or LA areas?  Thanks in advance for any information or suggestions!”

I’m glad you asked!  I happen to be working on a 4-week Basic Organic Gardening 101 course for a couple of locations in Santa Monica as we speak.  It’s still in the works, but for all those
who are interested, just e-mail me at christy@gardenerd.com and you will be notified of upcoming classes when they get locked down.
 
Just out of curiosity I did a search of …

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Asparagus Fern Rescue

Posted on December 1, 2007 by Christy
A concerned gardenerd writes in, “I found a dying asparagus fern abandoned in the street. It was still alive, but yellowing badly. I suspected either over or
under-watering – obviously a challenge to determine which! When I looked more carefully I determined it was root-bound, so I trimmed the roots with a kitchen knife. Any more advice? More water or
less? Misting? How about sun or shade? There’s tons of sunlight here in Mexico, but maybe too much?

Also, the soil here is very bad and I can’t find potting soil to purchase. Any advice on supplementing what …

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Prized Possessions

Posted on November 29, 2007 by Christy

I had a little car trouble a couple weeks ago and had
to rent a car.  Yesterday I returned the car, but it wasn’t until I was on
the way to the garden late this afternoon when I realized I had left one of my
most prized possessions in the rental when I returned it: my garden bag. 

It has everything in it; my Felco pruners, my Good Grips hand trowel,
weed puller and digging fork.  It has my …
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Planting Bulbs: a primer

Posted on November 25, 2007 by Christy

As a companion piece to the Thanksgiving Tip of the
Week, it seems appropriate to dedicate a little bit of time to the subject of
planting bulbs.  When I first started gardening with flowers, I didn’t know
anything about inedible plants.  I loved color and fragrance, but was too
intimidated to try roses or climbing vines.  So I started with
bulbs.  

Growing bulbs really couldn’t be easier, or less
of a commitment.  Basically you dig a hole, you drop in a bulb and you bury
it.  Then you wait for spring.  There are more …
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What to do with all that Butternut Squash

Posted on November 22, 2007 by Christy

Butternut squash is a winter squash, which means that unlike zucchini and yellow
crookneck squash, it will last in your cellar or pantry all winter long. Other
winter squashes include pumpkin, acorn, Hubbard (the squash that get so large,
it is supposed to cure world hunger), spaghetti and the
heirloom Delicata.   

Harvesting butternut squash in the
fall is one of most satisfying experiences in the garden.  You’ve waited
all summer long for the skin’s color to change from pale green to creamy
beige.  You’ve watched as the leaves start to turn brown and whither …
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Enjoying a West Coast Fall

Posted on November 11, 2007 by Christy

Right about this time of year, I start to chuckle as I walk through my garden.  As I look down at the happy, perky, green leaves of my lettuce, arugula, mustard greens and cilantro, I think of how lucky we … Continue reading →

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Pruning Roses

Posted on November 7, 2007 by Christy

A gardener recently wrote in:

“When is the best time to prune
roses?”

The answer I’m providing is geared towards west coast
gardeners in mild winter climates.  According to a workshop
I attended several years ago with Nina Rumely, Ocean View Farms’
resident rose expert, we should stop cutting our roses in October and cut
watering to once a week.  This encourages your roses into
dormancy. 
…
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