Plants
April is the Time to Plant Warm Climate Vegetable Gardens
Yeah! It’s time to plant summer veggies in warm climate vegetable gardens. Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and other summer vegetables are good to plant now, whether from seed or from seedling. Wait until the end of the month when the soil is warmer before planting basil, pumpkins, and squashes. Every year, I trial new vegetable varieties in…
Read MoreThe Last Harvest of Summer
Sorta sweet, sorta sad… the last harvest of summer.
Read MoreExpressive beauties: Peruvian lilies are low-maintenance flowers with a lot of personality
I remember clearly when I saw my first Peruvian lily. It was the early 1980s, and I was in graduate school in Santa Barbara studying the tiny plankton that swim in our oceans. At the end of another weeks-long research cruise, my then boyfriend (now husband) met me at the dock with a huge hug…
Read MoreBlades of Glory: Whether catching morning dew or in your morning brew, lemon grass has it covered
It’s summertime and the living is easy, as long as I have a tall glass of lemon grass and mint iced tea to cut the heat. Fortunately, I grow both mint and lemon grass, so I can make ice tea whenever I want — and you can, too. Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) gets its fresh,…
Read MoreHidden Pleasures
Hidden Pleasures Plants are so amazing…. Last night, my husband and I took an evening stroll and as we stepped out the front door, I was struck by a sweet fragrance. I couldn’t quite pinpoint its source, and since my husband was already half way up the street, I scrambled after him rather than…
Read More