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I Hate to Harvest – A True Confession
I love to grow vegetables but I hate to harvest. I love to start start vegetables from seed. Even before the first set of leaves unfurl, I’m dreaming about planting each seedling in my raised garden beds. I carefully labeled everything so I can track who grows where… I visit my garden every day, looking…
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 MoreDon’t Plant This: Palm Edition
My husband and I had brunch this morning with Celia and Nate Levy at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. Celia is the travel agent who has done such a fabulous job putting together the garden tour I am leading to Holland and Belgium next May. Brunch was delightful – both food and company!…
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 MoreShow your colors: Many-hued native bulb flowers are built to survive our hot, dry climate
Many people are amazed to learn that there are bulbs native to California. “Bulbs” conjures images of gladioluses, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, even snowdrops — all of which are native to other parts of the world. But, bulbs native to California? Really? Yes, really. Nearly all the bulbs offered in nurseries are bold, fancy versions hybridized…
Read MoreKiller Rays from the Sun
Thinking of replacing your lawn but not sure how to kill the grass? Just as we use the sun’s rays to power our houses, heat water and run our cars, we can use the sun to kill lawns as well. The process, called solarization, uses the heat of the sun’s rays to literally cook plants,…
Read MoreSummertime's purple powerhouse
Eggplants come in solids and stripes, and all need full sun Originally published in the U-T, May 6, 2011 at 4:37 p.m Illustration by CRISTINA MARTINEZ BYVIK Baba ghanouj, parmesan, roasted, curried or stir-fried with Thai basil … I can’t think of a way I don’t like to eat eggplant. Its soft, creamy texture and…
Read MoreEating From the Garden Today
My husband harvested our first fingerling potatoes this evening. Its hard to get any sense of their scale from the photo, but the largest ones were not quite three inches long. First fingerling potato harvest, April 2011 He sauteed them in garlic and olive oil, and served them with an asparagus omelette made with fresh…
Read MoreGarden Serendipity
This amazing combination caught my eye this morning as I arrived home from running errands…. Spring morning color tapestry Chartreuse blooming Euphorbia wulfenii, deep purple bearded iris, and Arctotis ‘Big Magenta’ make an amazing display. They were originally planted in different locations but somehow, magically, they’ve drifted together. Another lovely example of garden serendipity…
Read MoreThe Gift
I recently had a most delightful phone call. A young man found my website and called to ask about community garden plots as a holiday gift for his mother. He was in from out-of-town and wondered if I could help him. His mother, it seems, had suffered some financial setbacks and no longer had access…
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