Edibles

Alpine Strawberries – Nature’s SweetTarts

October 20, 2011 4 comments
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Pictured: a normal strawberry, ‘Rugen Improved’ alpine, ‘Yellow Alpine’, and ‘Golden Alexandria’ berries Alpine strawberries. Seriously, have you guys tried these things? They’re like little red garden crackberries. They’re definitely one of my favorite things to grow at home, not the least because you can’t actually buy them in stores. Mine start going downhill as [...]

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Tomatoes! In Humboldt County! Grafted Tomatoes Beat the Competition

September 12, 2011 7 comments
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Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the title is accurate. And no, I’m not talkin’ about no stinkin’ cherry tomatoes, either. Real, live tomatoes big enough to slice and put in a sandwich! If you live in Humboldt, you know what an achievement this is. Our foggy, cool summers don’t usually allow much of anything in the [...]

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Planting in Tight Spaces with Smart Pots

June 9, 2011 55 comments
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Recently I had a client who wanted some plants tucked behind her waterfall. The waterfall had been built right up against her fence, so there was no real planting area – you can’t just pile up soil against a fence, of course. Enter the Smart Pots. Because the spaces were so cramped and oddly-shaped, there [...]

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How To Gopher-Proof an Existing Raised Bed (Photo Tutorial)

May 12, 2011 9 comments
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Ah, gophers. So cute, with their cheeks stuffed with grass and their little burrowing ways. Yet so destructive to our vegetable beds. A client finally got tired of having her beets, lettuces, and other delicious veggies cruelly snatched away by Mr Gopher juuust when they were looking ready to harvest. So we were called in [...]

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Book Excerpt: Yes, You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too

April 18, 2011 29 comments
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***Giveaway below! Comment to win your own copy of Yes, You Can!*** EDIT: Nicole won! Congrats, Nicole. Daniel Gasteiger charmed me recently when I asked him to tell me about his new book, Yes, You Can! And Freeze and Dry It, Too: The Modern Step-By-Step Guide to Preserving Food. Daniel said: The most mind-bending moment [...]

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Edible Landscaping Ideas at the SF Garden Show

March 30, 2011 9 comments
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I was inspired by the copious use of edibles at the San Francisco Garden Show this year. In true garden show style, displays ranged from practical to completely outlandish. The highlights for me were Johanna Silver’s gorgeous alternatives to raised beds in the Star Apple Edible Garden, and the combining of vertical gardening ideas with [...]

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Using Color Echoes to Work Edibles Into Your Landscape (Garden Designers Roundtable)

February 22, 2011 32 comments
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Ivette Soler’s new book, The Edible Front Yard, tackles the question of how to incorporate edibles and veggies into your landscape without having the whole thing look messy, or rigidly planned like a farm. How do you do that? She explains: The successful edible front garden all comes down to the right plant in the [...]

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Do Now: Pruning Suckers off Tomatoes

July 14, 2010 0 comments

Just found this excellent tutorial from Mr. Brown Thumb about how to prune the suckers off your tomatoes to contribute to a good form for your plant and better production. Here on the north coast, we can start doing this right now! You can follow Mr. Brown Thumb on Twitter for some funny gardening insights [...]

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Best of the Web: New Shade Perennials, Gardener’s Hide-a-Key, Veggie Gardening, and More!

March 11, 2009 10 comments

Brrrr!!! In rainy Humboldt County, February’s usually the month my garden assistants turn to me in shock and say – “uh, I think the weeds are stuck!” The first time I tried to pull frozen, crystallized weeds out of the ground, I was pretty surprised, too. This year, February’s been glorious – a bit wet, [...]

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Backyard Chickens – Five Reasons You MUST Try Them, and Two Reasons Why Not

January 30, 2009 13 comments
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1. They make charming pets! I love their happy little chortles when they see us, and if you want them to love you forever, a bit of leftover rice or lettuce goes down a treat. They’re great gardening companions, too. Esther, above, likes to stay close when I’m digging so she can have first crack [...]

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