Note: This post was scheduled for 3 weeks ago, but I live in Sonoma county, Calif. where wildfires devastated huge areas of our county. Our home is located 1 mile from the neighbor that was completely burned down. We were evacuated for four days but returned to a house that is still standing for which we are extremely grateful. While… Read more →
Summer means bruschetta, salsa and fresh sliced tomatoes…right? But somehow the tomatoes I grew were never quite right for the bruschetta I loved to make…..until now! When I saw that Burpee Seed Co. had a tomato called “Fresh Salsa Hybrid” I imagined plump, firm, flavorful tomatoes that weren’t so juicy they watered down my bruschetta. And when I saw they… Read more →
We’ve all heard people complain about too much zucchini! But, I also get questions about why some plants have a ton of flowers and no squash. It’s actually quite simple once you understand the sex life of zucchinis! Look carefully at the following photo and you’ll see two kinds of flowers. The one on the right has a tall, thin… Read more →
Here in northern California it’s time get started on your spring garden. Today, February 25th, is 7 weeks before our average last frost date of April 15th. So what can you do now to plant and prepare? Clean up weeds and dead leaves left from winter. Top off vegetable beds or raised beds with compost. Plant peas, (like… Read more →
In years past I, like most people, planted my zucchini seeds after the frost free date, around April 15 in our zone 9 northern California garden. By October I was usually pulling out plants that were done producing and beginning to mildew and turn yellow. In fact, that’s what did happen to my April sowed plants this year. This year… Read more →
Wandering through a well designed garden is one of the best ways to decide how to design a garden of your own. The vegetable garden at the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden is a great place to observe raised beds, mixed gardens full of flowers and veggies, outbuildings and nice pathways. Here you go…a little inspiration: Walking back to the entrance… Read more →
With three little granddaughters to play with I have neglected writing about the garden! The last frost date for us in Northern California was April 15, seedlings I grew indoors under lights have all been planted out, and it’s full steam ahead in the garden! I planted peas a little late in March and we just finished harvesting them so I… Read more →
My garden is not huge. I plant vegetables in 4 raised beds that measure 2 feet by 8 feet and 3 beds that measure 2 feet by 4 feet. So, I didn’t think corn, which is usually huge, would be a good use of space. But then I noticed small “container” corn in the Burpee Seed Catalog last spring. “On… Read more →
I thought I was going to the Wild Boar Tomato Event this weekend just to taste some cool tomatoes and actually see a blue tomato for the first time. But, I learned more, so much more. When I go to the farmers market I admit I don’t put much thought into what it takes to grow what I buy there.… Read more →
I love big, red, ripe tomatoes, picked fresh from the garden. Who doesn’t? But what I don’t like is huge tomato plants falling all over the garden pathways. No matter how I caged or staked last year my Big Boy and Big Beef tomatoes took over and blocked all the walkways. So…..I was determined to find small plants with medium… Read more →