Community, Help, and Encouragement for Active Parents
Any way that you look at it, herbs are a win-win for the gardener. In the kitchen, they’re indispensable; in the garden they’re beautiful, textural, and attract beneficial insects. Plus, herbs are one of the easiest plant groups to grow. In fact, when a would-be-vegetable-gardener asks me what crop they should grow first, I [...]
I love Italian dishes, so rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is a permanent fixture in my kitchen garden. Not that it’s hard to do since rosemary just happens to love our California climate and holds up admirably throughout the winter. But if you’re below zone 8, you’ll probably have to bring it in for winter protection. Consequently, [...]
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a shrubby perennial that’s not only an obvious herb choice for the kitchen, but it’s a great garden plant in its own right. It’s leaves have a thick, “bumpy” texture, and feel rather fuzzy. Depending on the variety, foliage colors can be bright green, blue-green, purple, or edged with cream or [...]
If you’d like to plant a reusable or recycled container or you simply have a flair for the whimsical, container gardening leaves acres of room for creativity. Be on the lookout for containers that have adequate drainage. Baskets are a natural fit as planters, but there are ways to get the most out of them. [...]
A kitchen colander is a unique and appropriate container for growing plants like lettuce, peppers, cherry tomatoes, chives, or strawberries. It would also make a wonderful hostess or housewarming gift. I like the traditional stainless steel colanders, but they aren’t the only ones out there. Keep your eyes open for brightly colored plastic and porcelain [...]
Even if you never talk to a landscape designer in your life, the design idea are endless. A clever way to incorporate your personality into your garden is to use plants that reflect some of your other interests by using a theme garden. Below is a list of ideas to adopt as your own: Color [...]
There’s no good reason to resist adding some scent to your yard or landscape. Fragrance makes all the difference between seeing a beautiful garden or experiencing it. Think of scent in the garden like salt is in the kitchen. When you’re considering fragrant plants, remember that most plants have a specific season for scent. For [...]
Photo by Nick.Allen When your picture grape vines, you may envision them in rows and rows along rolling, hillside vineyards. I have to agree that these plantings are lovely. But, did you know that grapes tend to fit neatly into backyard gardens? much the way that espaliers do. Grapes can be easily trained against a [...]
Photo by mallydally Cucumbers (Cucumis sativis), affectionately known as “cukes”, come in many forms: bush variety, vines, lemon-shaped, yard-long types, and burpless. If you’ve thumbed through any seed catalogs, you’ll notice that they break them down into the groups such as slicing (for salads and sandwiches), for cooking recipes, and those that are perfect for [...]
Photo by Swanksalot Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) basically falls into one of two categories; Italian (flat) or French (curly). While they’re both hardy biennials, meaning they flower and go to seed every other year, like many herbs and vegetables, they’re usually grown as annuals. The general feeling among gardeners is that the French curly parsley is [...]
