Projects
Make a Garden Twine Dispenser from a Gourd
If you use twine in your garden, then you could probably use a twine dispenser. Here's how to make one quickly and easily with a gourd and a few simple tools
Bottling Batch 23 Fermented Hot Sauce
Fermentation of Batch 23 of the hot sauce was slow and stalled out a couple months early, so I bottled it in January instead of the usual March
Why you should have a rain barrel (or two)
Wondering whether rains barrels are worth it? The answer is yes! They're an easy and nature friendly way to save your water. Here's everything you need to know:
Batch 23 Hot Sauce Update #3
Made one last addition of fresh cayenne peppers for a full gallon to slow ferment. Now we'll cellar it and let the lacto yeast do its magic for a couple months
Batch 23 Fermented Hot Sauce Update #2
A warm mid-autumn is keeping the cayenne peppers in production much longer than usual. This year's fermented hot sauce, though late, may be pretty good afterall
The 2023 Hot Sauce (Batch 23) Begins
A cool summer and extra rainfall has the 2023 edition of our fermented hot sauce off to a start 8 weeks late. It's going to be a much shorter ferment this year.
How to Grow Vegetables in a Small Space
You don’t need a lot of space to have an abundant vegetable garden. Here’s a raised bed that’ll yield tons of fresh fruits and veggies in just a few square feet
Late Spring Vegetable Garden Maintenance
Late spring is the time to check your vegetable garden's soil condition and make any corrections needed to ensure a big harvest. Here's what to look for:
Make a Speaker Holder From a Gourd
Forget birdhouses, planters, and little art pieces. I turned a bowl gourd into something really useful -- a holder for my bluetooth speaker in the greenhouse.
D.I.Y. Garden Critter Repellent
Here's a cheap and simple repellent spray recipe that will keep squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, gophers and other rodents (even deer) from chewing up your garden
How to Build a Lasagna Garden
Here's a low-cost hack for backyard gardeners that combines two organic garden techniques to create sustainable, nutrient rich beds for your fruits and veggies
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 7 – Bottling Part 1
After 191 days of fermentation, I'm pulling Batch 22 hot sauce out of the fermenter and bottling it. Cayenne-Thai peppers with fresh garlic aged on toasted oak.
Simple, Bulletproof Plant Propagation
Got the mid-winter garden blues? This is the perfect time to propagate some new plants! All you need is a milk jug, some soil, and a little patience. Here's how
How to Refresh a Keyhole Garden
Keyhole gardens produce an amazing amount of food with little effort, but to keep them productive, you'll want to renew the bed every now and then. Here's how.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 6
Picked the final batch of fresh hot peppers and split the fermenting peppers into 2 batches so I could add more to each before they go to rest for the winter.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 5
The Indian summer could have put Batch 22 hot sauce into fermentation overdrive. Instead the pepper plants flowered again, so it's going to be Batch 22 x 2!
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 4
Topped off 1 gallon of Batch 22 fermented hot sauce with fresh peppers over the weekend. This will rest for a couple weeks before moving to the big fermenter.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 3
Last week's heatwave got the peppers fermenting too fast, so we reduced the 3rd addition of fresh peppers from 16 to 12oz. Hopefully that will slow it down.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 2
The second pepper addition to batch 22 of the fermented hot sauce. After 12 more weeks of fresh pepper additions we'll send it off to finish over the winter.
Making Batch 22 Fermented Hot Sauce
For Batch 22, I'm using Cayenne/Thai peppers from 2 year-old plants. I hope they add some interesting flavor notes to the 6-month long hot sauce fermentation.
First run of Batch 21 Fermented Hot Sauce
I am continuously fermenting the hot peppers, adding fresh peppers every week, and pulling half after 4 week's time to turn into hot sauce. This is round 1.
Batch 21 Begins
Batch 21 of my fermented hot sauce begins! This year it's a 100% cayenne/Thai pepper hybrid. We start the ferment today with 12 ounces of fresh peppers in brine
How to Make A Butterfly House
Sustainable gardens need pollinators. Encourage butterflies with flowers for food and get them to stay with a simple butterfly house you can make for only $3!
Video: Batch 20 Hot Sauce Bottled and Ready
The 20th edition of my slow ferment hot sauce. It's funky, fruity with a medium heat on the back. BBQ worthy for sure! See how to make your own in the video.
Food Garden 2021 – Week 3
3 weeks in our suburban grow all our own food plan and we're off to a good start. Veggie garden and berries are good & the keyhole garden is lush as a jungle
Creating a Native Garden Under Live Oaks
My first big backyard project of 2021 is creating a garden under a canopy of live oaks using only California and San Diego native plant species. This is day 1.
Garden Hack: DIY Water Bottle Drip Watering System
Garden Hack: Make a simple DIY drip watering system for potted plants & seedlings with just a water bottle. Instructions and video included in the article.
Keyhole Garden Mid-Winter Maintenance
Mid-winter is rough on vegetables, even the ones in the keyhole garden. The secret to keeping the bed productive is a happy compost bin in the middle. Today we checked on how the compost was doing.
Chickcam is Dead. Long Live Chickencam!
My old live stream camera, Chickencam finally died, so I built a new one with a Raspberry Pi . Now I've got a HD live feed from the poultry yard and it cost just $53. Check it out for all the details.
Christmas Rescue 2020
In keeping with a long tradition of saving post-Christmas plants from the trash bin, this year's rescue is a 93 cent bargain. It's 4-inch tall poinsettia in a silver 2-inch pot that's definitely seen better days. It has one green leaf and a few red bracts still hanging on, probably because they've been sprayed with glitter glue. The glue has also attracted what looks like cat hair (or worse). My record's pretty good when it comes to nursing abused poinsettias back to health, but I have to admit, I think this one's iffy at best. We'll see how it goes. [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Update – December 2, 2020
Gardener’s Log : Keyhole Garden day 610. Weird weather--hot days, near freezing nights--has put a squeeze on the keyhole garden's output.
Thanksgiving Prep – Green Beans
The best green bean casserole calls for fresh picked green beans, so we're picking the last of the pole beans. It's not easy to keep them growing this late in the year, but I've found that these Forex beans will produce right up to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Prep – Sweet Potatoes
Short of the turkey, everything for our family's Thanksgiving feast is grown here at The Acre. It takes a few days to harvest everything and bring it all together, so we always start with the stuff we need to dig up. This morning is was sweet potatoes, red and white varieties. This is way more than the four of us will eat, so we'll store the small ones to plant is spring, and share the extra big ones with our neighbors.
Video: Hot Sauce Progress – Entry 6
It's been a little more than six weeks since we began the fermentation on Batch 20 of my hot sauce. Today I'm popping open the fermenter to see how it's going and give the peppers a stir to keep thing moving.
Keyhole Garden – October 28, 2020
Gardener’s Log : Keyhole Garden day 585. Well, if you want to hammer a keyhole garden into submission, making it rain followed by high winds and near 80° heat, followed by overnight lows that dip into the 30s, followed by more near 80° temperatures again, is certainly one way of doing it. 40 degree plus temperature swing in 24 hours The poor pumpkin, which was thriving a couple weeks ago, is done in, as is most of the basil and the remaining sweet pepper and tomato. The only things that seemed to come through unscathed are the Tom [keep reading...]
Batch 20 Hot Sauce Progress – Entry 5
Batch 20 of the fermented hot sauce hit 5 gallons of fresh peppers 8 weeks early, so I'm bumping up to 10 gallons by splitting peppers between 2 fermenters. As for what I'm going to do with 10 gallons of finished hot sauce next spring, I have no idea.
Keyhole Garden – October 12, 2020
Gardener's Log : Keyhole Garden date 569. Now that we're several weeks into fall, the temperatures are making their annual wobble between hot and cold. The days are still in the 80's with the occasional tip into the low 90's, but the nights are now dipping into the mid-50's and flirting with the upper 40's a couple days a week. For most of the plants here, those big temperature swings and longer nights are a signal to wrap things up for the year. The cucumbers folded first, followed by the tomatillos and bunching onions just before autumn began. The tomatoes, [keep reading...]
Batch 20 Hot Sauce – Entry 4
Just put week 4's fresh peppers into the fermenter for Batch 20 of the fermented hot sauce. With the brine, looks like we're about 2/3rds of the way to getting a full 5 gallons before we send it off to spend the winter aging with oak
Make a DIY Bucket Air Conditioner
Build a simple and efficient portable room air conditioner for about $30 with a couple of buckets, some pipe, a jug of cold water and a cheap desk fan
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 3
It's the first day of Autumn and the peppers are coming in hot and heavy. I'm picking around one pound every couple of days right now, which means I'll be moving the peppers to the five gallon fermenter this week. The weather has been very warm so the initial ferment is off to a good start. It smells spicy and yeasty, which tells me the lacto ferment is happy. Once I pitch it to the big fermenter, things should really take off.
Keyhole Garden Update – Sept. 21, 2020
It's day 548 of production for the keyhole garden. The recent heatwave ended what was left of the tomatoes and most of the sweet peppers, but the squash is doing great. Plus, I discovered some garlic.
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 2
2nd addition of peppers was a full pound split between Hidden Lake Hot and Culebra Negra (see photo). This should be more than enough to get a good ferment going before I pitch it to the barrel and add 10 - 15 pounds of fresh peppers over the next 10 weeks.
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 1
Batch 20 of my 6 month fermented hot sauce begins with 5oz of Hidden Lake Hot, a Cayenne/Thai cross, and 7oz of Culebra Negra, a Central American pepper I got from a friend.
Keyhole Garden Update
After 521 days of continuous production, the early summer veggies in the keyhole garden are all played out, but the mid-summer crops--beans, squash, and pumpkins--are doing just fine. The second half of summer and most of early fall is brutally hot and dry, so I'm going to give part of the bed a couple week's rest before transplanting the late summer and early fall stuff.
Build a Bee Hotel
Here's how to build a "Bee Hotel" to welcome native bees (which are solitary, stingless and great pollinators) into your garden.
A Rustic Steel and Cedar Window Box
A little time and less than $20 made this cool window box planter (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the instructions) Our house is a 1950’s single story California ranch. Long and low, it has lots of big windows that bring in fresh air and light keeping the house cool in the summer and naturally lit in the winter. The guest bathroom has a large window with a view out across the deck down to the orange grove. The glass is frosted to provide privacy, but most of the time it’s wide open and people don’t realize that anyone [keep reading...]
Garden Path Refresh
I turned a drab wood walkway into a cool, colorful path through the tropical garden in a couple days for under $20. Here's how I did it.
Keyhole Garden Progress Update
It's been a month since I posted on the progress on my year round keyhole food garden so I thought now would be a good time for an update with a few photos.
Lessons from the Keyhole Garden
A year after building my keyhole garden I've learned a few lessons. Here's a quick list of tips to keep your keyhole garden happy and productive through the growing season.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 13, 2020
Not much new this week. The lettuces continue to putter out and what remains of the bok choi looks like it's about to bolt. On the other hand, the tomatillos and cucumbers are flowering and I've got a couple of yellow pear tomato (the wife's favorite) seedlings getting ready to move into the bed, so we're in good shape.
A DIY Rocket Stove from Recycled Cans
A rocket stove is an ingenious cooking device that produces a whole lot of heat with very little fuel. You can make one in 10 minutes with 3 cans. Here's how.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 6, 2020
The weather is warming and the days are longer giving the cucumbers a chance to finally kick into high gear (too bad the dill is done). The garlic and tomatillos seem to sense warmer weather too.
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 26, 2020
The keyhole garden is in that awkward transitional stage between Winter and Spring. Winter veggies and herbs are petering out while spring plants like tomatillos, peppers, cucumbers and onions are just getting started.
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 17, 2020
Warm weather followed by a week of rain has really kicked the leafy greens into high gear. On the front left you can see the remainder of the romaine heads giving one last push. Meanwhile on the right, it's a motley assortment of loose leaf greens, spinach and cilantro. One head of broccoli remains as does the red cabbage (back and center right). The dill I have planted around the perimeter of the compost bin (center) is thick, leafy and deep green. Way in the back is the garlic and cucumbers now in need of trellising. If you look at [keep reading...]
How to Make Awesome Hot Sauce
Fermented hot sauce is more complex and flavorful than a standard hot peppers and vinegar sauce. Better yet, it's not hard to make your own. Here's how.
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 4, 2020
The winter crops continue their rotation out of the bed. Broccoli is all done (save 1 plant), and the Romaine lettuce and peas are calling it quits as well. We cut the cilantro down to an inch high to keep it leafy and stop it from bolting. I replaced the broccoli with cucumbers (National Pickling) over this past weekend and infilled some of the empty spot in the lettuces with spinach (Space) I'd been holding in the greenhouse. Just a couple more weeks and the keyhole garden will have been in continuous production for a whole year and the soil [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 26, 2020
Winter crops are petering out in the keyhole garden. Broccoli is heading out, cabbage is ripe, peas have been picked and the Romaine lettuce is about done. Just in time too. Cucumbers, more lettuce, tomatillos and tomatoes are all waiting in the greenhouse for their turn in the garden.
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 20, 2020
We've been harvesting romaine lettuce and cilantro for several weeks, and we cut our first head of broccoli just the other day. Tom Thumb peas are all ripe and ready to be harvested too. Good thing. The greenhouse holds spring vegetable seedlings getting close to transplant time.
Make a Clock from an Old Pallet
I made an attractive rustic clock for only $10 using some old pallet wood, clothespins and a little creativity. The whole project start to finish took less than a weekend. Here's the instructions on how I did it so you can build your own.
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 8, 2020
Temperatures have been well below freezing at night for the past week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the keyhole garden. It continues to produce like there's no tomorrow. We've been harvesting lettuce and cilantro all week and it just seems to grow right back. Garlic, broccoli and cabbage are thriving as well.
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 1, 2020
80 degree heat earlier this week forced me to actually water the garden. It's quite full now. Time to start harvesting some of that lettuce and cilantro for Super Bowl snacking tomorrow.
Keyhole Garden Progress – January 23, 2020
A bit of rain followed by warmer weather from what I call our "fake spring" (it always gets really warm here at the end of January, then snaps back to cold) has the vegetables in the keyhole garden growing like crazy. All the garlic is now well along and the romaine lettuce, cilantro and dill are getting close to harvest. Maybe another week or so.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 11
The hot sauce has been quietly fermenting in a cool, dark area of the garage for several weeks now. It was before Christmas when I added the toasted oak staves and the last of the fresh peppers from the garden, so the bright red color is giving way to a duller brick red/orange. The peppers, which I added whole, are beginning to dissolve and fall apart, leaving a layer of pepper seeds at the bottom of the jar. A little white mold has accumulated at the top of the jar and there's a musty, tangy scent telling me that fermentation [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – January 10, 2020
Cool weather (frost overnight and daytime temps in the upper 50s / low 60s) has slowed, but not stopped, plant growth. Lettuces (particularly the romaine) and cilantro are doing quite well, and the garlic I planted several weeks ago has now all sprouted.
My Keyhole Garden is Amazing
Cool weather has turned it into a nutrient rich kitchen garden like no other! It's hard to overstate how awesome a keyhole garden is. If you’ve ever thought about building one, do it. I built one on a whim for about $100 early last spring and was amazed at how it pumped out vegetables and herbs from spring all the way into mid-autumn with basically no effort from me -- no weeding, very little watering, easy harvesting. Definitely $100 well invested. Turns out, that was just the start. I cleared the bed of spent summer plants and re-planted with winter [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – December 24, 2019
A Pacific storm rolled in giving us about 2 inches of rain and considerably colder temperatures. Our mountains got snow, we got frost, but the keyhole garden doesn't seem to notice. The lettuces and Chinese cabbage are really leafing out and the broccoli and red cabbage are getting tall. Even the cilantro, which is kind of picky about too hot or too cold, is growing well.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 10
That's it. Oak is in the brew and the last of the peppers are picked and added for Batch 19 of the Hidden Lake hot sauce. 12 weeks of fresh fermentation. Now for 12 weeks of aging. See you in spring peppers. Merry Christmas everyone else!
Hot Pepper Sauce Batch 19 – Entry 9
Rain and persistent cold weather have slowed the peppers to a crawl. There's still a few left on the plants, but not enough to hold off on moving the hot sauce to its resting stage. To enhance the flavor I add a couple of oak staves to the pepper brew and let it sit for another 8 - 12 weeks. American oak happens to be high in a compound called vanillin, which is why things that age in American oak barrels (like Bourbon) have subtle vanilla aromas and flavors. Toasting the oak helps make those flavors more pronounced, so I [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – December 15, 2019
No rain but close to freezing temperatures has the broccoli confused about what to do. Fortunately, the lettuce (front left) has no such problem.
Keyhole Garden – December 8, 2019
Another 3" of rain and continued cool weather this week, but the keyhole garden continues to thrive. The broccoli (rear of the garden) is doing well, the romaine lettuce (right side) is doubling each week. We were even able to harvest some cilantro yesterday for enchiladas the mrs. is making.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 8
Here it is, week 12 since I started the peppers fermenting. I don't know how it's possible, but the Hidden Lake Hot peppers in the garden are still hanging in despite heavy and 40 degree temperature swings between night and day. I managed to pick about 2-3 ounces of fresh pepper for a new addition (along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but no additional water), and will probably get 2-3 ounces more based on the number of peppers and new flowers on the plants right now. Hidden Lake hot peppers still flowering and producing fruit in December I [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – November 30, 2019
Second week of the keyhole garden's winter plantings. We had 3 inches of occasionally heavy rains which could have easily pounded the young herbs and vegetables into the mud. Instead, the garden absorbed the water and drained it away beautifully. Even though it's cool and cloudy, the plants are doing beautifully.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 7
Another addition of 4 ounces or so of fresh peppers and a pinch of salt. Heavy rain last week knocked most of the remaining peppers off the plants, so we're coming to the end of fresh pepper additions for this year (yeah, I know, I write that every week -- but this time it's probably true). I'm going to let this ferment one more week then add oak and send the batch to age until March.
Keyhole Garden – November 24 2019
Second week of the winter plantings in the keyhole garden. Needed to water once, but otherwise everything is doing well.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 6
It's week seven of my hot sauce fermentation. I added another 4 ounces or so of fresh peppers, salt and more water and gave it a good stir. The fermentation is now giving off a tangy smell that's both spicy and funky. I figure I'll only have room for one more addition of fresh peppers before I add small amount of toasted oak and set it aside to age through the winter. The liquid is getting a little murky from the garlic and fermenting peppers, but that's not an issue since I'll blend it all right before I bottle. Here's [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Planted with Winter Vegetables
Getting ready for fresh vegetables all winter A couple of weeks ago I cleared my keyhole garden of the spent summer crops, topped off the bed with fresh compost and let it sit for a few days to rest and settle in. Yesterday I pulled the seedlings from the greenhouse and transplanted them in garden. Here's a list of what we're growing this winter: Keyhole garden re-planted for winter of 2019/2020 Clockwise from the lower left: Large Leaf Basil Romaine Lettuce - Green Forest Chinese Cabbage - Optiko Broccoli - Imperial Dill - Fernleaf/Mammoth cross (behind compost [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 5
Added another 4 ounces of fresh peppers and 1 tsp of pickling salt. Peppers are really starting to ferment and become mushy now. Jar is almost full too. Soon it will be time to add the oak and let it reset over the winter.
How to Build a Keyhole Garden
I built an exceptionally productive keyhole garden using cedar fence boards and pipe strapping. Total build cost was around $200 and the results were amazing. Here's complete instructions on how to do it.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 4
Added 8 more ounces of hot peppers and 1/2 TSP of salt. No additional water. Will probably have just one more addition because the weather cold nights are knocking off the pepper plants.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 3
Forgot to take photos of last week's addition. 6 ounces plus 1 cup water, 1/2tsp salt. Woops. Also, too much water let the peppers float on top and get a white mold. Woops again. Pay attention. Scraped off the fuzzy white mold and added 6 more ounces of fresh peppers. The peppers from week 1 are now dissolving in the mix. Added 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt. Used a weight and plastic lid to keep the peppers submerged in the brine.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 2
Added 3 ounces Black Mamba peppers and 2 cloves of fresh garlic. 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 tsp salt added as well.
Four Easy Ways to Save Seeds
Saving your own seeds is a great way to save money and keep the plants you like. Here are the easiest ways to save a variety of vegetable and flower seeds.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 1
Added the first 8 ounces of whole peppers (Hidden Lake Hot - Thai/Cayenne cross) to the jar. Added 1 up water, 1/2tsp pickling salt.
Growing Artichokes as Flowers
Artichokes aren't much to look at in the garden, but if you let them flower, they turn out to be quite attractive. Pollinators like bees love them too!
My Hybrid Tomato Experiment
A lot of people dismiss the idea of saving seeds from hybrid tomatoes because they don't breed true. Me, I grow many generations of them to see where they go.
What to plant after early summer crops
Early summer vegetable crops are done, but the veggie garden isn't. Here’s what to plant and how to keep your vegetable garden going through the end of summer
Landscape Design With Vegetables
Once in a while it's nice to let things go to seed and see what happens. Here's spring's carrots flowering among summer's vegetables in the keyhole garden.
Video: Herc at Work in the Garden
Hercules is our four month old dachshund. He is adorable and a certified yard terrorist. Anything that looks like it needs a little digging gets thoroughly dug
How to preserve summer vegetables and enjoy them all year long
Don’t let the bounty of your vegetable garden go to waste! It's easy to make this tasty, tangy Mediterranean side dish / condiment and enjoy them all year long
Photo: Last Sunset of Spring 2024
Last night was the final sunset of Spring 2024. Here's a photo from the deck looking west over the Pacific. The first full moon (strawberry) of summer tomorrow.
Make a Garden Twine Dispenser from a Gourd
If you use twine in your garden, then you could probably use a twine dispenser. Here's how to make one quickly and easily with a gourd and a few simple tools
Ugly Carrots Still Taste Good
My carrots will never make the cover of a magazine (unless the magazine is all about ugly vegetables). But at least they're colorful and still taste good.
Garden Design with Grocery Store Onions
Don't throw out those onions just because they sprouted! Plant them in the garden and they'll reward you with a show of amazing flowers that look like lollipops
Happy Memorial Day
Thank you to all who gave their lives for our nation.
What’s on the Other Side of That Gate?
Using the terrain, landscaping and a few structures, it's easy to create cool garden "rooms" that feel like you're in a secret, and a tad magical, place.
This Chicken Ranges a Little Too Freely
When your chickens feel free to come in the house and wander around, they've taken "free range" too far. Remmy the Rhodey is a perfect example of a hen too far.
Mid-Spring Garden Check-in – How’s it Growing?
How's your vegetable garden doing in mid-spring? Here in San Diego County, we're off to a slow, wet start, but hopeful it'll catch up the last half of spring
April Showers Do Bring May Flowers
I tried to displace invasive mustard with native wildflowers. The birds ate most of seeds and the mustard came back, but there's 1 little patch of spring color.
I Think We’re Being Watched
Two of our hens have figured out that if they stare through the sliding glass door by the living room long enough, my wife will throw them snacks. Bad chickens!
Mini Panther Sighting in the Garden
Shortcutting through the upper yard yesterday I happened upon a miniature black panther crouching under a sage bush.
Peas and Carrots in the Keyhole Garden
The early spring phase of the keyhole garden is packed with peas, carrots and lettuces while the peppers, cucumbers and dill lurk underneath for pickles later.
Seven Sages Currently Blooming in the Garden
Sage isn't just my name, it's also my favorite type of plant. I have over 30 salvia varieties in the garden. Here are 7 of my favorites currently in bloom.
Gopher Plague Continues
First it was the dill, then the aloe, then the broccoli, and now the celery. This year the gophers are relentless (thanks El Niño). Grrr. I need more traps.
Green Globe Artichokes in April
While a gopher plague is delaying the main vegetable garden, the artichokes in the north beds are doing just fine. Fresh artichokes for dinner kids!
Orange Blossoms
If you've never had the opportunity to walk through an orange grove blooming in early spring, I feel sorry for you. The scent is amazing.
Spring Keyhole Garden Transition
How to use "hot" compost to get your spring keyhole garden (or any raised bed) off to an early start
First Spring Sunrise of 2024
Winter stormed out last night in a bluster of thunder and rain. Spring rose this morning with blue skies and the promise of warm days ahead. Good to see her.
Small Wonders: Ellaphieae’s Gasteria and Bonfire Moss
The wet weather let bonfire moss move in next to a Gasteria ellaphieae. Succulents and moss together aren't something you often see together. Small wonders.
Cattle Drive (Sage’s Acre Style)
When the livestock escapes the range and gets up near the homestead, we're forced to saddle up and drive the herd back down to the pasture. Here's how we do it.
How to Easily Separate Vegetable and Flower Seedlings
Don't like thinning perfectly good seedlings? Here's an easy way to separate and transplant them. Works great on hard-to-transplant veggies like carrots too!
Compost Inspectors at Work
All work I do on the compost pile is subject to a complete inspection by my chickens. They're extremely thorough, but I think they're satisfied with the work.
Old Fashioned Soft Pretzels Recipe (easy)
Chewy, delicious soft pretzels are easy to make and every bit as good as the ones from a shop. Here’s my quick and simple recipe.
How to Make Old Fashioned Deli-Style Mustard
Hankering for real, old-fashioned deli-style brown mustard? Good news! It's super easy to make right at home. All you need are a few ingredients and this recipe
Putting in the Eggstra Effort
Among the dozen or so eggs I collected from the coop this morning was the monster in the middle. One of the girls is definitely putting in the "eggstra" effort.
The Intriguing Alien Eggs: Haworthia Cooperi
A super easy to grow succulent that looks like clusters of tiny translucent watermelons, known to some as "Alien Eggs." A great indoor plant for any collection.
Five Garden Tasks To Do Before Spring Arrives
Just because it's still winter doesn't mean you can't get ready for spring gardening. Here are five garden tasks you can do now before spring arrives
Gourd Garden Six Months Apart
It's mid-winter now, but six months ago it was high summer. Here's the hanging gourd garden as it appeared in August and now in February
How to Grow Broccoli as a Perennial
Did you know you can grow broccoli like a perennial shrub and have garden-fresh veggies year-round? Pick an heirloom variety and it's easy! Here’s how
Bottling Batch 23 Fermented Hot Sauce
Fermentation of Batch 23 of the hot sauce was slow and stalled out a couple months early, so I bottled it in January instead of the usual March
Why Aren’t My Seeds Sprouting?
Having trouble getting your seeds to sprout or your seedlings to survive? It’s almost always one of three problems. Here's how to diagnose and fix them.
Why you should have a rain barrel (or two)
Wondering whether rains barrels are worth it? The answer is yes! They're an easy and nature friendly way to save your water. Here's everything you need to know:
One Last Sunrise Before the Rain
This beautiful sunrise on a crisp winter morning is the last we'll see for a while. A series of storms will keep us under clouds for the better part of a week
Freckles is a Great Winter Lettuce
Freckles is a Romaine-type lettuce with medium green leave and attractive red splotches. Great for winter growing in USDA zones 8 or higher
Hoping for an Early Start on Spring
Spring is almost 2 months away, but if I don't plant something, I'm going to explode. I'm taking a risk and starting a bunch of veggie seeds early. Way early.
Garden Season Prep: Sorting Saved Seeds
Need a winter garden project? Get that seed collection under control! Here's how to tell which seeds have passed their prime and which you can save to plant.
A Splendid Sunday Sunrise in San Diego
An early January Sunday morning after a rain. The sky is clear, the air is crisp, and the only sounds are a few early birds telling the world the day has begun.
Checking in at the Bee Hotel
The bee hotel has plenty of mason bee and carpenter bee nests this winter. Hopefully it'll be a great spring for our native pollinators!
Last Sunset of Autumn 2023 (Almost)
The last sunset of autumn 2023 was a cold, gray and damp dud. The sunset the night before, however, was perfect. Cool blue/pink with a splash of sunset gold.
Chris the Christmas Cactus in Bloom
I rescued this Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) from a trash bin back in 2019. Now it rewards us every Christmas with this beautiful floral display
Making Christmas Giardiniera
Here's a little spin on garden fresh Giardiniera -- Using Violeta Italia purple cauliflower instead of white makes for a much more colorful mix of vegetables
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Bread Recipe
Here's a super easy Christmas sweet bread recipe people will love! Give it as a handmade gift for your friends and family to enjoy this holiday.
Vegetable Garden 2023 Wrap-up
It's the end of the year, so before we get down to planning next year's vegetable garden, it's a good time to review the good and bad of the past year's garden.
What a Spider Sees, You See Only at Sunset
The air backlit by the sunset reveals that it's thick with normally invisible insects. No wonder this orb weaver chose to string its web here!
Batch 23 Hot Sauce Update #3
Made one last addition of fresh cayenne peppers for a full gallon to slow ferment. Now we'll cellar it and let the lacto yeast do its magic for a couple months
Best Thanksgiving Ever for These Turkeys
My neighbor's turkeys escaped and are now standing roadside watching people go by. I'm guessing this is their best Thanksgiving ever.
Five Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Dishes to Try
Here are the recipes for five Thanksgiving dishes that were popular 100 years ago but have since fallen out of favor. Change up your Thanksgiving and try one!
Fall Keyhole Garden Flip
If you're in USDA zone 8 or above, it's easy to switch your keyhole garden from summer to winter veggies and keep growing. It just takes a few simple steps.
Pregnant Praying Mantis on a Fence
A very pregnant praying mantis preparing to lay her eggs on a fence post in mid-November. If the egg case survives, there will be 100's of babies next spring
Batch 23 Fermented Hot Sauce Update #2
A warm mid-autumn is keeping the cayenne peppers in production much longer than usual. This year's fermented hot sauce, though late, may be pretty good afterall
Five Ways to Use Leftover Pumpkins
Don’t toss those pumpkins because the holidays are over! Here are five delicious and unusual pumpkin recipes to make the most of those leftover squash
How to Make Pumpkin Puree (It’s Easy!)
Fresh, homemade pumpkin puree for pies etc. is very nutritious and super simple to make. It's really no harder that cut, scrape, bake and blend. Here's how:
Orange Cosmos Flower Volunteer
I was pleased to discover a large orange cosmos had taken up residence on the west side of the tropical garden. I'm not as happy about the fig some bird planted
How to Overwinter Tomatoes for a Spring Jump Start
Get an early start on next year's tomatoes by taking cuttings from this year's tomatoes in the fall. It's super easy and saves money! Here's how to do it:
The 2023 Hot Sauce (Batch 23) Begins
A cool summer and extra rainfall has the 2023 edition of our fermented hot sauce off to a start 8 weeks late. It's going to be a much shorter ferment this year.
Best Bean Dishes for Autumn
Autumn is great for comfort foods and beans are inexpensive, delicious and super versatile. Here's five Terri tested and approved bean dishes to try this fall
There’s Sumthin’ About These Pumpkins
I grew Rouge Vif D’Etampes (aka: "Cinderella") French heirloom pumpkins the first time both for Halloween and for fall squash dishes (pie!). Here are my notes.
Sweet Corn and Summer’s Last Hurrah
Summer is gone, but the sweet corn isn't. Cool(ish), wet weather helped make the sweetest, plumpest corn of the season ready in the garden in mid-October.
An October Sunset With a Starship
Snapped a shot of a colorful San Diego sunset last night only to discover later on that there's a starship shaped hole in the clouds.
Orb Weaver (Araneus diadematus) in Action
Orb weavers are common garden spiders. The females grow quite large - 2 inches or more across, Males only half that. In the autumn they mate. Then she eats him.
How to Make an Easy Compost Turning Tool
Got a small compost pile that’s a bit of work to turn? Here’s a simple tool you can put together in a couple of minutes that’ll make it easy to do.
Rubber Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Rubber rabbitbrush is a tough, drought tolerant plant native to the U.S. west from Canada to Mexico. In autumn it puts on a show of yellow flowers bee's love.
Don’t Toss Those Pepper Plants!
Summer might have ended, but that doesn’t mean your peppers have to. Here's how to easily overwinter pepper plants and have fresh peppers again next spring!
First Sunrise of Autumn 2023
Unlike last night's cloudy final summer sunset, this morning's first sunrise of fall was clear, crisp, and had just a hint of dew in the field. Autumn is here.
Summer 2023 – That’s a Wrap
Summer 2023 ended as one of the mildest in memory. Temperatures never got to the triple digits and now, on the eve of autumn, it's raining and in the 60s
Summer Ends with Sunflower Seeds
The last of the giant sunflowers fell today, but the birds haven't gotten to it. So we have a cool giant sunflower head full of seeds for next season.
Root Beer Plant (Piper auritum)
A lush Central/South American native Piper auritum has root beer scented leaves and a peppery-licorice flavor. Also known as Mexican pepperleaf or hoja santa
Got a Little Sauced this Weekend
We finally reached peak tomato and spent the weekend processing them. All told we ended up with 120+ pints of tomato and pasta sauce, plus lots of real ketchup.
Chicken Mystery Solved (Sort of)
Turns out the tiny mystery chicken that made itself at home with our flock is a hen and doing her best to earn her keep by laying some adorably tiny eggs.
The best zucchini varieties for home gardens
We grew three different heirloom zucchini varieties and rated them based on space, productivity, and flavor to find the best combo for our home vegetable garden
Vegetable Garden Trials: Carbon Black Heirloom Tomatoes
Two thirds of the way through the growing season, Carbon Black Heirloom Tomatoes have been a standout for the size and quantity of the tomatoes they produce
Recipe: Old Fashioned Ketchup (c. 1915)
Wonder how classic, homemade American ketchup tastes? It tastes like awesome! If you've got a few tomatoes, here's a simple, delicious ketchup recipe from 1915.
Pickled Cherry / Grape Tomatoes Recipe
Got a bumper crop of mini tomatoes and wondering what to do before they go bad? Here's a super simple way to preserve and enjoy your tomatoes all year long
Post Hurricane Tomato Explosion
Tropical Storm Hilary was a bust except for the water. 2" of rain in 12 hrs has our tomatoes bursting like a tourist's pants at an all-you-can-eat Vegas buffet.
Sunset Before the Storm
This was the sunset in Northern San Diego County just before Hurricane Hilary arrived. It almost looks painted.
A Mid-Summer Stroll Through the Hanging Gourd Garden
Mid-summer's heat can be brutal on plants in the vegetable garden. To help protect the plants that don't do well in heat, we plant a hanging gourd garden
Garden Hack: Made in the Shade
Don't let late summer heat fry your flowers and vegetables. Here are four easy methods to throw a little shade on your garden and keep it producing into autumn
Mystery Chicken
Walked out to the chicken coop yesterday to be greeted by a tiny black speckled chicken waiting to get in. I have no idea where it came from or what breed it is
The ROI of Growing Your Own Beans
Fresh food is expensive and only getting more so. But does it make sense to grow your own beans when they’re so cheap to buy? We did the math, and the answer is
Cucumber Overload
Don't you hate it when you forget to harvest the cucumbers for a couple days and they take advantage by turning into fat, blimp-shaped melons?
Yerba Mansa (Anemopsis californica)
A low maintenance native of the American southwest and northern Mexico, Yerba Mansa is an attractive trailing plant that grows along creeks and in shallow water
Garden to Table: How to Make Giardiniera
Nothing beats the delicious simplicity of giardiniera, an Italian vegetable mix that's super easy to make with fresh ingredients from your own garden
Growing Armenian Cucumbers for the First Time
I grew Armenian cucumbers for the first time this spring. Here's what I learned about this tasty, 3,000 year-old fruit from the Middle East
Big Red Bell Peppers Smile Back at You
Sure, it's hotter than Hades, but it's hard not to smile when you've got bell peppers smiling back at you. These are "big red," an open pollinated type.
Lemon Queen Sunflower (Helianthus)
Lemon Queen sunflower is a pale yellow multi-branched sunflower that grows to 8 feet and produces an abundance of bottom-to-top flowers over a long bloom period
Leonotis leonarus (Lion’s Tail)
Leonotis leonarus (Zones 7-10) is an easy shrub with deep green leaves & showy orange flowers. Native to South Africa, it attracts hummingbirds & butterflies
How to Grow Vegetables in a Small Space
You don’t need a lot of space to have an abundant vegetable garden. Here’s a raised bed that’ll yield tons of fresh fruits and veggies in just a few square feet
Summer at Last!
Just a quick video of a hummingbird darting into the garden to see what I was doing with this sunflower
A Berry Berry Good Garden
After 8 weeks of cold and gray, the sun finally returned! The strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all showing their appreciation with lots of fruit.
Garden Hack: How to Make Good Garden Soil
Good soil is the key to great gardens. If you understand how soil works, Mother Nature will help you grow lush gardens without a lot of work or money
A Baby Prickly Pear (Opuntia)
Came across a baby opuntia (prickly pear cactus) hiding among the red onions in the vegetable garden (thanks scrub jays). It's relocating to the dry garden now.
Late Spring Vegetable Garden Maintenance
Late spring is the time to check your vegetable garden's soil condition and make any corrections needed to ensure a big harvest. Here's what to look for:
Happy Memorial Day Weekend 2023
The flag is now up, so it's officially Memorial Day weekend. Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. Also, it's okay to wear white now.
Make a Speaker Holder From a Gourd
Forget birdhouses, planters, and little art pieces. I turned a bowl gourd into something really useful -- a holder for my bluetooth speaker in the greenhouse.
D.I.Y. Garden Critter Repellent
Here's a cheap and simple repellent spray recipe that will keep squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, gophers and other rodents (even deer) from chewing up your garden
Camellia Japonica (Common Camellia)
The camellia is a member of the Tea family (and can be brewed into tea). A living shade screen most of the year, in spring and summer it puts on a flower show
Lacy Phacelia (Phalcelia tanacetifolia)
Lacy Phacelia (Phacelia tanacentifolia) is a southwestern U.S. native that attracts pollinators & beneficial insects with showy blue flowers in spring & summer
How to Build a Lasagna Garden
Here's a low-cost hack for backyard gardeners that combines two organic garden techniques to create sustainable, nutrient rich beds for your fruits and veggies
I Think We’re Being Watched
Bad Buff and Buffy the Corn Slayer are always standing outside our sunroom window and staring in. I'm not paranoid. I know they're plotting something.
R.I.P. Gaucho the Magnificent Chicken
Gaucho the Magnificent Bantam Rooster died in March of 2023 at age 15. He passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his hens, Buffy, Bad Buff, and Wynona.
Salvia Spathacea (Hummingbird Sage)
Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) is a low-growing California native in coastal oak valleys. In the rainy season it grows spiky pink blooms hummingbirds love.
Vegetable Garden Kickoff – 2023
Here's how this committed procrastinator and all around lazy man got his vegetable garden cleaned, refreshed and ready just in time for the first day of spring
An Atmospheric River Makes a Real One
All the rain not only created a ground squirrel clearing spring creek, but it also unearthed a strange, blue-eyed relic from a long time ago.
Echeveria agavoides in Bloom
Echeveria agavoides looks like an agave, but it's a succulent from Mexico. The leaves are lime green in winter but turn lemon yellow tipped with red in summer.
Kalanchoe Daigremontiana
Here's a closeup of the Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana) in our sunroom getting ready to drop some new babies. They look like little green oysters
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 7 – Bottling Part 1
After 191 days of fermentation, I'm pulling Batch 22 hot sauce out of the fermenter and bottling it. Cayenne-Thai peppers with fresh garlic aged on toasted oak.
Aeonium Haworthii ‘Kiwi’ in Winter Colors
Aeonium Haworthii "Kiwi" is hypnotic in its colors both in winter when it's various shades of green, and summer when it's trimmed in reddish-pink.
Making Chicken Feed
The high price of feed and eggs has people sprouting grain as a cheap form of chicken feed. I tested it with my chickens, but received mixed results.
Abutilon megapotamicum
A Brazilian bellflower is the "roof" in one of our subtropical gardens. The sunlight through the dappled leaves and papery orange flowers is quite pretty IMHO.
Mini-Greenhouse Garden Hack
Here's an easy way to get a few weeks headstart on the gardening season with this easy, efficient mini greenhouse made with a roofing panel and coat hangar.
Self-Starting Winter Tomatoes
Despite 10 inches of rain and freezing nights, the keyhole garden continues to defy expectations. Here are Tigerella tomato seedings sprouting in mid-January.
Simple, Bulletproof Plant Propagation
Got the mid-winter garden blues? This is the perfect time to propagate some new plants! All you need is a milk jug, some soil, and a little patience. Here's how
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
Jade Plants are low care, easy to grow plants you can shape into anything from elegant shrubs to weird martian trees based on how you care for them. Here's how:
Christmas Cactus and a Bear
Got a Christmas Cactus from the $1 bin at the nursery in 2019 and wanted to show how nice it looked in bloom. All the camera wanted was the bear on its back
How to Refresh a Keyhole Garden
Keyhole gardens produce an amazing amount of food with little effort, but to keep them productive, you'll want to renew the bed every now and then. Here's how.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Whatever your beliefs and however you celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and spend it with the people you love the most!
Last Sunset of Autumn 2022
Did you feel Autumn pass into winter today? Me neither, but I did catch the last sunset of Fall last night. Also, this Christmas weekend looks to be wonderful.
Holly Wood California
The Toyon is a California native tree whose deep green foliage and bright red berries in December earned it the nickname "Hollywood"
Gray Day, Orange Aloe
This little 6" orange marmalade aloe chose the biggest Pacific storm of the year as the perfect time to put out this foot tall bright fuchsia bloom.
Mariner’s Kalanchoe in Bloom
Rescued a piece of a Mariner's Kalanchoe from a trash bin in 2019. Today it's flourishing in the succulent garden and blooming like there's no tomorrow
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 6
Picked the final batch of fresh hot peppers and split the fermenting peppers into 2 batches so I could add more to each before they go to rest for the winter.
San Onofre Poinsettia Fields in 1941
A 1941 photo postcard of hundreds of acres of poinsettias in bloom on the San Diego coast where Camp Pendleton and San Onofre State Beach are now located.
The Super Bowl keyhole garden
The keyhole garden planted for Super Bowl. All the veggies we need for garlic-cheese potatoes, nachos, and a vegetable tray (if I could grow queso, I would) .
Last Tomatoes for 2022
I was doing one last late autumn veggie garden inspection before I sent the chickens in for cleanup and found a Roma tomato still churning out tomatoes!
Poinsettia Rescue Two Years Later
I bought a mostly dead stick of a poinsettia after Christmas in 2020 for 93¢. This is that little rescue 2 Christmas' later. Bounced back pretty good I'd say.
Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Inspection
Whew! After inspection, the doxies have determined our freshly harvested sweet potatoes are not cheese or anything wrapped in bacon, so Thanksgiving is safe.
A Squash Family Thanksgiving Photo
Picked what remained of the butternut squash (pumpkin pie!). Same grandparents as the "mystery pumpkins" from a couple weeks ago, so this is a family photo.
A Five Star Bee Hotel
I built a bee hotel to shelter the native bees of California and the Southwest. This fall, it's proving to be a very popular spot. Here's what I learned.
Fall Keyhole Garden Maintenance
Mid-autumn is a great time to do a little maintenance on the keyhole garden and get it loaded up and ready for the next growing season.
Squash Parents Mystery Solved
Strange offspring from a perfect pumpkin created a mystery as to what squash was the papa of these odd babies. There were 3 suspects. The answer was a surprise.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 5
The Indian summer could have put Batch 22 hot sauce into fermentation overdrive. Instead the pepper plants flowered again, so it's going to be Batch 22 x 2!
A Bell Pepper Wonder
All the Calif. Wonder bell peppers in the keyhole garden are the usual green except for this guy. He started to go orange but stopped halfway. Weird. I like it.
How to Make Old Fashioned Spicy Dill Pickles
It's easy to make delicious, spicy, tangy and tasty pickles at home, the old fashioned way using this simple, but amazing 100 year old recipe
Sunset With Spider Silhouette
I see a spectacular Pacific sunset in a late season thunderstorm. My wife sees a giant spider that's going to try to kill her. Eye of the beholder, I guess.
Good Gourd, Will You Look at That?
Autumn is here and the gourds in the hanging garden are dying back to reveal a menagerie of bottle, birdhouse, luffa, and canteen gourds waiting to be picked.
All Hail Gaucho
Alexander rode an elephant; Caesar a gold chariot. Napoleon preferred a stallion. Gaucho, Chicken Emperor of the Acre, likes a wheelbarrow loaded with compost.
Banana Surprise
Banana Surprise! is something you can legitimately shout when you discover a 15' banana tree loaded with bananas hidden in your garden. (Maybe other times too.)
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 4
Topped off 1 gallon of Batch 22 fermented hot sauce with fresh peppers over the weekend. This will rest for a couple weeks before moving to the big fermenter.
He’s Got High Hopes
I ordered a cold beer for a warm autumn afternoon, but before I could get a sip, this ant kamikazed into it. My wife shrugged and said "well, he's ambitious."
5 Things You Can Make With Leftover Sweet Corn
Got corn that's leftover or past it's prime? Don't throw it away! Here are 5 recipes that'll turn that old sweet corn into a delicious dish.
Last Sunset of Summer 2022
There it is, the last sunset of the summer of `22. Nothing spectacular, but watching old Sol sink into the Pacific one to close the season was nice anyway.
Old Fashioned Cornbread Recipe
A super easy cornbread recipe that dates back to 1903. Made with sweet corn kernels and bacon, it's sweet, moist and practically irresistible!
That’s Good Compost
That's no simple pile of dirt! That's a mound of super rich, composted chicken manure and straw "bricks" to recharge the spent beds in the vegetable garden.
Odd Pumpkin Squash
I'm not a detective, but I think those seeds from last year's perfect pumpkin may have cross-bred with another squash. Green Jack O' Lanterns for Halloween.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 3
Last week's heatwave got the peppers fermenting too fast, so we reduced the 3rd addition of fresh peppers from 16 to 12oz. Hopefully that will slow it down.
The End of a Long Dry Spell
Tropical Storm Kay broke the dry spell and washed the plants in the garden. No rain since March, so tho was only 1/2-in, we'll take the full rain barrels!
A Little Tomato Please
Started harvesting in the little tomato garden today. Can you spot the 3 types (pear, grape and cherry) in the pic? Weird how they're all named for other fruit.
August Tomato Haul
It's a big weekend of saucing & canning tomatoes (all grown from seed collected last year!). Varieties from front to back: Celebrity, Black Krim, and Costaluto.
Batch 22 Hot Sauce – Entry 2
The second pepper addition to batch 22 of the fermented hot sauce. After 12 more weeks of fresh pepper additions we'll send it off to finish over the winter.
Goldfinches on Basil
One advantage to letting basil go to seed is a garden visited by chatty little goldfinches like these who fill the air with happy twitters. No app required.
Gourmet Lunch
Tomato skins and bolted lettuce may not be a the top of your list when it comes to lunch, but for the ducks and chickens it's a five star meal.
Making Batch 22 Fermented Hot Sauce
For Batch 22, I'm using Cayenne/Thai peppers from 2 year-old plants. I hope they add some interesting flavor notes to the 6-month long hot sauce fermentation.
Early August Sunset in San Diego
Sunset over the Pacific in northern San Diego county. The sun is already below the horizon, but what light is left reflects off the ocean and into the clouds.
Pepper Plants Celebrate Their 2nd Birthday With More Peppers
These 2-year old pepper plants have been frozen, burned, dried, drowned, and attacked by rodents from above and below. Ugly plants, but look at those peppers!
Monarda fistulosa aka Wild Bergamot or Bee Balm
While Monarda (wild bergamot / bee balm) isn't native to California, it'll make itself at home even in the dry, desert like climate of my San Diego foothills
The Difference a Month in the Vegetable Garden Makes
Before & After photos of the south vegetable garden in June and July of 2022. Despite heavy losses to ground squirrels, the garden is still going strong.
Ducks and a Dog
A group of our ducks have figured out how to squeeze under the fence to get up to the koi pond is. What they haven't figured out is how to get past the dog yet.
A great time of year
Early summer is the best. The days are warm and pleasant, and a walk through the garden is a trip to the freshest, fullest farmer's market on the planet.
Getting Help on a New Hugelkultur Garden
My new hugelskultur garden is proving to be more complicated than I thought. Not because the garden is hard, but because the chickens won't get out of the way.
Cashflow Zucchini is a Winner
Cashflow Zucchini is a highly productive, compact zucchini that will keep you in fresh veggies all summer long.
Remembering Less Squirrely Times
This year we're overrun by ground squirrels, but we used to have the best squirrel control ever -- dachshunds! Check out the video to see why.
Gaucho the Immortal
Me and Gaucho have been friends for over 14 years and he still follows me around the yard today. As chickens go, he's one of the best.
The Incredible Productivity of the Keyhole Garden
I get almost 5 pounds of fresh vegetables and herbs per square foot from this simple, organic, and sustainable keyhole garden, and you can too!
The Feijoa Blooms again
Feijoa (pineapple guava) only blooms on second year wood. After a hard pruning and no flowers last year, it's back and blooming big this year. Spectacular!
How much does it cost to raise your own eggs?
We didn't get hens for eggs originally. But now that inflation has driven the cost of store-bought eggs so high, we're saving about $70 a year by having them.
Time to Get This Garden Started
After a rough hot/cold winter that killed 3 separate rounds of seedlings, I'm trying again to get the vegetable garden started before spring.
Early Start on Spring
Mid-winter has too many cold-hot swings to get seedlings started in my unheated greenhouse, so I use milk-jug greenhouses to get a jump on spring. Here's how.
Rosy Fingered Dawn
Eos, goddess of dawn, using her rosy-fingered powers to chase away the mists of night so her brother Helios can rise and make his daily journey across the sky
Raised Bed Chickens
In winter we open the vegetable garden to the poultry. The chickens have already cleaned the artichoke beds and are taking a dust bath and fertilizer break before moving on.
Last Sunset of 2021
Sunset in San Diego on December 31, 2021 The last sunset of 2021. Photo taken at 4:53PM about 45 miles north of San Diego looking west toward the Pacific Ocean which is just over the hills.
The Decisions Ducks Make
A week of rain, 3 inches of cold mud and slop. The ducks couldn't be happier.
All dressed up on Christmas Night
The Christmas tree looks to be checking herself in the mirror before our guests get here to celebrate Christmas with us. I'll tell her she looks spectacular.
Feeling Like Fall Finally
Summer took a final bow in late November and quickly exited stage left. Now It's raining & temps are 40° cooler. Time for the first crackling fire of the year.
A Gaggle of Gourds
Yes, I've neglected the yard all autumn. Fortunately, the gourds in the hanging garden don't seem to care. Can you count the number of varieties in this photo?
The Greenhouse is All Potential
The greenhouse is empty in summer but in fall all the tender plants migrate back to it. It's dirty, sad now, but this weekend it'll be clean and in full leaf.
Sort of office mates
Working from home a lot of people get interrupted by dogs, kids, and the occasional leaf blower. Me, I've got an entirely different problem outside my office.
First run of Batch 21 Fermented Hot Sauce
I am continuously fermenting the hot peppers, adding fresh peppers every week, and pulling half after 4 week's time to turn into hot sauce. This is round 1.
The Last Summer Sunset of 2021
The last sunset of the summer of 2021 right at twilight. That orange glow is the sun sinking into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oceanside, CA
Ducks of Summer
Three months ago they were just yellow puffs. Now summer's gone, mom's back with her flock. and they're big ducks living life on their own (but still together).
Batch 21 Begins
Batch 21 of my fermented hot sauce begins! This year it's a 100% cayenne/Thai pepper hybrid. We start the ferment today with 12 ounces of fresh peppers in brine
Picked a Peck of Peppers
August's hot, dry, sunny weather is no friend of these cubanelle sweet peppers. Even with shade they burn, so we picked them all to roast, pickle and dehydrate.
Zipper Spider in the Oregano
A big black & yellow zipper spider in the oregano. This one is about 2" leg to leg. Big, but better than those fat orb weavers that string webs head high.
Live Alligator in the Garage
Had a standoff with this alligator lizard at the garage door this morning. He wasn't as committed as I was, because he blinked first, then turned tail and ran.
The Gorgeous Symmetry of the Sunflower
Find the pattern of sunflower seeds in a drying head attractive and fascinating? It's because you're looking at nature's golden ratio, the Fibonnaci sequence
The Tomatoing Begins
Our first two tomato harvests gave us 40lbs of Chef's Choice, Heinz, Roma and Tiren tomatoes, which are about to be processed and jarred as sauce to take us through the winter.
A Bunch of Grapes
I thought I was being nice to the chickens by letting them under the grapes to scratch around. Feathered Monsters picked the vines clean. I have 1 bunch left.
How to Tell When Onions are Ready to Harvest
Knowing when to harvest onions for peak flavor can be tricky, but with a few tips from a real onion farmer, they're super easy to perfectly pick and store.
Hanging Gourd Garden 2.0 – Early Summer
The gourd garden a month ago & today. These bottle, birdhouse, dipper and luffa vines shade this bed through the summer letting us grow cooler season crops.
That’s a Nice Tomatillo You Have
My wife says I have a one track mind. Truth aside, I think any reasonable person would notice this purple tomatillo has a really nice butt.
Video: Duckling vs Chicken Battle
If you substitute old zucchini for pizza, ducklings for children, and chickens for strangers, this video could be 20 seconds at any Chuck E Cheez.
Splendid Summer’s Day
Blue Skies, green trees and a big sunflower standing watch over the vegetable garden. Pretty much looks like this summer's day feels.
Summer Chicken Salad
We waste very little food thanks to our chickens. For example, here are Gaucho, Buffy and Summer with a fresh summer salad of overgrown zucchini and cucumbers.
So That’s Why It’s Called Bee Balm
After a two-year wait, the bergamot (monarda) finally flowered. I thought it would bring butterflies, but now I know why it's called "bee balm".
Blackberry Raspberry Jam
Picked a little over 11 pounds of blackberries and raspberries for this year's jam session. There's still plenty of berries left on the vines so we're going to try and make blackberry wine for the first time.
Summer with Sunflowers
Celebrating summer with a photo gallery of all the varieties of sunflowers growing on the Acre. (Links to the seed sources are included in the post.)
Hanging Gourd Garden 2.0
Pulled last year's dried gourds off the trellis to make way for this year's vines in the hanging garden. Now I've got a wheelbarrow full of gourds.
First ducklings of 2021
Hard to tell from the photo, but that's a mama duck and (at least) two new babies in a nest in the lavender. Check them on the live stream in a few days.
When is it too much Basil?
I think basil might not be bound by the laws of physics. I planted just six 4-inch pots where I planted 18 the year before. The results were the same.
Tapas Time!
Got a few extra veggies but don't know what to do? Make pinchos de encurtidos (a type of tapas). Easy & delicious, they're great with cheese and charcuterie.
In Praise of Sundays
I love the garden and the sound of Sunday morning silence. No cars on the road, no planes overhead, the people are still sleeping. No sound save a few birds getting a start on the day. This morning it's late spring and the vegetable garden is just getting to peak. [keep reading...]
Go Ahead, Pickle It!
Long before refrigeration pickling was the way to preserve food and keep it flavorful. Super simple, you can create any great pickled food yourself. Here's how
Scallop not Straightneck
Surprise! Turns out, my squash are scallop not straightneck squash. (Pro tip: when storing seeds for next season, make sure you label them correctly.)
One that got away from me
It's that time of year where you really, really need to check the zucchini daily. Obviously, I didn't. Woops.
Summer Pickle Time
Since we're trying not to let anything go to waste, I'm packing all these extra cucumbers to make summer pickles. It's an old recipe that's easy and very tasty!
Be Not Bee
I took a bunch of photos of my Golden dewdrop covered blue flowers to show how many bees were in it. This is the only pic I got of one and it's not even a bee.
Zukes n’ Cukes
Mid-spring and the veggie garden is in high gear. The zucchini (an 8-Ball / Striata di Italia cross) and the cucumber (a German heirloom) look splendid.
Sweet Corn Coming In
The sweet corn is coming in. I don't remember what kind, but it's got blonde roots and red tips. It's sort of like my girlfriend in the 80's.
Berry Season
What do you think? Maybe a week more and it's berry season?
How to Make A Butterfly House
Sustainable gardens need pollinators. Encourage butterflies with flowers for food and get them to stay with a simple butterfly house you can make for only $3!
Pride of Madiera
A volunteer Pride of Madiera (Echium candicans) covered in big spiky blooms anchors the dry shade garden in front of Sage's Acre in San Diego County in May
Thunbergia Ate the Duck Enclosure
Bought this thunbergia as a scrawny stick for $1. Twenty years later, it's so huge and covered with bright orange flowers it shows up on satellite images.
Video: Batch 20 Hot Sauce Bottled and Ready
The 20th edition of my slow ferment hot sauce. It's funky, fruity with a medium heat on the back. BBQ worthy for sure! See how to make your own in the video.
Ducks are Targeted Pest Control
Ducks are great organic gardeners. They're not particularly fond of spinach, but they do love young grasshopper. Judy the duck found this one, picked it off and left a little "fertilizer" as a bonus.
Food Garden 2021 – Week 3
3 weeks in our suburban grow all our own food plan and we're off to a good start. Veggie garden and berries are good & the keyhole garden is lush as a jungle
Compost Inspectors
I find it quite reassuring that once I'm done shifting compost from one bit to the other, there's an inspection crew standing by to make sure I did it right.
This is California Native Plant Week (2023)
This week is California Native Plant Week, and San Diego is a standout for its beautiful, fragrant and diverse range of natives. Here's a few in our landscape
Homemade “Florida” Bread Rolls
Here's an easy recipe that's like Hawaiian bread rolls but uses orange instead of pineapple juice. Delicious alone and with savory barbecue like pulled pork!
Orange Snow
Forget the cold and wet stuff. Here in spring the orange blossoms carpet the ground like a snow made of sweet citrus petals. The scent is amazing.
Gourd Garden on the Fence
We're cleaning up last year's hanging gourd garden to make way for this year's. Since many of the gourds aren't fully dried just yet, we're hanging them on the fence to let them finish. But as you can see in the video, there are plenty more still overhead.
Smoke from Spicy Oak
Today we're smoking a pork butt with oak wood that's been soaking in fermenting hot peppers for 4 months. I'm kind of excited to see hot the vanilla from the oak and grassy funk from the peppers come together in the pulled pork.
The Bee Hotel Has Guests
Last year I built a bee hotel in the hope of giving a few of our native bees nest space. Looks like it worked, because I can see the work of mason bees in a few of the holes!
The Start of a Native Flower Field?
I think the California native flowers are finally overtaking the thistle and mustard. A dry winter early and a wet one late may have been just what they needed.
The Keyhole Garden’s Second Anniversary
This week is the 2nd anniversary of the keyhole garden. By my estimates, after 725 days of continuous production, we’ve raised 36 crops and harvested over 150 lbs of herbs and veggies from this 50sq ft space.
Video: Mystery Chicken
Every so often, critters, like my mother-in-law, show up uninvited and decide to stay. This time it's something else. Can you tell who the interloper is?
Happiness is a full rain barrel (x3)
When you live in a state of perpetual drought, there's no better feeling than starting the spring garden with 3(!) rain barrels full of free water.
Found: One strange bird
A white Guinea hen showed up yesterday and made itself at home. It looks like an overweight bowling pin and makes more noise than all the roosters combined.
Simple Pleasures of Citrus
The only thing better than the smell of a citrus tree in bloom on a clear morning after a rain is the smell of a whole orchard of citrus trees in bloom.
Garden Hack: The easy way to get rid of small trees
If you've got a problem with pesky trees that keep growing in places you don't want, here's an easy, no dig method to get rid of them once and for all.
Happy 13th Hatchday to Gaucho the Rooster
A happy 13th hatchday to Gaucho the bantam rooster. He looks as fantastic today as he did when he was just a young cock of the walk. See him on Chickencam.
Over-Achieving Aeonium
A little Aeonium volunteer that escaped from the succulent garden. They're pesky here so normally they get tossed. But it looks so good I'm letting it stay (for a while anyway).
Getting Gourds Going
The gourds from last year's hanging garden are still drying on the vine, but I'm getting this year's vines started now. This year I'm adding luffa to the mix.
Creating a Native Garden Under Live Oaks
My first big backyard project of 2021 is creating a garden under a canopy of live oaks using only California and San Diego native plant species. This is day 1.
It’s Not Spring Yet
The daytime weather says it's summer (75F/24C) but last night says it's still winter (37F/3C). Sorry. Sigh... Just a few more weeks guys.
Chinese Lantern in Bloom
Warm weather (77F / 25C), crisp blue skies and varigated Chinese Lanterns (Abutilon) blooming above the courtyard bench equal a spectacular Monday.
You got your Rosemary in my Lantana
My neighbor's rosemary creeped down my slope and my lantana creeped up hers. Somewhere in the middle the met and now they're both in bloom. They complement each other quite nicely.
Video: 40 Seconds of Silence
Some mornings the world seems to have stopped. It rained a bit last night, but the morning brought clear blue skies, sun and near silence save for a few birds.
February Friday Sunset
A painted sunset on a mid-February Friday evening looking due west. Spectacular colors courtesy of high clouds over the Pacific Ocean (about 10 miles away).
Garden Hack: DIY Water Bottle Drip Watering System
Garden Hack: Make a simple DIY drip watering system for potted plants & seedlings with just a water bottle. Instructions and video included in the article.
First Tomato of the Season
I have a friendly competition with my neighbor to see who can grow the first ripe tomatoes of the season. I usually lose. This time I sowed seed back in early December and, despite losing all but one plant (a Tigerella), I spotted my first baby green fruit this weekend.
Sansevieria Picture Window
I made some planters from the flower stalk of a giant agave, and put Sansevieria in them. The view from our picture window into the shade garden now has a Jurassic jungle feel.
Found a new friend this weekend
A broken pipe in my house's crawlspace made it rain in the living room. I came face to face with this guy looking for the pipe. I'm a bad man, so naturally I sent my wife up the ladder to "look at the pipe."
Avian Crime Scene
Riley the Rooster investigates the site of a confrontation between a Eurasian collared dove and a Cooper's hawk moments ago. There's no question who won.
Keyhole Garden Mid-Winter Maintenance
Mid-winter is rough on vegetables, even the ones in the keyhole garden. The secret to keeping the bed productive is a happy compost bin in the middle. Today we checked on how the compost was doing.
Winter in San Diego
A week of hot Santa Ana winds followed by a brutal storm with high winds, heavy rain and, just to top it off, freezing temperatures. Welcome to San Diego.
Chickcam is Dead. Long Live Chickencam!
My old live stream camera, Chickencam finally died, so I built a new one with a Raspberry Pi . Now I've got a HD live feed from the poultry yard and it cost just $53. Check it out for all the details.
Video: Stampede!
Way out West where the skies are big and the poultry run free, an excitement builds each dawn. Join us for the thrilling adventure of Stampede!
Video: Windy Day
We've got some pretty strong Santa Anas blowing today. It's hard to tell from this video, but those fan palms are close to 60 feet tall and swaying more than 20 feet in either direction in the gusts.
Warm is a Relative Term
Southeast Idaho at 6,500ft in elevation about 70 miles west of Jackson, Wyoming. It's 10am and it's 15° F. I was told by a local resident that they were having an "unusually warm" winter just like we are down in San Diego wheres it's 77° F. "Warm" is obviously a relative term.
Baby Aeonium
Here's a baby aeonium I found in some rocks. Hard to believe that it's had no water or soil for nearly four months, because it looks absolutely radiant.
Video: Gopher vs Banana Tree
Gophers may be small, but that doesn't mean their damage is. Here's what one did to a 20 foot tall banana stalk.
Last Sunset of 2020
Looking west-southwest just before 5PM Pacific, the suns sets for the last time in 2020 on December 31. The other side of those hills is the Pacific Ocean.
Christmas Rescue 2020
In keeping with a long tradition of saving post-Christmas plants from the trash bin, this year's rescue is a 93 cent bargain. It's 4-inch tall poinsettia in a silver 2-inch pot that's definitely seen better days. It has one green leaf and a few red bracts still hanging on, probably [keep reading...]
Happy First Day of Winter
Yes, this is the actual temperature in San Diego just before noon on December 21, 2020. The temperature just before noon on the first day of winter.
Orange Marmalade Aloe in Bloom
Walked into my greenhouse and there it was -- a glowing nuclear alien aloe with a 12" stalk as candy orange as the plant itself. So I took a few minutes out of whatever
Christmas Cactus Then and Now
Rescued a baby Christmas Cactus from a near-dumpster experience last year and brought it home. This year it's rewarding us with a Christmas red and candy pink and white display.
Keyhole Garden Update – December 2, 2020
Gardener’s Log : Keyhole Garden day 610. Weird weather--hot days, near freezing nights--has put a squeeze on the keyhole garden's output.
Peppers are Pooped Out
It has come to my attention that my Central American "Culebra Negra" peppers are not at all happy about the cold weather. It's the end of November so we've had a couple of near-freezing nights with 34° to 37°F lows right before dawn, but nothing that I would consider a [keep reading...]
Thanksgiving Day Prep – Homemade Stuffing
We don't grow wheat or make flour, but we do make bread, and, along with some herbs from the garden, a base for amazing for stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey. The recipe is simple and straightforward. Once you've made your own croutons you'll never go back to store bought.
Bakery-Style French Bread Recipe
Ever wonder why bakery fresh French bread is so dang delicious? It's an old baker's secret, pre-fermented dough. Here's how to make amazing bakery-style French bread at home.
Thanksgiving Prep – Green Beans
The best green bean casserole calls for fresh picked green beans, so we're picking the last of the pole beans. It's not easy to keep them growing this late in the year, but I've found that these Forex beans will produce right up to Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Prep – Sweet Potatoes
Short of the turkey, everything for our family's Thanksgiving feast is grown here at The Acre. It takes a few days to harvest everything and bring it all together, so we always start with the stuff we need to dig up. This morning is was sweet potatoes, red and white [keep reading...]
The Passion Fruit Ate My Patio Cover
Went up on the roof yesterday to clear the rain gutters and finally got a look at how the passion fruit had grown over the summer. It's hard to believe the giant green monster that's eating my patio cover was a tiny plant in a 4-inch pot not too long [keep reading...]
Last Spider of the Season
All summer the garden is thick with big, fat orb weaver spiders. By mid-autumn, they're all but gone. Here's one of the few left weaving a web backlit by the sun setting over the Pacific.
Video: A final walk through the hanging gourd garden
Winter is well on it's way and the wind and weather are taking their toll on the hanging gourd garden. Here's a final walk through the garden before it's gone for another year.
Tom Thumb Peas
The near freezing weather has ended pretty much everything in the veggie garden but these Tom Thumb peas. The plants are tiny, but they kick out a whole lot of peas.
Video: A Fallen Agave
The first real rains of the season blew down this 20 foot tall agave flower the woodpeckers had stuffed with acorns.
Out with the Old
The Halloween decorations from the front yard sitting around on the bench waiting to go back into storage. I wonder what they're talking about.
Video: Hot Sauce Progress – Entry 6
It's been a little more than six weeks since we began the fermentation on Batch 20 of my hot sauce. Today I'm popping open the fermenter to see how it's going and give the peppers a stir to keep thing moving.
Lemongrass Then and Now
From the "If you water it, it will grow" file comes this lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) rescued from the dry herb garden. In March I planted a small, mostly dead clump. In June it began to show life. By October it ruled its section of the tropical garden
Keyhole Garden – October 28, 2020
Gardener’s Log : Keyhole Garden day 585. Well, if you want to hammer a keyhole garden into submission, making it rain followed by high winds and near 80° heat, followed by overnight lows that dip into the 30s, followed by more near 80° temperatures again, is certainly one way of [keep reading...]
A Fungus Among Us
This odd looking thing popped up out of some leaf litter yesterday. It's slightly squishy like a mushroom, but it doesn't look like any one I've ever seen before. Anyone have an idea what it might be?
Gasteria Ellaphiae
Gasteria Ellaphiae is an interesting succulent that does quite well in light-to-medium shade as long as the soil is kept warm and dry. This plant was a thumb-sized pair of leaves and no roots last spring, but, as you can see from the photo, it now has half a dozen new leaf clusters that can be separated into new plants.
Towering Tithonia
The Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) grew 20 feet tall over the summer, but now that autumn is here, all but the uppermost leaves have died back. Standing below, the effect is kind of Dr Seussian, a forest of towering sticks with a few green feathers sticking out the top.
October Tomatoes
The summer veggie garden is now down to the hot peppers, a few bell peppers, and a bunch of raggedy, but hanging in there, tomato plants. Chief among them is the Costolutos, which took a hard hit about a month ago but rebounded to flower and fruit for a third [keep reading...]
Batch 20 Hot Sauce Progress – Entry 5
Batch 20 of the fermented hot sauce hit 5 gallons of fresh peppers 8 weeks early, so I'm bumping up to 10 gallons by splitting peppers between 2 fermenters. As for what I'm going to do with 10 gallons of finished hot sauce next spring, I have no idea.
Video: A Duckling Redux
Back in August one of our females emerged from the lavender garden with 13 ducklings. They'd hang out by the vegetable garden and after a while developed a taste for tomatoes tossed to them from the garden.
Guava Season
I bought a couple of guava (Psidium cattleyanum) seedlings, one red/strawberry and one yellow/lemon, about 15 years ago and planted them at opposites ends of what is now the tropical garden. Both grew to be big shrubs that flowered once in a while and produced a bunch of pellet-sized bitter [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – October 12, 2020
Gardener's Log : Keyhole Garden date 569. Now that we're several weeks into fall, the temperatures are making their annual wobble between hot and cold. The days are still in the 80's with the occasional tip into the low 90's, but the nights are now dipping into the mid-50's and [keep reading...]
End of a Praying Mantis
I was trying to water a few plants with my watering can, but the spigot was blocked. I flipped to shake whatever loose and a dead praying mantis fell out. Bad day for her.
Batch 20 Hot Sauce – Entry 4
Just put week 4's fresh peppers into the fermenter for Batch 20 of the fermented hot sauce. With the brine, looks like we're about 2/3rds of the way to getting a full 5 gallons before we send it off to spend the winter aging with oak
Gasteria Nigracanus
Gasteria nigracanus,, like all gasterias, is from South Africa and loves the hot, dry weather. When the plant is happy, it sprouts thick, flashy leaves in pink, green and gold.
Little Succulent, Big Flower
This little baby tiger doesn't look like much during the day, but just before sunset, it throws out a very impressive flower. Use the before and after slider to see how it changes
Harvest Moonset
A photo of the harvest moon in the western sky taken 1-1/2 hours before sunrise. It's so bright you can see the spider web on the weather station 30 feet away.
Hanging Garden at Night
Just for giggles I strung a couple of cheap solar-power light strands in the hanging gourd garden and this is the result. Sometimes I surprise even myself.
Make a DIY Bucket Air Conditioner
Build a simple and efficient portable room air conditioner for about $30 with a couple of buckets, some pipe, a jug of cold water and a cheap desk fan
Orange Marmalade Aloe
Currently my favorite aloe is this guy, Orange Marmalade. In the winter he's a blue-green, but in the full summer sun he turns orange. Very cool.
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 3
It's the first day of Autumn and the peppers are coming in hot and heavy. I'm picking around one pound every couple of days right now, which means I'll be moving the peppers to the five gallon fermenter this week. The weather has been very warm so the initial ferment is off to a good start. It smells spicy and yeasty, which tells me the lacto ferment is happy. Once I pitch it to the big fermenter, things should really take off.
Keyhole Garden Update – Sept. 21, 2020
It's day 548 of production for the keyhole garden. The recent heatwave ended what was left of the tomatoes and most of the sweet peppers, but the squash is doing great. Plus, I discovered some garlic.
Pumpkin or Tomato?
Well it is a tomato, but it's a squash-sized tomato doing its best to *look* like a pumpkin.
All Hail the Mighty Brassica
Broccoli with burns from the recent heat wave I'm still dealing with the damage from last week's monster heat wave so most of the vegetable garden looks like a flamethrower came through it. Amazingly, even though it was hot enough hot enough to burn the leathery blue-green leaves of my [keep reading...]
Big Bowl of Beans
Last week's heat wave fried & dried the pole beans so fast the pods didn't have time to split. Now I've got a couple pounds of beans waiting for chili season.
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 2
2nd addition of peppers was a full pound split between Hidden Lake Hot and Culebra Negra (see photo). This should be more than enough to get a good ferment going before I pitch it to the barrel and add 10 - 15 pounds of fresh peppers over the next 10 weeks.
White Squill Flowering
Cleared an area behind the pond for a new succulent / dry garden last weekend. Came out today to find that two White Squill I forgot about are now flowering. Looks like two snakes coming up out of the ground.
Smoky September Sun
Ah, late summer. Triple digit heat, fires and a smoky orange sun. This fire burning is burning in the national forest about 40 miles south of here. Fingers crossed that it stays down there.
Hot Sauce Batch 20 – Entry 1
Batch 20 of my 6 month fermented hot sauce begins with 5oz of Hidden Lake Hot, a Cayenne/Thai cross, and 7oz of Culebra Negra, a Central American pepper I got from a friend.
The Hanging Gourd Garden Right Now
It's 2pm on a very hot September day and this is my gourd garden. The shade makes it 10 degrees cooler and the southerly breeze is perfect. Plus gourds! Building it is the best $10 investment I've made in a long time
Video: Attack of the Passion Fruit
I think my passion fruit is getting out of control. It just attacked me.
Watermelon Crime
Agents of the National Chicken Investigative Service (NCIS) inspecting a watermelon that was over-watered and left to burst. As water was involved, ducks are considered poultry of interest.
Video: Big spider caught my car
Garden spiders get large late in the summer. Here's a video of one that build man-sized web 30 feet overhead and used my car as an anchor.
Propagating Native Sages
It’s too dang hot to be planting anything new in the garden, but it’s a great time for propagating some western natives like these black and Cleveland sages
Lord Hank
Hank's not a German shepherd like the girls, but he does look rather imperious when he sits on the bench in the front yard and stares out over his domain.
Keyhole Garden Update
After 521 days of continuous production, the early summer veggies in the keyhole garden are all played out, but the mid-summer crops--beans, squash, and pumpkins--are doing just fine. The second half of summer and most of early fall is brutally hot and dry, so I'm going to give part of the bed a couple week's rest before transplanting the late summer and early fall stuff.
Video: Lunchtime!
In this video momma duck takes the kids to snack on a few tomatoes tossed to them. But when poor momma tries to eat, ol' lucky number 13 shows up with a different plan.
A Walk Among the Gourds
The hanging gourd garden is doing well in the heat. A couple of weeks ago I wasn't sure which gourds were growing, but now I can see it's birdhouse, bowl and bottle.
Risks of Organic Gardening
A reminder on this #TomatoTuesday, if you're an #organicgardener, the organisms get a share of the garden too.
Hot and Tired
We're 2/3rds of the way through summer, the heat is brutal and it hasn't rained since mid-April. The garden looks tired, but not done yet. Here's photos of how it looked on June 18th and today.
Video: Timeout with Ducklings
It's finally Friday! Here's 3 minutes of rest and relaxation with our baby ducks at their swimming pool (actually a large plastic garbage can lid) to get you ready for the weekend.
How About Them Apples?
This isn't an apple, it's a bell pepper. The parents, a California Wonder and a Chocolate Bell pepper, made these big, beautiful red peppers with a little deep purple blush. Thick walled and sweet, it's a great pepper for stuffing as well as eating fresh. Thick walled and very sweet. A good pepper for stuffing and in sauces.
Big Ol’ Tomaters
One of the pleasant surprises of the season are these Costaluto Italian heirloom tomatoes. They bear big, meaty fruit (8 - 22 ounces) in clusters of six. The plants definitely need heavy duty support because they produce 20 - 30 pounds of fruit per plant. The flavor is outstanding.
A Hanging Gourd Garden in the Making
Earlier this summer I trellised the gourds to keep them from invading the vegetable garden. Now I have a hanging gourd garden that's filling in beautifully and providing shade for lettuce in an area that usually bakes in the summertime.
Video: Little and Big
Here's a quick video of the world's smallest flower bulb (about 12 inches) and the worlds largest (about 6 feet), flower together in August at Sage's Acre.
Build a Bee Hotel
Here's how to build a "Bee Hotel" to welcome native bees (which are solitary, stingless and great pollinators) into your garden.
Operation “No Fruit Left Behind” Continues
We're trying to not let any of the garden produce go to waste this year (much to the chicken's disappointment), so we've been canning, drying, pickling and preserving everything possible.
Remember That Missing Duck? I Found Her.
I don't take attendance, but I had a general idea that one of the female ducks was missing. Good news is she's alive. Bad news is she has 13 chicks with her. At least they're cute.
Sunday Daydreaming – Tropical Garden Before and After
It's too hot to do any real work on the Acre, so here's some then and now photos of the tropical garden before spring began and now in the height of summer. I'm going to find some shade and take a siesta.
Let Me Show You a Photo of My Baby… Watermelon
Even watermelons are adorable when they're babies. This is Little Baby Flower, a compact plant that produces 10-12 fruit only 6" across when ripe. Perfect melon for 2.
Kahili Ginger in the Tropical Garden
This spring I overhauled my tropical garden adding tall, kahili ginger to make a spicy flowering forest as a transition to the fruit orchards and dry creek below.
Sweet Pepper Season
Sweet peppers are ripe so we're pickling and roasting today so we can preserve them for later. Pickled peppers are delicious and super easy to make with this recipe.
New Members of the Family
Shy is our only Cuckoo Maran hen (she's named Shy because, unlike the buffs and Welsummers, she's not really interested in people or their food). When she disappeared a few weeks back, I figured she'd been nabbed by a coyote, raccoon, bobcat, or one of the other varmits that like [keep reading...]
How to make deli-style Italian sandwich rolls
Here's the recipe for chewy, crunchy, flavorful sub sandwich rolls so good your family and friends will have a hard time believing you made them.
A Striped Pepper
I came across this Italian frying pepper in my garden today. It's changing from green to red with stripes of color instead of the usual blush.
Video: Timeout with a Dragonfly
Take a 20 second video timeout with a flame skimmer dragonfly on an onion leaf swaying in the breeze while the pond's waterfall splashes in background.
Midday Traffic on the Sunflower Roundabout
You can tell these three bees are American left-hand drive bees because they're doing their pollen gathering counter-clockwise.
A Saucy Tomato Basket
When my lovely Mrs told me she was feeling saucy and left the room, "tomato" wasn't the first thing I thought of. (Married 30 years, still an optimist.) The fresh tomato sauce was good though. Here she is returning from the garden with her basket of roma, brandywine, carbon, and [keep reading...]
Video: Hot Pepper Cadets Class of 2020
The candidates for this year's 20th anniversary batch of slow fermented hot sauce include a super-sized batch of my Thai/Cayenne cross and a Honduran pepper called "culebra negra" (black snake).
Italian Sweet Peppers
These are Corno di Toro sweet peppers I've been breeding to a larger size so I can stuff and grill them as well as fry. Sweet and crunchy, I've always got plenty of seed at the end of the season. DM me if you'd like some.
Garden Surprise Squash
Ever meet two siblings that look nothing alike, but if you sort of squint, you can see how each sort of looks like their parents? Check these two squash. Both from seeds of the same yellow straightneck squash.
‘Taters and ‘Maters
Russian Banana Fingerling and German Butterball potatoes in flower in the taters & maters raised bed, plus then and now photos of the bed.
The Tomato-ing Begins
The tomatoes are starting to ripen. In the photo, clockwise from top left, it's Carbon, Brandywine and Roma. Lots of saucing and canning is in our future.
Tomatillo Time!
The tomatillos are practically throwing fruit at us. These are from some wild plants that reseed every year. Once they were either purple or green, but now they're all crossbred and just sort of do whatever they want. Still taste great!
Happy Independence Day
The fireworks are cancelled, but that hasn't stopped the water hyacinths from putting on a display of their own. Happy Independence Day, America. Let's BBQ something!
Full Frontal Lobe Tomato Mystery
Whatever kind of tomato this is, it's not a yellow pear like the note I wrote myself said (drinking and gardening is harder than it looks). I must have crossbred something. Anyone have an idea who the parents of these lobey tomatoes might be?
Forex Pole Bean in Flower
This Forex pole bean in flower made the gray skies of "June gloom" a little brighter.
Keyhole Garden Out of Control
It's official. I've completely lost control of the keyhole garden.
First Sweet Corn of the Summer
These beauties are Allure, a bicolor organic synergistic sweet corn that can only be described as the purest, sweetest form of corn decadence.
A Rustic Steel and Cedar Window Box
A little time and less than $20 made this cool window box planter (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the instructions) Our house is a 1950’s single story California ranch. Long and low, it has lots of big windows that bring in fresh air and light keeping the house [keep reading...]
The Onion Harvest Rule
Grandpa always said "plant onions on the first day of spring, harvest them on the first day of fall." But here in the southwest, the first day of winter and summer are more like it.
Aeonium
An aeonium in the new succulent garden I'm creating. The light through the yucca tree hit it in just such a way to bring together the colors and symmetry in an almost hypnotic display.
Vegetable Garden Spring 2020: Then and Now
It's always fun to see how the vegetable garden has changed over the season. Here are some photos of mine on the first and last days of spring 2020.
Making Summer Pickles
If you love authentic dill pickles, there's nothing better or simpler to make than old fashioned deli-style summer pickles. This recipe dates back to 1900 and uses just a few spices and natural fermentation to make some of the best homemade pickles you'll ever taste. No refrigeration or fancy gadgets required.
Garden Path Refresh
I turned a drab wood walkway into a cool, colorful path through the tropical garden in a couple days for under $20. Here's how I did it.
Peak Spring
All of our gardens -- shade, tropical, native, fragrance and dry -- are at their peak right now. Can you identify which flower lives in which garden?
Keyhole Garden Progress Update
It's been a month since I posted on the progress on my year round keyhole food garden so I thought now would be a good time for an update with a few photos.
Serial Catnip Crusher Suspect
BREAKING NEWS: There's been a breakthrough in the serial catnip crushings that have been occurring lately. Be on the lookout for this suspicious character. He's a "fur person of interest" for local authorities.
Blackberry Jam Class of 2020
This year's "jam session" yielded about 3 gallons of blackberry and raspberry jam. We picked a little more than 20 lbs of fruit and used this foolproof recipe
Tropical Garden Late Spring
This is the view from my "office". It's a tropical garden that provides a shady transition between the front patio and water gardens up front and the private gardens and orchards at the back of the house.
Scallop Squash Stuffed with Pesto Chicken
We're up to our eyeballs in squash so I'm always looking for new ways to use it in meals. Here's an easy recipe for pesto chicken stuffed in baked squash that everyone seems to love.
Too Much Summer Squash
This is what happens when you don't pick your summer squash for a week
Video: A Mini Jurassic Park
You’d think as a snake that eats rattlesnakes, most of the other members of the reptile kingdom would give a king snake plenty of room. But then again, you're probably not a teenage western fence lizard.
What is this Plant?
Wandering along the shady east side of the acre today, I came across this in flower. The plant is a sort of leggy vine sort that's been growing there for years, but I've never seen it flower. Anyone know what it is? Update: Thanks to Reddit and /u/ArtsyPhartsyWoman, I figured [keep reading...]
Scallop Squash Coming in Hot
Anybody got any good squash recipes? A few warm days and the scallop squash is going bananas. I’ve already harvested half a dozen fruit and there's a least a dozen that'll be ripe in the next few days. Along with the Italian and yellow straightneck squash, we're up to our [keep reading...]
First Snake of the Season
Snakes aren't all that uncommon here, but it's still a little freaky when you're just reaching down to turn on the hose and come face to face with a 4 foot gopher snake. This poor guy was wrapped up in some bird netting and very, very stuck. He wasn't cooperative, [keep reading...]
A secret path
I've been wondering how it is that our dogs can be down by the dry creek in one second, and up at the front gate terrorizing a delivery driver in the next. I now have my answer.
Giant Agave Flowers
The American Agave produces giant flower stalks that can shoot 30 feet in the air. The dried stalks are a favorite nesting site for acorn woodpeckers.
A Kiwi Love Story
Common sense would tell you that plants don't have feelings, but I have a true story of a kiwi's love, loss and new life that might change your mind.
The Chickencam is Live in a New Location
Big announcement: I moved the live chickencam to a new place in the yard. Same great chickens and ducks, but now with closeup poultry action and drama! https://sagesacre.com/chickencam/
Blackberries Soon
The blackberry patch is coming in sweet and heavy. We'll be picking in a couple weeks. Last year we picked over 30 pounds and had purple fingers for a month.
Butterfly Iris is Beautiful Cover
Native to southern Africa (a climate similar to our own here in San Diego), the butterfly iris is well-adapted to the dry climate. It's also beautiful as well as tough.
An Onion Appears
My wife's idea of "gardening" is secretly burying old vegetables around the yard to see if they grow. As a result, I now have a brown onion flowering among the tomatillos.
Peruvian Lily Piggybacker
These Peruvian Lilies (Alstromeria aurea) piggybacked in with some society garlic plants years ago. At nearly 4ft they're quite tall, but the flowers are amazing
Unusual Avocado Varieties
The other day a neighbor who's an avocado grower, brought us some rare Don Gillogly avocados from his private grove. It's a dwarf Haas variant with creamy, club-shaped fruit.
Lessons from the Keyhole Garden
A year after building my keyhole garden I've learned a few lessons. Here's a quick list of tips to keep your keyhole garden happy and productive through the growing season.
Video: Chickens sleeping weird
It's kind of disturbing to walk outside and see hens lying there like this. But there's nothing wrong.Just like your dog or cat sleeps in weird positions, so do chickens (as shown here). Still, how does that buff in the center just lay there with her leg sticking [keep reading...]
Video: Timeout With Goldfish
I couldn't afford fancy fish like Koi for my pond, so I went to the pet store and bought 10 tiny "feeder fish" for 23 cents each. Here they are, 2 years later. There's still nine of them and they're all big and friendly (and still way cheaper than koi).
Peppermint Twist Rose in Bloom
All the roses are in bloom right now, but the Peppermint Twist rose is killing it. It has so many blooms on it right now that it looks like a peppermint tree!
A Hooded Oriole on Watch
This guy is a hooded oriole (Icterus cucullatus) whose mate is nesting in the orange tree behind him. He keeps an eye on me when I'm working from our back deck.
A Rescued Rose
My wife used to look at me funny when I would dig plants out of the dumpster, but she doesn't anymore. I rescued this rose from a trash bin last fall. She wasn't much to look at back then — just a stick really — but she turned out to [keep reading...]
Real Smoked Beef Jerky Recipe
Homemade beef jerky hits a new high point when you add real smoke. Here's how you can smoke jerky even if you don't have a fancy smoker.
Avocado Time!
When you live on the avocado highway, these things literally just fall off the trees
Thyme Finds a Way
The oregano has pretty much taken over my Italian herb garden, but thyme isn't giving up. This one popped out the garden fence to flower in peace.
Camellia in Bloom
Usually the camellias are just a deep green, leafy backdrop for my tropical garden. But once in a while it flowers and outshines all the plants around it. This is one of those occasions. The pink and white of the bloom really set off from the green shades behind it, [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 23, 2020
Weather took a turn from cool and damp to hot and dry, all but putting a spike in what remains of the romaine. For the spring replacements we brought in Genovese basil (front left) and yellow pear tomatoes (mid left, can't see them yet). The cucumbers are fruiting and the [keep reading...]
Wild Poppies Along the Road
Just some wild red and golden poppies growing alongside my road. After years of battling wild mustard, these guys are a nice change.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 13, 2020
Not much new this week. The lettuces continue to putter out and what remains of the bok choi looks like it's about to bolt. On the other hand, the tomatillos and cucumbers are flowering and I've got a couple of yellow pear tomato (the wife's favorite) seedlings getting ready to [keep reading...]
Cleveland Sage Blooming in April
Ahh... April and the native sages are all blooming profusely following last week's rain. This one is a Cleveland Sage (Salvia Clevelandii), which both looks amazing and smells incredible. Check out the snake-like whoop-de-do the flower stem on the right is doing for no particular reason. Nature's funny that way.
A New Member of the Family
Walked out into the yard today and saw that one of the girl ducks has hatched a new duckling. First of the season. Welcome little duckling!
Romaine Lettuce with Freckles
One of the early spring veggies to make it through last week's torrential rain is this cute little Romaine lettuce called Freckles. Assuming they make it through my current gopher scourge, these guys should color up the veggie garden's "greens and onions" bed.
A DIY Rocket Stove from Recycled Cans
A rocket stove is an ingenious cooking device that produces a whole lot of heat with very little fuel. You can make one in 10 minutes with 3 cans. Here's how.
Yellow Rose With a Leaf Umbrella
I lost track of why type of rose this one is a long time ago, so we just call it "the yellow one." As I was snapping shots of the plant after the rain this morning, I noticed this bloom peeking out from the shelter of a leaf umbrella.
Keyhole Garden Progress – April 6, 2020
The weather is warming and the days are longer giving the cucumbers a chance to finally kick into high gear (too bad the dill is done). The garlic and tomatillos seem to sense warmer weather too.
Ducks Gone Rogue (Video)
Some of my ducks have figured out how to climb fences and wander up where they shouldn't be. Multiple times a day now I'll pass through my bedroom and be surprised by a band of the feathered rogues not two feet away. Here's a video of what it looks like.
It’s a Pandemic and We Are Dillin’
This winter I grew two varieties of dill I usually don't grow, Fernleaf and Bouquet. Both did exceptionally well in the keyhole garden, producing densely leafed plants about 15 inches high. Fernleaf was darker green and denser, but Bouquet was more fragrant and flavorful.
Red Ripe Ruby Perfection Cabbage
Coming to the last of the winter veggies in the keyhole garden. This sexy beast is a ruby perfection red cabbage. Absolutely gorgeous, full-sized plant with a nice tight purple ball in the center. Ruby Perfection red ball cabbage - a full-sized red cabbage It's supposed to be [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 26, 2020
The keyhole garden is in that awkward transitional stage between Winter and Spring. Winter veggies and herbs are petering out while spring plants like tomatillos, peppers, cucumbers and onions are just getting started.
The Four Ducksketeers
Mamma hatched these four and their sister two years ago this month. Mamma is a Swedish Blue duck and dad's a mallard. Together they made these fashionably gray-tonal boys (their sister looks like mamma). They still hang out together but they don't do much other than eat, hangout and get [keep reading...]
Natives and Newcomers
Wildflowers, some native, some not, growing among the weeds in spring 2020 The wildflowers are a mixed bag, but they're better than weeds There's a strip of The Acre that borders chaparral and oak surrounding the pond. Technically, it's "defensible space" mandated by the fire department, so it's supposed to [keep reading...]
Chickencam Lockdown Livestream – March 21, 2020
I haven't told the chickens and ducks that we're under a Coronavirus lockdown, so they still think they're free range. Watch them live at on the ChickenCam at Sage's Acre or on YouTube.
How to Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer
I learned to make hand sanitizer for camping while in the boy scouts. Every bit as good as the store-bought stuff and 10 times less expensive. Here's how to make hand sanitizer using plain old household products (and an aloe plant if you have one).
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 17, 2020
Warm weather followed by a week of rain has really kicked the leafy greens into high gear. On the front left you can see the remainder of the romaine heads giving one last push. Meanwhile on the right, it's a motley assortment of loose leaf greens, spinach and cilantro. One [keep reading...]
Rainbow for St Patrick’s Day
Walked out to the front yard first thing this morning and was greeted by a rainbow. Since it's St Patrick's Day I'm sure there's a leprechaun and a pot of gold to be had at one end or the other. If it weren't for this whole "stay at home, Coronavirus" [keep reading...]
When the World Gives You Discount Corned Beef, Make Pastrami
Pastrami is actually smoked corned beef. After St Patrick's Day, you can often pick up on sale for as little as $2 a pound. Here's how to turn it into Pastrami.
Hummingbird Sage Colony
I started with two small Hummingbird sages (Salvia spathacea) in March of last year, planting them in my native garden on the south side of the house. This particular spot happens to be in the shade of a pine and a large blue gum eucalyptus, two tress notorious for their [keep reading...]
Lavender Rose Texas Sage
One of the many Texas sage (Savlia coccinea) varieties I have planted in random spots around the Acre. I can't remember the name of this one, but I really like it because it's a lavender-rose color (instead of the usual red or pink) and has these unusually long, tendrils that [keep reading...]
How to Make Awesome Hot Sauce
Fermented hot sauce is more complex and flavorful than a standard hot peppers and vinegar sauce. Better yet, it's not hard to make your own. Here's how.
Ready for the Spring Garden
This is my weekend. Transplanting tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and onions from the greenhouse out into the vegetable garden. My goal this year, first fresh tomatoes on the block!
Keyhole Garden Progress – March 4, 2020
The winter crops continue their rotation out of the bed. Broccoli is all done (save 1 plant), and the Romaine lettuce and peas are calling it quits as well. We cut the cilantro down to an inch high to keep it leafy and stop it from bolting. I replaced the [keep reading...]
How to Make Banana Chips
Got bananas going brown? Forget making more banana bread, try making banana chips. They're dead simple to make and taste delicious (like banana candy but better for you). Here's how to make them.
Bee’s Bliss Sage in Bloom
Late last spring I got a Salvia Bee's Bliss from my friend @linsaycrazyplantlady's nursery. I planted it near the rocks by the fish pond and left it do its thing. Turns out there were a couple of giant white squill bulbs lurking below the surface in that location that I [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 26, 2020
Winter crops are petering out in the keyhole garden. Broccoli is heading out, cabbage is ripe, peas have been picked and the Romaine lettuce is about done. Just in time too. Cucumbers, more lettuce, tomatillos and tomatoes are all waiting in the greenhouse for their turn in the garden.
Terri’s Chewy Hoagie Roll Recipe
Here's a super easy recipe for making chewy, delicious deli-style hoagie rolls at home. An all time family favorite for submarine sandwiches, meatball sandwiches, cheesesteak sandwiches and ever cheesy garlic bread.
Fresh Cilantro Hung to Dry
We have so much cilantro in the Keyhole garden that we're having trouble eating and/or giving it away (and I live in an area of the U.S. where Cilantro is used in everything). The end of winter is fast approaching and some of it is start to bolt. Rather that [keep reading...]
Cyclamen in Bloom, no Photo Filter Required
The cyclamens outside the family room bay window have begun to bloom. The plants are on a well-shaded slope and it's gray and raining, but the flowers are literally glowing in the low light. Amazing. Bonus: I bought them off the clearance rack at Lowe's last fall for $1 each. [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 20, 2020
We've been harvesting romaine lettuce and cilantro for several weeks, and we cut our first head of broccoli just the other day. Tom Thumb peas are all ripe and ready to be harvested too. Good thing. The greenhouse holds spring vegetable seedlings getting close to transplant time.
A Brassica Bouquet for My Bride
Yesterday was my 31st wedding anniversary. I told my wife the traditional gift was "A Brassica" and gave her this beautiful brassica bouquet fresh from the keyhole garden. Then, she ate it.
Time to Tally the Bananas
Nights below freezing has fried my tropical plants, including the Ice Cream (aka Blue Java) banana, so I cut the bunch and brought them indoors to ripen.
Getting Ready for Spring
It's five weeks until spring and a mere days until our last overnight frost. Unlike many a previous year, the greenhouse seedlings are off to a great start. Today we'll be dividing and re-potting into larger containers so everybody will have strong roots when we finally transplant into the vegetable garden in a few weeks.
Happy Valentine’s Day – Have a Tomato! (Video)
Last spring I planted a grape tomato variety from Johnny's Selected Seeds called Valentine. Developed in collaboration with Penn State University, the Johnny's catalog described it as having "Massive early yields, deep red color and unusually rich flavor." All true. By the time the season ended four plants produced nearly 80 pounds of delicious, firm grape tomatoes. A definite 5 out of 5 stars. Here's a short video from the garden so you can see for yourself.
Make a Clock from an Old Pallet
I made an attractive rustic clock for only $10 using some old pallet wood, clothespins and a little creativity. The whole project start to finish took less than a weekend. Here's the instructions on how I did it so you can build your own.
Peeping Pride of Madeira
About a month ago, my wife said she felt like this Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans) was looking at her so I gave it bottle-cap eyes. I went outside yesterday morning and noticed that our peeping friend had his hair color changed courtesy of the recent freeze. Very stylish.
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 8, 2020
Temperatures have been well below freezing at night for the past week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the keyhole garden. It continues to produce like there's no tomorrow. We've been harvesting lettuce and cilantro all week and it just seems to grow right back. Garlic, broccoli and cabbage are thriving as well.
Sunset on February 4, 2020
Really cold Alaskan air is parked over us dropping temperatures into the 20's overnight again. But the cold skies make for some really spectacular sunsets. Here is last night's sunset from the upper garden looking west out over the greenhouse.
Winter Lettuce and Peas
A quick peak under the row cover shows that my lettuce and peas are doing just peachy despite that it was in the low 80's a couple days ago and now it's dipping into the 30's overnight.
Sunset on February 3rd
Saturday, the day before yesterday, the high was 83 degrees. Tonight it's going to bottom out in the 20's. Welcome to February in San Diego. These huge temperature swings wreak havoc on the garden, but, dang... they make for beautiful sunsets.
Rain Barrel Follies Part 3
A couple of weeks ago I was all proud to show off my newly installed rain barrel. However, I forgot to close the drain valve, so when it rained. it dumped 55 gallons of water directly under the rain barrel, causing the ground to sink and tipping the barrel to [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – February 1, 2020
80 degree heat earlier this week forced me to actually water the garden. It's quite full now. Time to start harvesting some of that lettuce and cilantro for Super Bowl snacking tomorrow.
Mid-winter Garden Tasks for Spring
Spring may be a ways off, but there's still plenty you can do to get ready. Here are 8 things you can do in mid-winter to make sure you're off to a fast start in spring.
Orange Chicken
Jonesy the rooster standing in an orange tree pretending he's a wild jungle chicken.
Sage’s Homemade Ketchup Recipe
Making real ketchup is super simple and the results are delicious. Make your own once, and you may never go back to the store-bought stuff (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the recipe) It’s mid-winter and as usual we’re still sitting on something like 1,329 jars of preserved tomatoes [keep reading...]
What to do with a Cherimoya?
A while back I bought a Cherimoya (Annona cherimola) sapling from a local exotic fruit nursery. At the time, the plant guy said it probably wouldn't produce fruit because it needed some sort of month to pollinate it. Fast forward to today and the tree is doing quite well and [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – January 23, 2020
A bit of rain followed by warmer weather from what I call our "fake spring" (it always gets really warm here at the end of January, then snaps back to cold) has the vegetables in the keyhole garden growing like crazy. All the garlic is now well along and the [keep reading...]
Still Battling the Aloe Eater
Despite my best efforts to trap the little sucker, the aloe devouring gopher continues his reign of terror. I just came out into the yard to see that he's taken out the last large aloe vera in the bed. This means war.
My First Rain Barrel
Water can get expensive here in San Diego so I've been talking about getting a couple of rain barrels. Then my wife gave me a couple for Christmas. Nice, big 55 gallon barrel kits with all the hardware needed. All I had to do was hook them up to the [keep reading...]
Tithonia Sunshine Bouquet
My Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) had grown tall and leggy in the shade of the trees in the upper yard over the past few months. It was basically like looking at a forest of sticks with flowers 15 feet in the air, so I whacked the plants down to a [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 11
The hot sauce has been quietly fermenting in a cool, dark area of the garage for several weeks now. It was before Christmas when I added the toasted oak staves and the last of the fresh peppers from the garden, so the bright red color is giving way to a [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Progress – January 10, 2020
Cool weather (frost overnight and daytime temps in the upper 50s / low 60s) has slowed, but not stopped, plant growth. Lettuces (particularly the romaine) and cilantro are doing quite well, and the garlic I planted several weeks ago has now all sprouted.
Make your own Mustard
Making your own mustard is dead simple and delicious! Here's how to do it. (TL/DR: Click here to skip straight to the recipe) My wife loves mustard. Not the vinegary yellow liquid you get in packets at the hamburger joint, but the spicy, seedy brown stuff that’ll make your eyes [keep reading...]
Sneaky Gopher Got My Aloe (Video)
As I was touring the yard yesterday, I noticed a large aloe vera tipped over on its side. I knew the dogs couldn't have done it, so I decided to take a closer look. Here's the video of what I found. I've seen gophers pull plants into their burrows, [keep reading...]
Chinese Cabbage – “Minuet”
I picked up a packet of "Minuet" Chinese cabbage seed from @johnnyseeds last winter because they described as the "best mini variety." I didn't get a chance to plant it until this past fall and picked the first head yesterday for a stir fry dinner. My plants are closer to [keep reading...]
Pozo Blue Sage in Early Bloom
This is Salvia Pozo Blue (Salvia clevelandii X leucophylla) a hybrid of two So Cal natives, Purple Sage and Cleveland Sage. I picked it up about two years ago from La Pilatas Nursery, a native plant specialist not too far from here. It's leaves resemble the Cleveland Sage's leaves, but [keep reading...]
My Keyhole Garden is Amazing
Cool weather has turned it into a nutrient rich kitchen garden like no other! It's hard to overstate how awesome a keyhole garden is. If you’ve ever thought about building one, do it. I built one on a whim for about $100 early last spring and was amazed at how [keep reading...]
Is This Pride of Madeira Looking at You?
My wife told me she felt like this stalk from a Pride of Madeira near our front door was looking at her. I didn't see it. So I fixed it. Now it's definitely looking at her.
Keyhole Garden Progress – December 24, 2019
A Pacific storm rolled in giving us about 2 inches of rain and considerably colder temperatures. Our mountains got snow, we got frost, but the keyhole garden doesn't seem to notice. The lettuces and Chinese cabbage are really leafing out and the broccoli and red cabbage are getting tall. Even [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 10
That's it. Oak is in the brew and the last of the peppers are picked and added for Batch 19 of the Hidden Lake hot sauce. 12 weeks of fresh fermentation. Now for 12 weeks of aging. See you in spring peppers. Merry Christmas everyone else!
End of the Line for Hot Peppers 2019
The summer ended with the rain in November. Then came the frost. Then came the rain again. These are officially the last peppers of Hidden Lake Hot Batch 19. At least they were easy to pick.
Christmas Rescue 2018
A white poinsettia one year after being rescued My wife likes to justify her post-Christmas bargain hunting by bringing home an abused and deeply-discounted Christmas plant for me to save. Sometimes it's a rosemary trimmed in the shape of a little Christmas tree, an easy save, sometimes it's [keep reading...]
This Crassula Owns the Greenhouse Today
Wandered into the greenhouse this morning to check how everyone is doing with the ridiculous 50° temperature swings. My Island of Misfit Succulents seems to be doing just fine. This Crassula (anyone know the variety?) with it's bright green and pink-tinged leaves is really owning it today.
Found an Aloe Forest
For the past week I've been cleaning a long neglected section of the Acre in preparation for a chicken (and duck) friendly Mediterranean garden. To clear one area I had to chop down a rogue oak sapling and cut out a tone of dead brush below it. When I finally [keep reading...]
Hot Pepper Sauce Batch 19 – Entry 9
Rain and persistent cold weather have slowed the peppers to a crawl. There's still a few left on the plants, but not enough to hold off on moving the hot sauce to its resting stage. To enhance the flavor I add a couple of oak staves to the pepper brew [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – December 15, 2019
No rain but close to freezing temperatures has the broccoli confused about what to do. Fortunately, the lettuce (front left) has no such problem.
Gaucho the Rooster
This magnificent little guy is Gaucho, so named because of his fancy feathered feet and the exotic dance that makes him irresistible to the ladies. At age 11(!), he's basically our feathered Ricardo Montalbán.
Chinese lantern adds a bit of color
It's cold, it's wet and most of the plants are hunkered down for the winter. Were it not for this one little Chinese Lantern (Physalis Alkekengi), the view out my office window would be very earthtone.
Terri’s Fresh Rosemary Bread
Finding things to do with all the herbs, fruits and vegetables Sage grows around here, can be a challenge (what does one do with a pound of Borage?), but one use that’s always guaranteed to be a big hit is fresh rosemary from the garden in my homemade rosemary bread. [keep reading...]
2020 Poultry Pinup Chicks
I know it's dorky, but I am totally geeking on the new 2020 Avian Health calendar I got from the feed store today. It's free from the California Department of Agriculture, so I may get another one to put up in the coop for the roosters. They dig pinup chicks.
Terri’s Biga Recipe
The secret to great bread is old dough. Not the “hey, I found this package of ready-bake biscuits at the back of the fridge” type of old dough, but the kind that turns a pretty good loaf into a delicious toasty, tangy, chewy, sensory delight. Old dough is the magic [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – December 8, 2019
Another 3" of rain and continued cool weather this week, but the keyhole garden continues to thrive. The broccoli (rear of the garden) is doing well, the romaine lettuce (right side) is doubling each week. We were even able to harvest some cilantro yesterday for enchiladas the mrs. is making.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 8
Here it is, week 12 since I started the peppers fermenting. I don't know how it's possible, but the Hidden Lake Hot peppers in the garden are still hanging in despite heavy and 40 degree temperature swings between night and day. I managed to pick about 2-3 ounces of fresh [keep reading...]
Citrus Season
Rain and wind make for terrible growing conditions around the acre for everything but the citrus. For the first time in several years it looks like all the trees -- navel orange, grapefruit, mandarin and tangerine -- will be full of fruit this winter. All well and good. [keep reading...]
Dry Creek Flows Again (Video)
Until November 27th, we hadn't had any rain in 186 days. Then the Thanksgiving storm rolled in off the Pacific and proceeded to dump so much water that the dry creek in my lower yard flowed the earliest it has in years. Normally we don't see water in it until [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – November 30, 2019
Second week of the keyhole garden's winter plantings. We had 3 inches of occasionally heavy rains which could have easily pounded the young herbs and vegetables into the mud. Instead, the garden absorbed the water and drained it away beautifully. Even though it's cool and cloudy, the plants are doing [keep reading...]
Kalanchoe Marnieriana in bloom
After a long summer with heat and no water (summer weather didn't really end until November), the recent rain and cool weather has the succulents around the acre growing new leaves and flowering like crazy. This one is a Mariner's Kalenchoe (Kalanchoe marnieriana) blooming near the pond. Most of my [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 7
Another addition of 4 ounces or so of fresh peppers and a pinch of salt. Heavy rain last week knocked most of the remaining peppers off the plants, so we're coming to the end of fresh pepper additions for this year (yeah, I know, I write that every week -- [keep reading...]
Landscape Design Tip for Monstera
Here's a pro tip when you're doing landscape design with large tropicals like Monstera. To add drama to the scene, contrast the monstera with something small and compact, like a potted dachshund. This is a photo of Hank the Weenie demonstrating. (Also, bad dog, Hank. You're not supposed to be [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden – November 24 2019
Second week of the winter plantings in the keyhole garden. Needed to water once, but otherwise everything is doing well.
Photo of the Day: Thai Basil
Unlike its Mediterranean cousins, my Thai basil (Ocimum basillicum) seems to be getting along just fine in the cold and wet of November. I don't recall what the original source for this seed was, but the plants grow 12" - 18" tall and produce purple flowers with a sweet spice [keep reading...]
Brazilian Edelweiss in Bloom
Not knowing much about how Brazilian Edelweiss (Sinningia leucotricha) grows, I kind of thought I had killed the poor thing because it dropped all its leaves a few weeks ago. Turns out that wasn't the case at all. Several days ago it started growing new leaves and to my surprise [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 6
It's week seven of my hot sauce fermentation. I added another 4 ounces or so of fresh peppers, salt and more water and gave it a good stir. The fermentation is now giving off a tangy smell that's both spicy and funky. I figure I'll only have room for one [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Bowl Gourds
Gourds are cool. Not only do the vines look nifty while they're growing, but they leave behind future bowls, birdhouses, planters and other craft projects. This year a bowl gourd plant showed up and decided to make its home on the north fence of the vegetable garden... and the orange [keep reading...]
The Ducks Get a New Water Dish
The term "like a duck to water" takes on new meaning when your ducks get a new water dish. When I put the empty dish down there wasn't a duck in sight. The moment water came out of the hose, boom, 19 ducks appeared, so I took a quick video [keep reading...]
Island of Misfit Succulents
Even half-serious plant collectors have an "Island of Misfits" -- plants that you don't really want or need, but for some reason you keep anyway. It starts with one stuck in some out of the way place, but after a while you keep adding other plants to it until you [keep reading...]
Keyhole Garden Planted with Winter Vegetables
Getting ready for fresh vegetables all winter A couple of weeks ago I cleared my keyhole garden of the spent summer crops, topped off the bed with fresh compost and let it sit for a few days to rest and settle in. Yesterday I pulled the seedlings from the [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Pelargonium Cotyledonis
This little plant looks like it belongs in a Hobbit book. It's called "Old Father Live Forever" (Pelargonium cotyledonis) and is native to the island of Saint Helena off the west coast of Africa. It's endangered on its home island where goats were allowed to overgraze, but fortunately conservationists have [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Black Peruvian Sage
This is Peruvian Sage (Salvia discolor), also known as "Andian Sage." Fairly rare even in its native Peru, the plant grow long white stems with leaves that are green on one side and white on the other. The end of the stem is a series of deep purple flowers the [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 5
Added another 4 ounces of fresh peppers and 1 tsp of pickling salt. Peppers are really starting to ferment and become mushy now. Jar is almost full too. Soon it will be time to add the oak and let it reset over the winter.
Photo of the Day: Tiger Jaw in Flower
This is a tiger jaw (Faucaria tigrina) in flower. My wife brought home in a one-inch pot along with half a dozen other succulents a couple of years ago. The plant is low, mounding, and it's "jaws" make it look a little fierce on the rocky landscape. Better yet, it [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Toyon – Christmas Berry
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), aka "Christmas Berry" or California Holly, is a native tree and favorite hangout for all sorts of birds and wildlife. Once established, it pretty much tolerates anything -- blazing sun, drought, fire, shade, lousy soil, mule deer, etc. They're usually 8-10 ft tall, but this tree is [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Tarantula Hawk
Walked out of the house this morning to be greeted by what I thought was was a hummingbird, but instead turned out to be a Tarantula Hawk, which is actually a very large wasp. And by very large, I mean over three inches (7-1/2 cm) long and heavy enough to [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Hummingbird Sage
Hummingbird sage (Salvia spathacea) is another native that I really like. It's a low growing sage that spreads by rhizomes and can colonize a whole area. When a colony is in bloom, there are so many hummingbirds it can sound like a swarm of bees. Beyond the flower and the [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Foggy Morning in November
Misty November morning. Fog settles over the pond and creates a shadowy, silent scene.
How to Build a Keyhole Garden
I built an exceptionally productive keyhole garden using cedar fence boards and pipe strapping. Total build cost was around $200 and the results were amazing. Here's complete instructions on how to do it.
Photo of the Day: Peppermint Twist Rose
While most of the rest of the garden is hunkering down for winter, a couple of the roses are kicking out one more set of blooms. This one is "Peppermint Twist." I think you can tell how it got its name.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 4
Added 8 more ounces of hot peppers and 1/2 TSP of salt. No additional water. Will probably have just one more addition because the weather cold nights are knocking off the pepper plants.
Photo of the Day: Painted Plumeria
Most of my Plumerias bloom pink or yellow and stay that way, but not this one. It blooms pink and turns white over the course of a few days. As the color changes from outer edge to the center of the flowers it looks like someone comes and paints them [keep reading...]
Video: “Happy Red” Japanese Tomato
Bought a Japanese tomato with no idea what it would be. I wasn't disappointed.Last spring I picked up a variety of odd-ball tomatoes from a local nursery. One was a complete mystery because the tag was printed in Japanese. An attempt to use Google Translate revealed only that it was [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween everyone! If you're going to a party tonight, don't end up like this guy. Cleanup is rough.
Photo of the day: End of Season Tomato Harvest
Well, that's it. The last of the tomatoes have been picked. The Valentine grape tomato (front of bowl) was ridiculous. Easily 40lbs of tomatoes. The Indigo Kumquat (yellow, back of bowl) was a pleasant surprise as well. Long production time and beautiful fruit.
My Keyhole Garden Through the Year
Keyhole garden is finally complete and ready to plant. I'm going to let the soil settle for a few days before planting Last winter I decided to build a keyhole garden. Every few weeks I'd go out and take a photo of it so I could remember [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: A bathtub’s worth of luffa sponges
A couple years ago I planted some luffas, which proceeded to sprawl out, climb into the trees and take over a large section of the west garden. Even though I removed every luffa I could find, some were still left stranded high in the trees. Each of the past two [keep reading...]
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 3
Forgot to take photos of last week's addition. 6 ounces plus 1 cup water, 1/2tsp salt. Woops. Also, too much water let the peppers float on top and get a white mold. Woops again. Pay attention. Scraped off the fuzzy white mold and added 6 more ounces of fresh peppers. [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Autumn Sage “Lipstick”
The past few days have been hotter than Hades, but the natives are thriving (except for yours truly, I'm not happy). This one is a variety of Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) showing off how it got the name "lipstick." It's a little over five feet (1.5 meters) high and equally [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Welcome to October
We're just a week away from November and it's so hot even the plants in the pond are wilting. It's 96° and 13% humidity outdoors. In the greenhouse it's even worse. 111° and 1% humidity. Not that this is unusual. We usually get one last heatwave right around this time. [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Crazy winter squash hybrid
Just for giggles, last year I grew two winter squashes, Delicata and Spaghetti, next to one another, then took the seeds from a few of the fruit of both types of plants. This year I got a crazy speckled hybrid that tastes sweet like Delicata, but has the noodle-like consistency [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia)
Many years ago a local grower friend of mine gave me a few "Mexican Sunflower" (Tithonia) seeds. Little did I know that this particular variety is also known as the "tree sunflower" and, unlike true sunflowers, is a perennial down here in zone 9. It blooms continuously from March to [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Vintage Red Rose
My mom had this rose in her garden for 20 years before she gave it to me. I planted it, and 26 years later, it still looks amazing and smells absolutely intoxicating.
Photo of the Day: Hidden Lake Hot Peppers
Fifty degree swings between day and night temperatures are making tough for the plants remaining in the vegetable garden, but the Cayenne/Thai peppers we call "Hidden Lake Hot" are still hanging in there. They'll continue to produce right up until rain and frost does them in.
Photo of the Day: Mystery Frog on a Lillypad
Walked by our pond this morning and spied this little guy sitting all fairytale like on a lillypad. I have no idea where he came from. There is a small lake nearby, but it seems quite a hop to get here from there.
Plain Old Burlap: The Most Versatile Plant Protection
When it comes to protecting plants and seedlings from nature, burlap is an eco-friendly, versatile and inexpensive choice. Here's how you can use it.
Photo of the Day: Happy Face Bell Peppers
Cut the tops off of a couple Olympus bell peppers we were having with dinner last night and couldn't help but notice that they have "smiley faces" inside. Bonus!
Photo of the Day: Gopher Snake!
Our duck enclosure is covered with a very old, thick orange clock vine (Thumbergia). Looks great in bloom and offers cover for the animals, including this guy, a gopher snake that scared the bejesus out of me when I when to pick it up because I thought it was a [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Tomato sprouting from the inside out
This is weird. I pulled this tomato off the vine because I thought it had worms, but it turns out the seeds germinated inside the tomato and were popping through a break in the skin. Anyone know what causes that?
Photo of the Day: Moulin Rouge Sunflower
I like sunflowers so I sprinkle them around the acre to add some visual interest and keep the birds and bees happy. This one is Moulin Rouge, which I picked up along with a number of other varieties from @johnys_seeds. The depth of the red color in this one is [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Rose Apple or Jambu fruit
Jambu is another subtropical that does well here in San Diego. This one is Syzygium Jambos or the Rose Apple. In the summer it has feathery white flowers that turn into a waxy little fruit that sort of tastes like rose water. I'm not a fan of the fruit, but [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Yellow (Lemon) Guava
We've lots of subtropicals and semi-rare plants on the Acre. Interestingly, they all fruit in fall. This one is Psidium littorale, aka Yellow Guava or Lemon Guava.
Photo of the Day: Red Shouldered Hawks and a Squirrel Lunch
You know what is bad ass? A red shouldered hawk swooping down from a telephone pole and grabbing a ground squirrel on the run. Changes the definition of a "grab and go meal" for me.
Photo of the Day: Hot Sauce Time
Fresh picked Habañeros and a homegrown Thai/Cayenne cross that I call Hidden Lake Hot. Ferment them on oak for six months or so and, bang! Hot sauce!
Photo of the Day: Weathervane at Sunset
As I was coming back from closing the chicken coop last night, I saw Rusty the rooster weathervane against a setting sun sky. Looked pretty neat.
Photo of the Day: Feijoa (aka: Pineapple Guava)
Every year our Feijoa, aka: Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) treats us to a ton of dense green fruit with a pineapple like flavor. I'm not a fan of the fruit itself, but a friend of mine is a brewer and uses it in one of his specialty beers, so I'm [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Sunflowers in Bloom
It may be fall, but these sunflowers don't seem to care. To them every day is a summer's day.
Photo of the Day: Spider at Sunset
A spider weaving a web between two trees high in the air with the sun setting in the background.
Photo of the Day: Grapes near Harvest
We had an unusually cool summer which let the grapes take their time ripening. Now that cool fall nights are here, the fruit is finally finishing. Wine soon enough!
Photo of the Day: Beans and Tomatoes
Summer is gone, fall is taking over and the vegetables know it. We'll be eating a lot of bean and tomato dishes this winter!
Photo of the Day: Goldfinches at Breakfast
Goldfinches enjoying a breakfast of late season basil gone to seed.
Fall Finally! Let’s Get to Work!
I’ve been reading “what to plant for fall” stories since August. In some ways I’m jealous of people who can start their fall garden in late summer, but it’s not an option here in the San Diego county foothills. By August the sun is directly overhead and it hasn’t rained [keep reading...]
Photo of the Day: Fence Lizard Up Close
Nothing like being sized us by a tiny dinosaur while you're working outside.
Photo of the Day: Cleveland Sage in Bloom
One of my favorite natives and sages. Salvia Clevelandii (Cleveland Sage) both looks and smells fantastic.
Photo of the Day: Our Rooster Twins
Last spring one of the hens surprised us with a matched set of roosters. Meet Jonesy and Riley.
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 2
Added 3 ounces Black Mamba peppers and 2 cloves of fresh garlic. 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 tsp salt added as well.
Photo of the Day: Undercover Tomatillos
If you plant tomatillos once, chances are you're going to have tomatillos for years to come -- you just don't know where. I just discover not one, but two types growing in among the corn. It's like a salsa bonus!
Four Easy Ways to Save Seeds
Saving your own seeds is a great way to save money and keep the plants you like. Here are the easiest ways to save a variety of vegetable and flower seeds.
Photo of the Day: Water Hyacinth in Bloom
The first bloom in the pond. We've been waiting all summer!
Hot Sauce Batch 19 – entry 1
Added the first 8 ounces of whole peppers (Hidden Lake Hot - Thai/Cayenne cross) to the jar. Added 1 up water, 1/2tsp pickling salt.
Photo of the Day: Ice Cream Bananas
After two years of growth, the ice cream banana has finally produced fruit!
A Tropical Sunset
Multiple tropical storms out of Baja California have been rolling across the area. Overnight we're only dipping into the 70° range and during the day it's in the mid-90's. Oh and 93% humidity. It's basically like living in a bathtub. The one upside is some absolutely spectacular sunsets. This one [keep reading...]
Time to fly the nest buddy
The woodpeckers that occupy one of the giant agave stalks out front have been trying to get their chick out of the nest for at least a week. Actually, it's not really a "chick" anymore since its as large as its parents. It's more like a 26 year-old millenial that [keep reading...]
High summer corn pr0n
It's mid-summer and the second round of sweet corn is coming in nicely. This variety is Incredible, an F1 Hybrid SE variety. At 84 days it's a little longer to maturity than the Honey Select we harvested back at the beginning of the month, but it's well-worth the wait.
Grow your own all natural luffa sponges
Forget those $6 all natural luffa sponges from the store. It's super easy to grow a whole bathtub's worth for less than $2 (they're even edible!). Here's how:
Oh How the Garden Grows (Time Lapse Edition)
Let's back up to March Back in mid-March I set up a camera to record our cleaning out of the winter garden in preparation of spring planting. What I ended up with was about 9 hours of super boring video of my daughter and I (along with an occasional visit [keep reading...]
Build a Simple Garden Bench With 2×4 Lumber
It's easy to make an sturdy and attractive garden bench in a weekend for around $30 Out front we have a patio area where a wood bench about decade past its prime sat rotting away. I knew I had to replace it, but I'm cheap, so rather than spending [keep reading...]
Lazy Garden Tip: Golden Poppies are Super Easy to Grow
Golden poppies that blew in and made themselves comfortable Its pretty hard to find a plant that's easier to grow than one that turn up at random and proceed to takeover. Bonus points when it's not an invasive weed but a native flower you actually. Last year we [keep reading...]
The vegetable garden is off to a great start
Basil, Peas, loose leaf lettuces, cucumbers and some ball cabbage transplanted April rolled in and we've got plants in the beds. Of the stuff we planted back in March, here's what went in the ground this weekend: Oregon Sugar Pod Peas Genovese Basil (pesto) Danish Ball Head Cabbage [keep reading...]
The Fig Says it’s Spring
That's what it looks like to me anyway
Time to Get This Garden Started
I used to take that "start indoors 4 to 6 weeks before last frost" stuff on the back of seed packets pretty seriously. It took me about 5 years and umpteen dead seedlings before I figured out, regardless of what the weather tables say about my climate zone, that "last [keep reading...]
A Rare Skink Sighting
We've no lack of reptiles here on the acre. Gopher snakes, king snakes, the occasional rattlesnake, alligator lizards and western fence lizards (aka, the "blue belly") are all common sights around here. Actually, the fence lizard is so common in summer that you'll nearly walk on a dozen just crossing [keep reading...]
The ultimate photo filter for sunsets
Sunset after a storm passes through San Diego County. Mother Nature makes the best photofilters. No app required.
Let’s Get Cloning
Winter is a great time to propagate plants from cuttings Salvia Pozo Blue propagated from another in my yard Mid winter is tough. If you’re anything like me, right about now you’re itching to get back outdoors, clear some garden beds and get started on planting for spring. [keep reading...]
This Pterodactyl is trying to eat my fish
I've been doing battle with this bad boy for the past few days. The fish pond is covered and reinforced with bird netting, but that hasn't stopped him from trying multiple air and ground-based attacks. Unlike the egrets that visit and attempt fishing without a license from time [keep reading...]
Ouch! Winter Hits Hurt
Down here in the foothills of San Diego its not unusual to see temps dip below freezing on some nights... in February. Unfortunately, during the last three weeks of autumn almost every night has dipped into the low 30's (and some nights into the 20's). Most of my subtropicals can [keep reading...]
Thanksgiving dressing from the herb garden
The herb garden is about done for the year, but not so done that I can't get everything I need to season our homemade stuffing. Manged to get plenty thyme, rosemary, celery, parsley and sage. Now to dice it up and add it to the croutons I made from some [keep reading...]
Garlic sprouts in early November
About a month ago I planted some hardneck garlic for spring harvest. Here's what it looks like a month later: I planted both rows on the same day, but curiously, the garlic on the left, which is from a local grower, is already up and on its way. The garlic [keep reading...]
Jack o’ Lantern in waiting
It's Halloween, and time to haul one of the last pumpkins up to carve it into a Jack o' Lantern. This one looks pretty good. Follow-up: turns out this one was bigger than I thought. 45lbs worth of Jack o' Lantern coming up.
Garlic Planting Time
Ordered some hardneck garlic last month from Pinetree Garden Seeds and it's finally here. I figure if I plant it now, right around spring we'll have fresh garlic.
Big Duck, Small Pond
WHy go to the duck pond with all the other ducks wen you can have a water dish all to yourself?
Late summer harvest
Summer still has a month to go, but the garden is starting to look tired. All the heat and sun has the spring plantings kicking out their last. I won't be planting anything new until mid-September when fall crops will have a better chance of surviving. In the meantime, I'm [keep reading...]
Best Pepper Pickling Recipe
Pickling peppers is easy and a great way to store your bounty long after the season is gone Pickling peppers is super easy and tasty too I grow a ridiculous amount of peppers every year. Hot, sweet, large, small, round, bell, horn — if it's a pepper, I'm [keep reading...]
How the Herb Garden Grows
In early March I decided to create an herb garden by rounding up a bunch of plants that were growing wild in various locations around the yard. To start I moved a catnip seeding, some oregano and a parsley volunteer. A month later I added some thyme, summer [keep reading...]
Perlette Table Grape
I bought a dozen 1 year old table grape vines from Peaceful Valley Farms last year (a real deal at just $5 a vine). Last year they didn't do much. I let them run wild and get established. This past winter I pruned and trellised them and have tried to [keep reading...]
Alstroemeria gone wild
Several years ago my wife was given this Peruvian Lily as a houseplant. It didn't do particularly well in the house (in fact, I thought it was dead), so I dumped it into the garden near the strawberry planter. Not only was the plant not dead, but it thrives in [keep reading...]
Red Onion Harvest
The ruby ring onions I planted this past winter ready to harvest. I pulled them up and will allow them to dry before tying them up. In total I got about 50 really nice red onions. Considering I bought this seed on sale for 99 cents, I got a real [keep reading...]
Trailing Blackberries
This is a native trailing blackberry. Usually you find it down along the creeks. I transplanted a few along my lower fence line 20 years ago and the blackberries have never looked back. Tis year the ground squirrels and I are in a battle to see who will get to [keep reading...]
Hydrangea All Pink this Year
Last fall I put up a rain gutter that redirected water from the roof to the camelias and hydrangea on the side yard. Whatever is in the roof runoff, for the first time all the hydrangeas blooms are pink this year.
Cleveland Sage in Bloom
One of my favorite native plants, Cleveland Sage (salvia clevelandii), which gets its name from the nearby Cleveland National Forest. Looks great, smells great and requires close to zero water and maintenance.
The Eagle has landed.
Okay, it's not an eagle, but a young Cooper's hawk who happened to be perched on the no parking sign just down the hill. He let me get just ten feet away to take this photo. After posing he dove into the brush for breakfast and then flew off.
Sweet Corn by Memorial Day
It's only Mid-may and the Bon Apetit Sweet corn is going gangbusters. I wouldn't be surprised if there's fresh corn on the BBQ this Memorial Day. (Note: this photos was taken less than 3 weeks after this one).
Corn & Tomatoes 2 Weeks later
Exactly two weeks after this photo, this is now what those corn and tomato plants look like.
That’s a lot of pollen
I thought high pollen counts hit me pretty bad. I can only imagine what it's doing to this bee. It flew out of the wildflower field and landed on the bench to unload a bit before moving on.
Corn & Tomatoes Going
The warm weather has also allow me to get corn (foreground) and tomatoes (background) in the ground several weeks earlier than usual. I'm hoping they're ready by Memorial Day.
Volunteer Wild Flowers
After last year's wildflower planting we didn't bother to re-seed. We just let the old wildflowers stand through the winter (such as it was), and the garden came right back with plenty of volunteers.
What a difference a couple of weeks make
We pretty much had a non-winter here in San Diego which allowed me to get a lot of things in the ground well before normal. By January of this year I had lettuce, cilantro, onions, snow peas, broccoli and cauliflower all planted. Normally I can't do that until early March [keep reading...]
The Best of Both Worlds
For a couple of weeks here in late winter / early spring, I get the best of both worlds with our citrus trees -- fruit and blossoms. The taste and smell are both incredible. Oranges and orange blossoms
First Day of Spring
It's been six months since my last post, but now that the Acre is kicking back into high gear I thought I'd pick up where I left off. Here's a photo of what the first day of Spring 2015 looks like in Northern San Diego County. The first day [keep reading...]
First Day of Autumn
Like clockwork, the season switched from summer to fall and suddenly the heat and sun are gone, replaced with cool temps and early morning fog. Here's my view of the palms on the west side of the valley at 7 am.
Ducks Beat the Heat in a Horse Trough
It's almost 100 degrees, but I doubt the ducks know it. They spend all day horsing around in their "pond" (aka: a 100 gallon trough).
10 Cent Gold Fish
A lot of people don't know those 10 cent "feeder" gold fish you can get in the pet store can actually get quite large. This little school of fishies has only been in the pond for 6 months or so, but I've got several that have been in there for [keep reading...]
Lion’s Mane Takes the Heat
September is a tough month for plants here in San Diego. The end of summer brings lots of heat and sun, it hasn't rained in six months, and we're in the midst of a drought so I water only sparingly. As a result, there's just a few plants that actually [keep reading...]
Dipper Gourd Volunteers
Several years ago I planted some dipper gourds at my daughter's request. They grew and produced a bunch of dipper-shaped gourds that I didn't really know what to do with. So they sat around on our patio for a while until our German Shepards decided that one would make a [keep reading...]
Late Summer a.m. Fog
This time of year the skies are clear at sunrise, but the warm water over the lake makes for foggy mornings until the air warms up.
Bog Sage
Got this particular sage from a local herb grower. As the name "bog sage" implies, it likes it's feet a little damper than most sages. The bright blue flowers are remarkable this time of year.
Goats are always hungry
I'm pretty sure "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" has something to do with goats. I fed them not 5 minutes before (see the alfalfa?) and they're already back to see if I have something new.
Weathervane on a Blue Sky
Late August and the sky doesn't get any bluer. Soon the sun will be lower and the bright blue will fade. Then soon after a blue-gray and fall will be here. I'm enjoying this right now.
Goldfinches love basil
Truth is you can only each so much pesto and fresh basil before you turn into a cabrese salad. Fortunately, if the basil bolts and goes to seed, there's an army of goldfinches more than happy to jump in and eat.
August Harvest
Not a bad harvest today. Basil, cauliflower, broccoli, onions. a whole bunch of different tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos and fresh figs. We'll be eating fresh for a while.
The Supermoon in the Mountains
I didn't know the other night was a supermoon, because I was off vacationing in the mountains of Idaho. What I did notice in the morning, however, was a moon large enough to be the sun over 1,000 foot peak. Wow.
Brown Turkey Fig (Ficus Carica)
Years ago I planted a brown turkey fig seedling near the chicken coop. It's not a large, leafy tree that produces a ton of fruit. The birds love it.
San Diego Tomatoes
"You've got to try these!" a friend of mine who works at a nursery said. "They're San Diego Tomatoes and they saved San Diego!" From what they saved San Diego I have no idea (and neither did my friend), but they're a tasty mid-sized slicer and boy do they like [keep reading...]
Rattlesnake Beans
A delicious pole bean either eaten fresh or dried, the vines always put out way more than we can eat, so we wind up with lots dried and used in soups and chili during the winter. Not sure why they're called "rattlesnake beans though. They don't look or sound like [keep reading...]
Hungarian Wax Peppers
Early August and the peppers and tomatoes are really starting to come in now. These are a type of Hungarian Wax Peppers. I can never recall the name but they're a little larger and more "peppery" than your typical Hungarians.
Four Fresh Ducklings
We've had one duck sitting on a nest since April, occasionally tossing an egg out of her nest when she felt it had gone bad. Truthfully we didn't think anything was going to come from her broodiness until this morning this morning when we spotted her with four new ducklings. [keep reading...]
Squirrel for Lunch
A couple of hawks were making a lot of noise on the telephone pole out front. I grabbed my camera and caught them in the act of discussing how to eat a ground squirrel.
Four O’Clocks
I'm not exactly sure how Four O'Clocks wound up in my yard since I never planted them. They have however, made themselves at home along the slopes and in semi shady areas all over the place. I'm also not sure why they're called four o'clocks since they seem to be [keep reading...]
Busy Bee
Bees never take a day off.
Clockvine Monster
Believe it or not, somewhere under that monster Thunbergia gregorii is a 10' x 20' x 8' chain link enclosure designed to keep the ducks safe from coyotes at night. 10 years ago I planted two one gallon pots holding vines that might have been 1 foot tall at the [keep reading...]
Happy 4th of July
Blue skies, yellow sunflowers and Old Glory. Happy 238th birthday America!
Desert Rose
One of my kids brought this home from a plant salel she was at. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park, but the flower he's really pretty.
Red Burgundy Onions
Planted these from seed back in early March and finally harvested this week. It's a great onions for those of us with short days in the south. Great color and a nice, spicy onion flavor.
“Cheddar” Cauliflower
We're all used to seeing big white heads of cauliflower in the store, but I'm partial to this particular variety called "Cheddar" that you have to buy from a seed supplier (in this case, Pinetree Garden Seeds). Every bit as good as the snowy white variety, Cheddar is even better [keep reading...]
Flowers Gone Wild
So I spent $4 on a Bird & Butterfly Garden packet, threw in a little water, and voila! Two months later a full blown North American Wildflower garden.
Jasmine on a chicken coop
Chicken coops are generally drab affairs, but mine is draped in snowy white and wonderfully fragrant star jasmine.
Pink Mallow
Around here we've got a variety of mallow with a tiny white flower and a great big taproot that likes to take over just about everything. Fortunately, there are prettier, less invasive varieties native to other parts of North America. This one's a big mallow with a really showy pink [keep reading...]
Ring Around the Marigold
10 or so years ago my youngest daughter brought home a packet of marigold seeds called "Little Tiger" (or something close to that) she'd won in a drawing at school. The first year we grew them they were, in fact, striped orange and yellow like a tiger. Each year we [keep reading...]
Blackberry Season
Blackberries are ripe and ready for pies, jams and other good stuff. Now it's just a race between me, the squirrels and the birds to see who gets more.
Almost Corn Time
My father-in-law, born and raised on an Iowa corn farm is fond of say that corn should be "knee-high by the Fourth of July." It's only early June and we're well past knee-high with the sweet corn. By the Fourth we'll be eating it!
Peppermint Twist Rose
A floribunda rose I picked up nearly 20 years ago from a little nursery tucked back in the hills of Fallbrook. The lady said it was called "Peppermint Twist" because the red and white spirals of the flower resembled a peppermint candy. When the flower is still a bud it [keep reading...]
Mexican Sunflower
This is a Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia). Native to tropical regions of Mexico, it grows and reproduces quite easily here in San Diego County. This particular plant is nearly 20 feet tall and produces a profusion of yellow flowers from May through September. After the bloom, I chop it back [keep reading...]
Hydrangeas
I didn't always like these plants and even went so far to chop this one all the way to the ground. When it grew back it came back as two plants. One produces pink blooms, the other blue. Kinda neat.
Sunflowers know summer is here
Summer unofficially begins this weekend and as if on cue, Mother Nature is delivering warm weather and clear skies. The sunflowers, which have been languishing all spring, seem to know this and are responding accordingly. It's almost as if this Kong sunflower is lifting its face and drinking the sunshine [keep reading...]
Field of Chamomile
Years ago I got a seed packet of German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) which I planted because my wife thought it'd be neat to have some for herbal tea. Since then it's nativized itself in section of the yard and so every spring I have a field of chamomile in which [keep reading...]
Getting The Eye
Found this little guy staring at me from an empty flower pot as I was walking up from the orchard. He did some scary lizard push-ups to show me who was boss, so I snapped his picture and moved on before he charged me.
Eucalyptus up close
Last winter during high winds and rain one of three enormous eucalyptus trees (about 60 feet) by the pond tipped over. Half the tree's roots remained in the ground, so the tree continues grow on the side facing the sky. I stood on the trunk, pointed my camera down and [keep reading...]
Fiery Sunset
Fire is terrible, but it sure makes for a pretty sunset. This is a photo of the Las Pulgas fire taken around 7:45 PM last night.
Surrounded by Fires
We're used to wildfires in San Diego, but they generally occur in late September / early October, not mid-May. It's been so hot and dry lately that the entire county is a tinderbox. Currently, we're within a couple of miles of four fires to the north, east, southeast and southwest, [keep reading...]
Picky Goldfinches
The local pack of goldfinches chowing away on Nyjer seeds. One time we made the mistake of buying the general "finch mix" seed and the little monsters threw everything that wasn't Nyjer seed on the ground where the squirrels picked it up. We learned our lesson and now we never [keep reading...]
Peruvian Lilly
Mom gave me a couple of different types of Alstromeria (aka Peruvian Lilly) 15 years ago when she re-vamped her garden. Stuff re-seeded, spread throughout the upper yard and grows like a weed in half a dozen place now. I've seen uglier weeds.
Joseph’s Coat Roses
This was another find on the clearance aisle of a nursery. Picked up two one gallon containers of these showy climbing roses for just $2. They bloom red and gradually fade to orange and finally yellow so when the bush is in full bloom it's a riot of color. Looks [keep reading...]
Pride of Madeira
Echium candicans is native to the island of Madeira off the coast of Africa, which coincidentally has a climate very much similar to San Diego's. Not surprisingly, these shrubs thrive here. Bees love them.
Butterfly Iris
Nothing particularly special about this plant other than I never actually planted it. I think it came in with some plants that someone gave me and decided to stay. These days, I've got dozens growing in semi shady areas without any care. The purple, yellow and white flowers really look [keep reading...]
Varigated Chinese Lantern
This is an unusual variety of the Chinese Lantern (Physalis alkekengi) with speckled yellow and green leaves. Native to southern Asia, I picked this one up as a 3 inch plant the local exotic plant nursery years ago. It's now well over 10 feet tall an produces lots of orange [keep reading...]
Jerusalem Sage
Jerusalem Sage (Phlomis fruticosa) is neither a sage nor is it from Jerusalem. It's a sage-like plant native to the The north eastern portions of the Mediterranean from Italy east to Turkey. Grows great here in San Diego even with no water or care.
Cleveland Sage
Cleveland Sage (salvia clevelandii) is a native sage that grows readily around here. This time of year its fragrant, woodsy flowers are generally covered with bees and hummingbirds. You can dry the blossoms and leaves, mix them with dried lavender and you've got a potpourri that'll beat anything you could [keep reading...]
Oaks and Willows
An archway of oaks and willows to pass under on the path along the pond.
If I Could Save Thyme in a Clay Pot
This is exactly what it would look like.
Kiwi Flowers
The Vincent kiwi over the threshold from the upper yard to the orchard is in bloom. This is a male flower.
Feijoa in bloom
Feijoa (aka pineapple guava or guavasteen) isn't really a guava at all. It blooms mid-spring and drops like 9 tons of fruit in early fall. This time of year I see whole flocks of mockingbirds and orioles feasting on the blossoms.
Rhubarb
Not really a big fan of rhubarb, but it sure does look neat in the garden.
A Hooded Oriole
This fine masked yellow fellow was sitting on the fence this morning keeping an eye on me.
Golden Showers Rose
Got this climbing rose on sale at a nursery for $1 years ago. It's grown like a tree and never fails to live up to it's name -- a golden shower of yellow blossoms.
Pink Water Lillies
I started these in a four inch pot in my pond about six years ago. The plant's rhizomes are now thicker that a tree trunk so I have to chop them back every year. No matter how much I chop off though, they always seem to come back in force.
Pansies
One of the kids got a seed packet of pansies (or "Alice in Wonderland flowers" as my wife refers to them) last year. I threw them in a pot and didn't think about them much for the past 9 months. Now they're blooming like there's no tomorrow.
Autumn Sage “Lipstick”
Seems appropriate that my first post is a photo of a sage. I have 40 or so different ones on the property (people keep bringing me new ones and I keep planting them). This is a Salvia Greggii (autumn sage) called "lipstick." The bees and hummingbirds love it.