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Why Ducks are the Unsung Heroes of the Organic Garden
Chickens usually get the spotlight on the suburban homestead, but it's the "duck gold" (duck poop and straw) that's my secret to year-round garden productivity
Wild Radish: Friend or Foe?
Wild radish is considered invasive here in Southern California, but at least it's edible and its attractive purple flowers draw pollinators to the spring garden
Wild Cucumber (aka: Manroot) on the Fence
This is a wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa), a spiky member of the gourd family native to San Diego and Baja California. It's a tuberous perennial.
How to Build a High-Yield Garden With Grocery Store Produce
Grow your own perpetual food forest for around $10 using seeds sourced from supermarket fresh produce. Here are the best varieties and hacks for a great garden
DIY Hanging Gourd Garden: Natural Shade for Your Zone 9 Summer
Beat the Zone 9 heat with a DIY hanging gourd garden! Learn how to build a budget trellis that provides natural shade and beautiful harvests in San Diego.
The Accidental Salad Bar Garden
I let some of my shade vegetables go to seed and now I have a year-round salad bar garden with nearly a dozen types of leafy greens, root crops and herbs in it.
Botanical Bento Box Salsa Garden (Part 1)
Maximize your harvest in 7 sq feet! Discover the "Botanical Bento" trend with a guide to planting a high-density, Salsa Garden in Zone 9. Perfect for small spaces and big flavors.
Best Heirloom Zucchini for Zone 9 Vegetable Gardens
I grew three heirloom zucchini varieties and rated them based on space, productivity, and flavor to find the best combo for our zone 9 vegetable garden
The 5 Best Tomatoes for Zone 9
I tested 40+ varieties to find the 5 best tomatoes for Zone 9. Discover the high-yield, heat-resistant winners I grow every year in my garden.
The Painted Abutilon (Abutilon pictum)
Discover the 'Tropical Cheat Code' for So Cal gardens. Learn how to grow Painted Abutilon for stunning gold-mottled foliage and year-round hummingbird blooms.
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