Garden
Found an Aloe Forest
Discovered a large patch of aloe (Aloe barbadensis) growing wild in a neglected area of the Acre. They're going to be part of my Mediterranean garden now.
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 late January or February. Guess it's going to be a wet year.
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 sitting in the flower pots.)
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 of them. I think this is the duck equivalent of hanging around the water cooler.
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...]
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.
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 "happy red" and "not much disease," which, fortunately, turned out to be true. Here's a quick video from August on the tomato: And here's the plant tag from the tomato. If anyone reads Japanese, I'd love to know what it says. Click the "Comment" link below to add your [keep reading...]
My Keyhole Garden Through the Year
The keyhole garden is an amazing vegetable garden that fits in a small space. Here's how mine grew through the year.
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.
Fall Finally! Let’s Get to Work!
The last of the summer veggies 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 in four months or more. The ground is hot and dry, the air is hotter and drier. All the natives drop their leaves and other plants, even mature, well-watered ones, wilt. And the greenhouse is basically an air fryer, so the only [keep reading...]