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Swiss Chard Frittata - by Rose Elliot
In a rush to find a main dish to serve impromptu family dinner guests, I tried a new recipe the other night from one of my favorite cookbooks - Vegetarian Fast Food, by Rose Elliot. Time and time again this woman comes to my rescue with ideas for my excessive supply of whatever vegetable I have on hand at the time. Everything in this particular cookbook promises to be prepared in 30 minutes or less. My kind of meal!
Since the chard is still going strong from a year ago, we have a plentiful supply almost all ...<< MORE >>
Since the chard is still going strong from a year ago, we have a plentiful supply almost all ...<< MORE >>
Huntington Revisited
As a guilty pleasure, or let's say...a business expense, I renewed my long-lost membership to the Huntington Library and Gardens this spring. I haven't been in years (since gas prices went up - it's a bit of a drive to get there from where I live). In fact, I hadn't been back since the Huntington opened their Chinese and Children's' Gardens. I was really looking forward to seeing the "new to me" installations, and sauntering through the rose garden and other old stomping grounds.
Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. My first stop was the Shakespeare Garden, which ...<< MORE >>
Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. My first stop was the Shakespeare Garden, which ...<< MORE >>
Artichoke Care
A question came in this week:
"I have some lovely modest artichokes on one plant that I planted this
spring. I can't decide if I should cut 'em and eat 'em, or let them go
to flower! I'm not sure what would be best for the future life of the
plant... and what is the life cycle of the artichoke, anyway? What do I
need to do to keep it healthy and happy in my garden, year after year?
Thanks. I love the being a gardenerd!! Liza"
Well, those are all good questions, Liza. Artichokes can be intimidating, I think, ...<< MORE >>
"I have some lovely modest artichokes on one plant that I planted this
spring. I can't decide if I should cut 'em and eat 'em, or let them go
to flower! I'm not sure what would be best for the future life of the
plant... and what is the life cycle of the artichoke, anyway? What do I
need to do to keep it healthy and happy in my garden, year after year?
Thanks. I love the being a gardenerd!! Liza"
Well, those are all good questions, Liza. Artichokes can be intimidating, I think, ...<< MORE >>
Gardenerd Joins Technorati
Gardenerd just joined Technorati, which collects, highlights and distributes online global conversations.
Technorati Profile ...<< MORE >>
Technorati Profile ...<< MORE >>
Gardenerd Video on Youtube - Garlic Braiding
About 7 years ago, I took a day trip up to Gilroy for the World Famous Garlic Festival. My goal was to learn how to braid garlic. I came away from the event with the skill set to sally forth in the garlic braiding department forever more (along with some serious garlic breath). Each year, in order to keep the pile of garlic that I harvest (and cure for about 6 weeks) from cluttering up my counter tops, I braid the year's harvest and hang it in the kitchen for easy access.
This year, I decided to ...<< MORE >>
This year, I decided to ...<< MORE >>
What Wood Would You Use?
A gardener wrote in this week:
"Hi there - I SO enjoy your newsletters and info! I have a question - we
are making containers to grow vegetables. At first my dad thought
pressure treated because it will last longer on the island where we live -
but I said no way! They use pesticides to treat the wood and that
defeats the whole purpose!! Do you have any suggestions? Would cedar be
good? Do you know anyplace that has pre-fab ones? Also - what should we
use for soil and fertilizer? I want our veggies to be ...<< MORE >>
"Hi there - I SO enjoy your newsletters and info! I have a question - we
are making containers to grow vegetables. At first my dad thought
pressure treated because it will last longer on the island where we live -
but I said no way! They use pesticides to treat the wood and that
defeats the whole purpose!! Do you have any suggestions? Would cedar be
good? Do you know anyplace that has pre-fab ones? Also - what should we
use for soil and fertilizer? I want our veggies to be ...<< MORE >>
Squash Bonanza
It appears that the zucchini and Bennings Green Tint patty pan squash have officially kicked into high gear - and it's not even summer yet! This is a crucial time - when one needs to visit the garden every day, lest there be a monster squash discovered after a few days away from the garden. So far, so good. We're catching the summer squash early and picking them young. Now to find recipes...
I have a favorite recipe for zucchini, but you
might want to save it for when your sick of zucchini, because when
you're done with this ...<< MORE >>
I have a favorite recipe for zucchini, but you
might want to save it for when your sick of zucchini, because when
you're done with this ...<< MORE >>
Flying Green Things
A new question came in to Ask Gardenerd:
"Hi, I'm an organic gardener growing my own food in Hollywood. I have a
well-established herb garden, but all of the sudden my herbs seem to be
infested with teeny tiny green flying insects that swarm around when I
shake the plants. They seem most attracted to my woody herbs (rosemary,
oregano, thyme) but are also in my mint. Any idea what they are and
what I can use to reclaim my crops? Thanks."
Those flying green things are most likely one of the many varieties of aphids on our ...<< MORE >>
"Hi, I'm an organic gardener growing my own food in Hollywood. I have a
well-established herb garden, but all of the sudden my herbs seem to be
infested with teeny tiny green flying insects that swarm around when I
shake the plants. They seem most attracted to my woody herbs (rosemary,
oregano, thyme) but are also in my mint. Any idea what they are and
what I can use to reclaim my crops? Thanks."
Those flying green things are most likely one of the many varieties of aphids on our ...<< MORE >>
Marrakesh House Photos
This weekend was the Grand Opening of a property that I've been working on for a year - Marrakesh House. Along with the garden, the home's green design elements were featured on Green LA Girl last week, in promotion of the event. Check out the article and photos.
Green LA Girl Blog - Marrakesh House
...<< MORE >>
Green LA Girl Blog - Marrakesh House
...<< MORE >>
Late Spring Harvest
With a tiny bit of rain drizzling down this morning, I harvested a few things from the garden. It's very exciting on a number of levels.
The first requires a little story: I didn't plant eggplant this year - I planted it last year. It was attacked by flea beetles early on and in fall when the time came to clear the raised bed, I decided to leave the plants because they were showing signs of new growth. So they overwintered, and when spring came they had grown to a very respectable size. Then they flowered and set ...<< MORE >>
The first requires a little story: I didn't plant eggplant this year - I planted it last year. It was attacked by flea beetles early on and in fall when the time came to clear the raised bed, I decided to leave the plants because they were showing signs of new growth. So they overwintered, and when spring came they had grown to a very respectable size. Then they flowered and set ...<< MORE >>
What's Growing in Your Garden?
I've been getting some feedback from fellow gardenerds lately about what's growin' on in their gardens this spring. I thought I'd post it and invite you to share what's working or not working in your garden this year as well.
"Our garden is really blooming. My mom
gave Ronnie an upside-down tomato plant for Christmas. He planted that
about 2 months ago. One day it all of a sudden exploded. The plant
grows out the bottom and up around the 'cage'. Within a few hours it
had grown almost to the top of that cage. There are several flowers on
it now ...<< MORE >>
"Our garden is really blooming. My mom
gave Ronnie an upside-down tomato plant for Christmas. He planted that
about 2 months ago. One day it all of a sudden exploded. The plant
grows out the bottom and up around the 'cage'. Within a few hours it
had grown almost to the top of that cage. There are several flowers on
it now ...<< MORE >>
Gardenerd on Good Food Blog
I've been a fan of Good Food, a weekend radio show on KCRW, for years. In fact, I'm a lazy podcaster - I only download two podcasts and one of them is Good Food. Imagine my delight when I was asked to write an article for the Good Food Blog! Here is the May 21, 2009 post:
FYI - the pictures included with the blog are from our asparagus patch in the Gardenerd Teaching Garden.
Enjoy!
...<< MORE >>
FYI - the pictures included with the blog are from our asparagus patch in the Gardenerd Teaching Garden.
Enjoy!
...<< MORE >>
Tomato Seedling Sale in El Camino
This just came to me via one of my clients. If you happen to still need tomato seedlings now is your chance to get them cheap in the Los Angeles area:
<< MORE >>
Hi All,
<< MORE >>
Houston, We Have Some Squash
I admit it, I went a little crazy. I was determined to have a successful squash crop in the wake of last year's squash catastrophe. So I planned for extra, you might say. This season, at Ocean View Farms, I planted Delicata and Butternut Squashes. While at the Gardenerd Teaching Garden, we planted zucchini, patty pan, yellow crookneck and pumpkin.
The First round of zucchini and patty pan squash were eaten by birds. So were the second round. So then we planted seeds indoors to make sure nothing went wrong. That did the trick. Meanwhile, the pumpkins and ...<< MORE >>
The First round of zucchini and patty pan squash were eaten by birds. So were the second round. So then we planted seeds indoors to make sure nothing went wrong. That did the trick. Meanwhile, the pumpkins and ...<< MORE >>
Mega Garlic
Garlic was one of the very first things I planted when I started gardening 16 years ago. There's something about the magic of putting a clove in the ground and getting a bulb back at the end of the season that made me want to try it immediately. That first year, my boyfriend and I planted garlic cloves in unamended clay soil (clearly we didn't know anything about compost at the time). We watered it every day and watched it grow. 7 months later, we harvested what has become the best garlic I've ever grown in my life. ...<< MORE >>
Rabbit Retribution
Gardens are springing up everywhere - providing snack bars for woodland creatures all over the globe. Here's a question that came in last week:
"Dear Gardenerd, I am starting a garden in my back yard. I would LOVE to
convert my useless front lawn into an edible estate but can't spend
thousand of dollars on a fence to keep out the wild rabbits. Do you
have a simpler suggestion to keep the rabbits at bay? Thanks, Caroline"
I can make a few suggestions, but honestly a fence is the best answer.
Rabbits burrow, so any fence you put in needs to go down at ...<< MORE >>
"Dear Gardenerd, I am starting a garden in my back yard. I would LOVE to
convert my useless front lawn into an edible estate but can't spend
thousand of dollars on a fence to keep out the wild rabbits. Do you
have a simpler suggestion to keep the rabbits at bay? Thanks, Caroline"
I can make a few suggestions, but honestly a fence is the best answer.
Rabbits burrow, so any fence you put in needs to go down at ...<< MORE >>
Zucchini Mishaps
An intriguing question came in last week:
"Dear Gardenerd, I just planted my garden and am looking forward to summer
harvests, but wanted your advice on my zucchini. Last year, in the
middle of summer, the leaves turned gray and the plants eventually
died. None of my other veggies were effected, but this also happened
the year before last as well. Is there anything I can do to avoid this
transpiring? thanks so much, Pascal"
Not that this is an answer to your question, but I have to commiserate and say that last year was a rotten year for squash in my ...<< MORE >>
"Dear Gardenerd, I just planted my garden and am looking forward to summer
harvests, but wanted your advice on my zucchini. Last year, in the
middle of summer, the leaves turned gray and the plants eventually
died. None of my other veggies were effected, but this also happened
the year before last as well. Is there anything I can do to avoid this
transpiring? thanks so much, Pascal"
Not that this is an answer to your question, but I have to commiserate and say that last year was a rotten year for squash in my ...<< MORE >>
Where the Recycling Goes
A while back, I met Kathleen Jacecko of Teaching Green, and have since been on her mailing list of newletters filled with ideas for sustainable living. Last month, she published an entry about a field trip she made to the Materials Recovery Facility - a.k.a. where the recycling goes. I have always been fascinated with recycling (my first environmental passion after gardening). I thought the ...<< MORE >>
Japanese / Vegetable Garden in Sierra Madre
This spring, Gardenerd has helped many new gardeners get on their way. Whether it be through classes, consulting or food garden design, it's been a delight to watch people get bitten by the gardening bug and begin growing their own food.
One such delight came last month, when we finished installing a new garden in Sierra Madre. At first it was going to be a simple, straight forward garden with a few raised beds to maximize growing space. But as the process went on, the home owners realized that they really wanted to incorporate their dream garden - a ...<< MORE >>
One such delight came last month, when we finished installing a new garden in Sierra Madre. At first it was going to be a simple, straight forward garden with a few raised beds to maximize growing space. But as the process went on, the home owners realized that they really wanted to incorporate their dream garden - a ...<< MORE >>
