ellenkare51

Beauty and Pollinators in the Garden

Flowers add so much to a vegetable garden. Besides, beauty, they attract pollinators and other helpful insects. Diversity triumphs once again.

First Harvest and Chive Blossom Vinegar

It’s been a slow, cold Spring but most of the beds in the garden have the beginnings of this season’s crops. This morning I harvested my first lettuces, radishes, fresh dill, mint and lovage. Chives are blossoming all over the garden and now is the time to make chive blossom vinegar. Harvest the blossom heads,Continue reading “First Harvest and Chive Blossom Vinegar”

Cosmos: A Flower for All Bees

For years we’ve enjoyed Erika Hunter’s beautiful Cosmos in her bed at the top of the garden. I have seen so many people posing for photos in front of them. Now I discover how important that planting is for all the bees, both honey bees and native bees. Take a look at this article fromContinue reading “Cosmos: A Flower for All Bees”

Wait a minute–I thought it was December?

Here’s a picture I took of one of the raised beds. When do you think this was taken–April, May, June? No it was taken yesterday, December 18th. These vegetables were planted in late Fall and continue to grow, albeit, slowly. Maybe they will still be there, getting a head start this Spring. I pulled upContinue reading “Wait a minute–I thought it was December?”

The Garden at Rest….Almost

WHF CG-2 This aerial photo of the Wagon Hill Community Garden shows how neat and well managed the garden is. Even the Heritage Plots, always a bit disheveled, look organized at this distance. Up close the garden has a strangely tropical look with the kale plants pretending to be palm trees. There is still foodContinue reading “The Garden at Rest….Almost”

Cover Crops

I’ve had question from a gardener about the use of cover crops instead of leaves or hay. Yes , you can plant cover crops. They are an excellent way to replenish the nutrients in the soil. Here is a link to an article about the types of seeds and the way to plant. http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/cover-crop-basics I amContinue reading “Cover Crops”

Garden Lethargy

It’s a curious thing that just when your garden is producing and doing what you have waited for all season, that a kind of garden lethargy sets in. I don’t know exactly what it is. The Heat? Anticipation is greater than the Reward? The plants look ratty? School is about to start? Just plain tired?Continue reading “Garden Lethargy”

Colorado Potato Beetles-Not just for potatoes!

Colorado Potato Beetles are back in the garden. Here they are in all their stages. The best way to manage these is to put on a pair of gloves, pick them off your plants and squish them. Sorry, but these guys are resistant to just about every other method, including natural predators. They over winterContinue reading “Colorado Potato Beetles-Not just for potatoes!”

More About Planting Tomatoes and Other Heat Loving Vegetables

Yesterday I posted a warning about planting tomatoes and other heat loving vegetables too early and suggested that planting after Memorial Day would be safe Then I looked at the calendar and realized that Memorial Day is about a week early this year. Better to give you specific guidelines about the necessary conditions for success.Continue reading “More About Planting Tomatoes and Other Heat Loving Vegetables”

Flower Density Improves Tomato Yield

Dear Gardeners, Last season we encouraged gardeners to plant flowers, for pollination and beauty’s sake. Now, a study done in San Francisco’s community gardens and urban setting has shown that flower density has a significant impact on tomato yield. I’m sure we can extrapolate to other vegetables. Even more surprising, neither the size of theContinue reading “Flower Density Improves Tomato Yield”