We all do it. We plant fruit trees and don’t manage to pick all the fruits as they ripen. We buy produce at the farmer’s market or the supermarket and let some of it go bad — not intentionally — but because we don’t get around to eating as fast as we expected. Or we were r

About Beans… Dried beans are the workhorses of our pantries.  They are high in protein, low in fat, low in cholesterol, and high in complex carbohydrates (the “good” carbs), too. With so many people making the shift to plant-based diets, beans are taking on a bigg

Add a touch of the exotic in your garden with colorful and surprisingly versatile bromeliads.  Dozens, if not hundreds of kinds of bromeliads are offered in nurseries and at society sales. They range from the tiniest, clumping Tillandsia, the so-called “air plants” whose icy green, te

Holiday Gifts for Your Entire List! ‘Tis the season of gifting! Have you found holiday gifts for your garden loving friends and family? Here are some ideas for the gardeners (and garden lovers) on your list! Galvanized Flower Caddy As much as I enjoy the holidays, I can’t

Care for Your Garden and Yourself in the Heat It’s hot. Back dripping, forehead wiping, ear perspiringly HOT. This morning’s weather report said temperatures are ten degrees above normal this week, and unusually humid too. So how can you help your garden handle the heat? First, take c

California has more rare, threatened, and endangered plants than any other state. Plant populations disappear as homes, shopping centers, schools, and other developments replace habitats. Native plants are also lost to too-frequent wildfires, to climate change, and to human overuse an

The only thing better than farm-to-fork is garden-to-fork. Little compares to picking your own sweet ripe tomato and pinching off basil leaves for a homemade lunchtime caprese salad. Or, harvesting squash, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and onions to make a delicious caponata This year,

Oh to be an artist and fill my garden with art! Alas, that is not my calling. Still, I can make my garden into art and you can, too, by following my simple strategies for adding pottery as art to your garden. While the many beautiful pots on the market may tempt you, do your best avoi

There aren’t many waterwise summer blooming bulbs for Southern California’s hot and dry climate.  Most waterwise bulbs bloom in spring here, then go dormant.  But there are a few that bloom in summer with a very little irrigation, and an extraordinary few that bloom with no irri

Backyard fruit is the talk of the town right now – or maybe talk of the garden. Gardeners are worried about trees that have yet to leaf out or bloom, about grapes that don’t seem to be developing, about leaves that look misshapen, and more. Most of these concerns are a lot to do about