Garden on the Go....

 

Just have to love this concept!

 

 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/GrowFoodNotLawns/

What Hangs Up Must Grow Down

Vertical gardening is one of many creative alternatives to large horizontal garden spaces. Check out this innovative way to grow lettuce.  You first need to start some seeds into seedlings, and then plug seedlings into bags filled with choice, organic soil.  And, voila!  With a little sunshine, water, and loooove......anything is possible :)



Source: https://www.facebook.com/GrowFoodNotLawns/

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato!




Dreidel-shaped Bell Peppers from Mariette's Garden

 

How The Neighborhood Grows

I love taking Sunday walks in my neighborhood.....I feel connected, not just with my neighbors, but also with nature. Here is someone who made great use of their small outdoor space, something everyone can aspire to.  I always say, you don't need an entire backyard to plant. Just a few planters, good soil, imagination, and a little patience of course, to watch how your seeds might grow.

Word-Wise Wednesday

Sometimes I think to myself: Why do we do all of this?  Why go through all the trouble of turning soil, planting seeds, watering, and then watching.....patiently?

But then, I am reminded of this kind of wisdom:

 

And, it all makes sense....

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato!

"Yellow Shitaake"  at the Silverlake Farmer's Market

 

Food-Scaping Your Front Yard

Lately, I'm finding myself so interested in this concept, that I often talk about and explore it with my own neighbors: Growing edible plants in your front yard. The traditional way has always been in the backyard. Planning out space, turning the soil, building raised beds, these are conducive to the usually larger spaces in the back. In Los Angeles, I'm used to seeing fruit trees growing in the front yard, but can you imagine lettuce and kale? But, the more I think about it, only the sky (and the ground), is the limit, when it comes to planting seeds, and watching them grow. So why not start turning the soil, sow a few seeds, and encourage your neighbors to do the same. It's just one of the great ways to build community!

 Below is an example of a front-yard edible garden in Los Angeles. You can see kale, as well as lettuce stretching out their beautiful leaves.  What a real treat!



Source www.facebook.com/veggiegardening

Anomaly of the Week!

I just love fruit and vegetable anomalies!

 I think they are worthy of our attention. Some people may think anomalies are just freaks of nature. Well, they are.  But they are also the very living, breathing fruits and vegetables that grew wild and undisturbed. They never succumbed to human regulations and modifications imposed on our wild food source. Anomalies may look funny, but are just as beautiful and fascinating (and in most cases delicious!), as any perfectly round tomato! 

 

 

Source: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2011/06/weird-fruits.html

 

Five Inches Later

Okay. This is Los Angeles. We are sensitive to the smallest changes of weather. Five inches of rain within a 48- hour period is enough to make us want to stay home! They say our city 'shuts down' with rains like this.  I say, there's too much raw beauty in rainfall to stay indoors.  But, then again, I am a poetic and romantic that way!  

But most of all, rain is awesome, because it makes THIS happen:

 

 

 

And THIS:

Rain....At Last

In Los Angeles, we joke about having four seasons: Fire, Rain, Earthquake, and Flood. Of those, rain has been the most scarce this year, after experiencing one of our worst droughts in about 100 years.
The 5 inch torrential rainfall over the past two and half days was both a blessing and a curse. Curse because for those living in the hills, landslides are an actual danger. And, for those who just can't deftly maneuver their car at the onset of precipitation, rain can be downright terrifying. Still, I like to say we are spoiled here in Southern California, and complain way too much, as compared to parts of the nation dealing with massive snowstorms and such. We have it pretty good here. We just really missed having some wet grounds that promote vitality and growth to all things green.

My favorite part of the rainy season?  Better vegetation and food growth, of course :)
And, for the first time, I also collected rainwater, albeit, in an open container. It is my little contribution to the environment, to save and reuse for next time.

Lettuce, arugula, cilantro, basil, parsley

Time to unplug the automatic lawn sprinkler

Giving my indoor plant a little bit of rain exposure

"Tree trauma" in our neighborhood.