Gardening 101
What to do Before Frost in Southern California
Friends, I first must apologize for not getting this posted earlier. We officially had our first freeze this past week, so this is a somewhat reactive blog entry. To be honest, I’ve been preoccupied with other things, so I didn’t even know a frost was coming----and...
How to Reuse or Amend Old Potting Soil
Recently, I revitalized the pots from last year’s spring bulb display. As I was completing this task, it occurred to me that there might be some of you who wondered if it is okay to reuse potting soil? As it happens, the answer is emphatically ‘yes!’ and today I’ll...
Cottage Garden Trellises & Sweet Peas in Containers
Currently there is a huge task that I’ve been avoiding. Remember my Fall seed starting video where I started eight varieties of sweet pea flowers? Well, those poor plants have been stuck in their seed cells this entire time…and it’s not good. Each morning, I pass by...
Build a Custom Rose Wall Trellis
Do you know those weeks where it feels like there is too much to do so you feel frozen? Well, over-planning and analysis paralysis are how I typically react to busy times. Thankfully, I’ve found that focusing on one, doable task helps me feel a little better. For...
Raspberry Primocanes and Floricanes
You know that feeling of seeing some natural phenomenon you’ve only read about actually happening in front of your eyes? It’s pretty cool, right? Today’s post is a personal anecdote that demonstrates this very feeling, and it’s about growing raspberries in our...
A Backyard Gardener’s Approach to Powdery Mildew
Welcome my friends! If you are battling powdery mildew, you aren’t alone. In fact, this year more than most, I’ve had people approach me about what to do with all the powdery mildew in their gardens! The absolute truth is that powdery mildew is nothing to fear. In...
Dahlia Growing Tips for Hot Climates
The best gardening tips I ever learned came from failure---ideally, failure followed by success. Growing dahlias in Southern California comes with its own set of challenges, but it hasn’t stopped me from truly enjoying these flowers and being fascinated by their...
My Favorite Crops for Fall Seed Starting in SoCal
It’s quite hard to believe we are discussing plans for the Fall and Winter garden while it is scorching hot outside, yes? I’m not going to sugar coat this, Fall seed starting starts in August for me. Truthfully, many people talk about how it is too hot to start seeds...
Meet Randi
