An Alameda Garden

The Guerrilla Gardener's Guide to the Recession (A Kindle Short Story)

2013-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Garden Gates, California."

Sometimes even the most dedicated garden writer has to dabble in something other than the usual "how to" kind of writing. I've always enjoyed writing fiction and recently my fiction-writing and garden interests collided in a short story that I had a lot of fun working on. Rather than shopping it around to magazines, I decided to just put it up on Amazon.com as a Kindle ebook.

The story is called "The Guerrilla Gardener's Guide to the Recession" and before I tell you what the story is about, let me tell you what it isn't:

It isn't a novel; it's a short story, so don't expect a long read.
It isn't a guide to gardening in any way, shape or form. Seriously.
It isn't one of those sweet, cozy garden stories. This is gardening with a bit of an edge.

And here's the description I posted on Amazon:

"Welcome to Garden Gates, California, a new development in the Central Valley where dreams turned to dust when the housing bubble burst. As one home after another falls to foreclosure, it's up to the Garden Gates Garden Club to keep the struggling town blooming. But when seed-bombing and weed-whacking are no longer enough, the guerrilla gardeners are forced to extend their gardening skills in order to keep their little community intact."

If it sounds like the kind of thing you'd like to read, you're in luck--it's free today! Hope you enjoy it!

Gardening for Geeks (Book Review)

2013-05-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

I know that for some people gardening is little more than digging holes and sticking plants in them--and it is surprising how much success you can have doing just that. But to my way of thinking, it's hard to separate gardening from the more complex (and, I think, more interesting) issues that surround and bubble through the garden--issues like pollinators, soil health, pest control, disease prevention, microclimates, and on, and on, and on. I think gardening becomes more fascinating and more successful when you start to embrace those other topics--and that, according to Christy Wilhelmi's way of looking at things, is when you officially become a "garden geek."

Wilhelmi is the founder of Gardenerd.com, where she dispenses all kinds of wisdom on organic gardening in the form of blog posts, podcasts, and monthly newsletters. Now she has put it all together in a new book, Gardening for Geeks, an extremely useful and readable guide to some of the issues you might be ignoring that can really affect the health, beauty and productivity of your garden.

Gardening for Geeks helps you to see your garden more as an ecosystem and work to keep it in balance. It is basic enough to be understandable to newbie gardeners (in fact, I would highly recommend it to new gardeners) but seasoned gardeners will also find new (or old) techniques to try. There is a substantial emphasis on edible gardening but much of the information will apply to ornamental gardening as well.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is the title. Depending on how you interpret the word "geek," it can be a little misleading. I confess I was expecting a much more tech sort of book with a lot of information on gardening apps and gadgets, but people looking for that will be disappointed and people who might be scared off by the tech-y sounding title will be missing out on a really good gardening guide. Fear not. This is a book that any gardener can grasp and utilize. Check it out.

Butterflies & Blooms at the SF Conservatory of Flowers

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

A new exhibit opens today at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers celebrating one of the most fascinating of all the insects--butterflies.

From now until October 20, you'll be able to wander amongst more than 20 species of North American butterflies as they flit from flower to flower, sipping nectar and doing their all-important pollination work. Among the species represented are monarchs, Western swallowtails, and red admirals as well as a number of giant moths.

In addition, visitors will be able to observe the butterflies' chrysalises in the Butterfly Bungalow and perhaps even be present to witness a butterfly's emergence into the world.

I'm looking forward to seeing this exhibit and you can see it too, Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 to 4. Check the Conservatory's website for admission prices and directions.
Photo Credits: Ron Lewis

Dahlias: You Can Grow That!

2013-05-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

I may be wrong, but I honestly think the hardest part of growing dahlias is picking which stunning varieties you want to grow out of the hundreds available. Every year I've gone to the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show and looked at the vendor booths selling dahlias, intending to buy but ultimately being overwhelmed by the incredible selection. Every year I left without making a purchase. This year, however, was different. I stopped by the booth for Elkhorn Garden and while I stood there dazed before the photos of all the gorgeous blooms, the exhibitor started chatting with me and before I knew it he had walked me through some options and helped me pick out four varieties.

I'll be planting my dahlias this week and here's how it will go. I'm planting them in a bed in my front yard where they'll get full sun. Before planting, I'm going to add some compost and work it into the soil. The tubers don't need to be planted very deep--only about three inches below the soil line--but it's important that the "eyes" of the tuber (where the sprouts will grow from) are facing up. Not every tuber has eyes, or eyes that are easy to spot, anyway. A couple of my tubers have already started to sprout but on the other two, I can't see any eyes. I'm planting them anyway and I'll wait to see if anything sprouts. I'll add a small stake next to each tuber with a label with the cultivar name. Dahlias don't need frequent watering until they start to bloom; then Elkhorn recommends soaking them about every 10 days. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which will encourage too much green growth. The dahlias should bloom throughout the summer and into fall, until there is a frost.

One of the great things about gardening in a mild climate with sandy soil is that you don't have to go through the tedious process of digging up dahlia tubers each autumn, storing them through the winter, and replanting them in the spring. Because we don't have hard freezes here in the Bay Area, and because the soil drains quickly enough that the tubers aren't likely to rot, I can leave these dahlias in the ground. In a few years I'll need to dig them up and divide them. But until then, they can stay put and it will be one less thing to worry about getting in the ground in the spring. And the guy from Elkhorn Garden gave me a great tip: At the end of the season when I cut the spent bush down to the ground, he recommended leaving a stub of a stem a couple inches above the soil line, then covering it with an overturned pot or saucer. That will prevent rainwater from accumulating in the hollow stem and rotting the tuber, and will also serve as a plant marker so I know to plant around where the dahlia will come back the following spring.

The Bay Area's Largest Plant Sale

2013-05-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: James Gaither

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is holding its huge annual plant sale tomorrow and it seems like they will have something for everyone, or at least something for everyone's garden. Over 20,000 plants will be for sale representing over 2500 varieties, including some hard-to-find special treats. Here are some of the highlights you can expect to find:

Several kinds of South African restios, including the very hard to germinate Cannomois virgata, a lovely, tall, reed-like plant.
A gorgeous selection of tropical vireya rhododendrons. SFBG is one of only a few nurseries that grow them.
Many rare hellebores, including Helleborus foetidus, a hard to find winter blooming evergreen.
250 kinds of native plants, including Matilija poppies, native irises, up to 20 kinds of Ceanothus (wild lilac), and more.
Unusual perennial vegetable starts from the Andes, including oca and yacón.
Lots of stunning, flowering shrubs, including species of Leucadendron, whose cut flowers can cost anywhere from $7-10 each.

The sale takes place tomorrow, Saturday, May 4 from 10am-2pm at the SF County Fair Building at San Francisco Botanical Garden, located in Golden Gate Park at 9th Ave at Lincoln Way. For more information, visit www.sfbotanicalgarden.org or call (415) 661-1316.

Growing Bigger in a Small Garden

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have a guest post up today on the blog for the seed company, American Meadows. Check it out to see how I'm planning on squeezing more fruits and vegetables out of my small gardening space.

Happy Earth Day to You!

2013-04-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

Photo credit: Stock.xchng

Some 43 years after the very first Earth Day, the message should by now be quite plain: Tread lightly. This is the only planet we have.

All the Dirt on Greensand

2013-04-14T09:12:00.001-07:00

I have an article up on SFGate.com today discussing greensand as a soil amendment. Greensand improves the structure of your soil and delivers a longer-lasting benefit than most fertilizers. If you think your soil could use a boost, check it out.

How to Handle Daffodil Bud Blast

2013-04-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

First, you cry.

You've waited through months of cold and rain with one thought in your mind: there will be daffodils. Eventually. There will be daffodils. And then, finally, there are daffodils. A few. But what there are a whole lot of are leaves and stems topped by brown, papery, dead-looking buds that never open.

You've just been bud-blasted.

It happened to me this year. And I was so ashamed! I thought I must have done something wrong. Most of my daffs have been in the ground for several years and aside from dutifully letting the leaves die down after blooming before I clear them away, I haven't done anything with them. I've added some compost now and then, but no special soil amendments. So I figured my neglect was probably the cause of these dead-on-arrival buds.

But after a bit of research, I've found that there could be some other reasons why my daffs suffered this fate. According to the American Daffodil Society, while lack of feeding may be to blame, other possibilities are not enough sun (they need at least a half-day of sun to set a bloom), unusual weather (heat waves or excessive rain) the previous spring when the bulb would have been forming the next flower, or a need to divide the bulbs if they've been in the same place for more than a few years. There are other possible causes having to do with planting or even viruses, but they don't seem to apply to my particular bulb problem.

So here's my plan for beating bulb blast next year:

I'm applying a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizer now, while the bulb is getting ready to produce the bloom for next year. (The ADS recommends a 5-10-10 fertilizer.)
I'm leaving the leaves and stems in place until they die back naturally. I usually tie them into bundles with string or rafia to keep them tidier and to keep me from yanking them out when I'm weeding.
After the greens have died back completely I'm going to dig up ALL the bulbs and check them for signs of disease or decomp. Any mushy bulbs will get tossed. I'll divide the bulbs as needed and store them until the fall somewhere cool and dry. (I keep those plastic mesh bags that onions and other vegetables are sometimes sold in in the stores for just this purpose. They keep the bulbs together but still allow air circulation around them.)
In the fall, I'll replant the bulbs in a different part of my garden where they're going to get better sun exposure. The bed that I had them in is now more shaded by a growing tree than it used to be. I'll feed them again at the time of planting.

With any luck, next year I'll be rewarded with the full range of daffodil blooms I've enjoyed in the past.

The Ongoing Saga of the Tiny Door in the Elm Tree in Golden Gate Park

2013-04-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

I posted last week about the news reports of a tiny door that a mysterious stranger (elves are assumed but I'm not sure fairies and gnomes can be ruled out) had added to one of the elm trees in Golden Gate Park. But it appears the story is still unfolding. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, workers of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department saw the door and felt that it violated park policy that prohibits bolting anything to trees, so they removed the door. There was a public outcry. (Of course there was--this is San Francisco!) Workers then re-attached the door to the tree, but Rec and Parks says that this is only temporary and the door will eventually be removed permanently. Apparently, Rec and Parks is waiting for the elves to relocate to someplace that does not violate their policies. Stay tuned for inevitable further developments. As these are San Francisco elves, I do not expect them to go quietly.

Ed Rosenthal's Protect Your Garden: Eco-friendly Solutions for Healthy Plants (Book Review)

2013-04-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

It's nice when things you can really use just show up in your mailbox. That was how I felt when I opened up the review copy of the new book Protect Your Garden by Ed Rosenthal, perhaps the best guide I've come across to identifying and dealing with pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental stresses--in other words, all the nasty things that can happen in your garden.

You may know Rosenthal as the leading expert on the cultivation of marijuana. (Don't worry--I won't judge you.) Having written more than a dozen books on one of the greatest cash crops ever grown, Rosenthal is perhaps used to thinking of garden protection in more interesting terms, but in this book he chose to focus on protection from the kinds of everyday threats that any gardener can come up against: bugs, vermin, viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Protect Your Garden is loaded with full-color photos so it functions first of all as a terrific aid in identifying the problems you may discover. You'll find information on how common the pest or disease is, what kinds of plants it attacks, what kind of damage it does, and how to control or prevent it.

Following the sections on pests and diseases (which comprise about half the book), there are sections on nutrients and environmental stresses so you can diagnose and treat nutritional deficiencies or problems like salt injury, frost damage, or overwatering.

The last section outlines a wide range of eco-friendly and biological controls, filling in more details about how the controls work, how they should be used, and who makes them commercially available.

Protect Your Garden is the kind of book you never want to need, but you will. Seriously, you will. There are only a few books that I would say this about: It should be on every gardener's shelf.

Berry-Greens Smoothie Recipe

2013-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I'm looking forward to making with the raspberries I'll be harvesting from the 'Raspberry Shortcake' plant I wrote about yesterday is smoothies. I love how easy smoothies are to make and what a good pick-me-up they are either first thing in the morning or for a late afternoon burst of energy. There are a lot of recipes out there now for green smoothies, which use spinach, kale or any other kind of leafy green to add more iron and other nutrients. Here's a concoction I've been playing around with that has a nice, bright flavor without a lot of ingredients.

Berry-Greens Smoothie

1 cup greens (spinach, kale, or other greens)
1 cup of frozen berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries , or a mix)
1/2 cup green tea, brewed and cooled to room temperature or colder
2 ice cubes
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
2 heaping tablespoons of nonfat greek yogurt

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree completely. Serve immediately. (1 serving)

Raspberries in Containers: You Can Grow That!

2013-04-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: BrazelBerries

When gardeners think of growing berries in containers, they usually think first of strawberries growing in classic strawberry pots. I'm growing my strawberries that way this year, having lost my usual strawberry bed to the encroaching shade of a growing tree. But I want more berries! There have been some good blueberry varieties introduced in recent years that are bred for container gardening, such as 'Top Hat', 'Sunshine Blue', 'Patriot', 'Peach Sorbet', 'Jelly Bean', and 'Northsky'. But I was really excited to see BrazelBerries come out with a dwarf, thornless raspberry called 'Raspberry Shortcake', perfect for container growing.

You can, of course, grow other varieties of raspberries in containers but they require some kind of support structure for the canes. And unless you plant a thornless variety, you have to place the container somewhere out of the way so that you won't constantly be pricked by thorns as you walk by. 'Raspberry Shortcake' requires no trellising or other support and because it's thornless, it would work nicely on a sunny deck or patio, even in a high-traffic area.

'Raspberry Shortcake' is intended for zones 5-9, although I'll be growing it in my zone 10a garden and I expect it will do fine. It grows to a 2- to 3-foot mounded shrub and fruits on second-year canes in mid-summer. It needs full sun, well-draining soil, and moderate water. If you plant it now (early spring), give it a couple weeks to settle in and then fertilize with a balanced fertilizer. When it fruits you may want to cover with a net or remay cloth to keep the birds from robbing you of your harvest. After the fruiting period is over, prune out the canes that had fruit, so the only canes left will fruit next year. More canes will appear next spring that will fruit the following year. It's self-pollinating, but it's true of most self-pollinating fruits that you tend to get a heavier yield if you have more than one plant.

'Raspberry Shortcake' may not be easy to find yet in your local nursery, but if you can't find it there you can order it directly from White Flower Farm. I was really happy to find one at the booth for Wegman's Nursery at the SF Flower & Garden Show last month. I still need to pot it up in and I better do it this weekend because it's already leafing out quite a bit. I can't wait to taste the first berries this summer!

You can also check out last month's You Can Grow That! post about Swiss chard.

8 Things to Consider When Choosing a Site for Your Greenhouse

2013-04-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

I did a guest blog post at the website for Advance Greenhouses today. Check it out to determine what essential elements you need to consider when deciding where to put a greenhouse in your garden. Then nose around their website and dream about the really cool greenhouse you could find the perfect spot for in your yard. This is called "window shopping for gardeners."

The Tiny Door in the Elm Tree at Golden Gate Park

2013-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

I had to share this news report of a tiny door that has mysteriously appeared at the base of a tree in Golden Gate Park. I love how beautifully made the door is (whichever gnomes or fairies created it really know their craft!) but I also love how people seem to be reacting to the door. Watch:

Update: Click here for further developments regarding the tiny door.

6 Ways to Keep Gardening on a Rainy Day

2013-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

We've been having off and on showers here today, making the garden off-limits for any of the weeding and planting I'd like to be doing. Spring is such a busy time for gardeners, it's hard to let any day slip by without accomplishing something garden-related. So I came up with a list of a few useful tasks that can be done indoors that will save you lots of time and possibly money when you get back out in the garden. See how many of these you can accomplish during the coming April showers:

Start some seeds. Load up a plastic box or old dishpan with fresh potting soil, lay down some newspaper on your kitchen table and get sowing. This works particularly well when you're sowing seeds in small batches, which for most home gardeners is the best way to do it.
Wash your garden gloves. Yuck! Those things are disgusting! Not only do they look awful, but they're almost certainly crawling with bacteria and fungi from dirt and sweat that can cause skin rashes. For pity's sake, take the opportunity of this rainy day to toss them in the washer and hang them up to dry. If they're cotton gloves, you can add bleach to help disinfect them; if they have synthetic materials, try adding a little vinegar to the rinse water.
Research a garden problem. Have you spotted a pest or disease problem you can't identify? Or do you have a problem spot in your garden that's maybe so shady or has such poor drainage that you can't get anything to grow there? A rainy day is the perfect time to take to the Internet or your stack of gardening magazines and try to track down a solution. The answer is out there--you just have to dig it out.
Clean and sharpen your tools. Again, spread some newspapers on your kitchen table and haul in your pruners, loppers, hedge clippers, trowels, shovels and spades (wipe them off with a dry rag first). Start by washing them with a wet, soapy rag or a Lysol cleaning cloth and drying them. Then take a sharpening stone and sharpen those cutting edges. Finally, wipe the metal parts using a cloth and some mineral oil.
Write out some plant labels. How many of us actually take the time when we're planting to write out plant labels? I certainly don't. What I usually do is take whatever label came with the plant and throw it in a box in the laundry room, with the full intention of writing out my own label later. Now is the time! Stock up on one style of plant labels (check your local garden center or an online store like Gardener's Supply) and grab a permanent, waterproof marker and get busy. With the labels all written out, you can run around your garden after the rain stops and stick your neatly printed labels where they belong.
Shop for more plants. A little rain should never stop a gardener from buying plants. If you don't feel like trudging around a drippy nursery, go online and shop in the comfort of your very dry desk chair. Try an online nursery you haven't ordered from before or for some varieties you're not likely to find anywhere else, check out one of my favorite mail-order nurseries, Annie's Annuals.

Just in Time for Easter: A Super-Easy Strawberry Dessert Recipe

2013-03-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

I spent some time this week transplanting my everbearing strawberry plants. For the past three years I've had them in a bed surrounding what was a very young, small flowering cherry tree. Well, that tree is now a good 10 feet tall and it casts more shade on the bed than strawberry plants can take and keep producing. The bed has also become a favorite place for my dog to take a nap and I think that accounts for a number of the plants dying. So I dug up all the remaining plants, put most in a tall strawberry pot and the rest in a hanging basket. With any luck they'll start fruiting by May.

All these strawberry thoughts brought to mind a strawberry dessert I tasted a couple years ago when I was out wine-tasting in the Livermore Valley. The Amphora Nueva company had samples of their olive oils and vinegars to taste and they also had a simple dessert made with fresh strawberries, angel food cake, slivered almonds, and maple balsamic vinegar. It was delicious. The following recipe has only a couple changes, such as using pomegranate balsamic vinegar (which is easier to find) instead of maple, and adding a topping. The measurements are very approximate because this is something you can really just throw together to taste. It's soooooo easy and very yummy. Enjoy!

Strawberry-Angel Food Dessert

2 lbs. fresh strawberries, sliced
3 or 4 slices angel food cake, torn in bite-sized pieces
Pomegranate balsamic vinegar, approx. 1/4 cup
slivered almonds, approx. 1/2 cup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Put the sliced strawberries in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1 or 2 tbsps. of the vinegar. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Add the angel food cake bits and almonds and toss to combine. Sprinkle a little more vinegar over the mixture, but not so much that the cake pieces get soggy. Spoon into large wine glasses. Mix the sour cream and brown sugar and top each glass of the strawberry mixture with a dollop of the sweetened sour cream. Serves 5.

All the Garden's a Stage: Choosing the Best Performing Plants for a Sustainable Garden (Book Review)

2013-03-27T19:24:00.002-07:00

By Jane C. Gates

(Schiffer Publishing, 2012, $29.99)

It was a sad moment the day I realized that I didn't have the "eye" to be a great, or even good, garden designer. Although I'm comfortable designing interiors (to suit my tastes, at least), I think garden design is much more challenging than interior design. After all, when you pick out living room furniture, you don't have to worry that the sofa will grow so big that it shades out the coffee table until it withers and dies.

So I long ago set aside any dreams I had about designing gardens. But now Jane C. Gates' new book, All the Garden's a Stage, has come along and rekindled the thought that maybe I can put together a pleasingly designed garden after all--or at least one that pleases me. Using the analogy of staging a theater performance, Gates breaks down all the elements involved in garden design. She begins by covering basic plant needs, so that even beginning gardeners will be comfortable moving on through the rest of the production. In the chapter titled "Bringing the Characters Together," she introduces the concept of plant communities--grouping plants that are well-suited for each other and have similar needs. In "The Show Must Go On" she covers maintenance issues like watering, lighting, and sustainable gardening methods. "Putting Together the Show" really brings design issues into focus and offers simple design tips that even a non-designer like me can grasp. Gates then wraps it all up by introducing the "cast"--profiles of desirable plants grouped by settings such as "Mountaineers," "Tropical Beauties," "Beach Babes" and more.

Compared to so many garden books that present their topics in more or less the same fashion, All the Garden's a Stage is a fresh, new take on planning a garden. It's basic enough for a beginning gardener, but can also guide a gardener who's experienced with growing plants but needs help in putting together a cohesive garden plan. The tone of the book is light-hearted, right down to the charming illustrations by the author, but the information is solid and usable. I'll be referring to this book again and again as I continue to try get my garden show in shape.

Follow, Follow, Follow

2013-03-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that if you're finding information here at An Alameda Garden that you find useful, there's an easy way to have that aforesaid useful information delivered right to your email inbox: Subscribe! Click here to go to the Feedburner page to subscribe.

And while you're in the following mood, you might also consider following me on Pinterest, Twitter, or the Facebook page for my book, California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. It's quick. It's easy. It's free. Why not?

Scenes from the 2013 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

2013-03-25T00:39:00.002-07:00

In case you weren't able to get to the show this year, here are a few shots of the display gardens from the 2013 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. I have to say I thought the gardens were pretty disappointing--probably the least inspired or inspiring display gardens I've seen at the show in all the years I've been going. The ones that looked nice--the kind of gardens that people might actually want to live with--seemed like the kind of thing we've already seen over and over again. And then there were the gardens that were more performance art than garden. And the Weeds garden? I don't even know what to say about that. An interesting concept perhaps, but not very well executed. Oh well, here are a few shots--judge for yourself:

Save Your Seedlings! 7 Ways to Prevent Damping Off

2013-03-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

We've all had it happen: You sow a tray of seeds, use a good potting mix, keep it watered and warm, and then rejoice to see the little seedlings emerge from the soil. They grow up and up, stretching for the sun, and then--disaster! You awake one morning to find them stricken, stems discolored, leaves wilted, perhaps an entire crop of seedlings collapsed on top of the soil. You've just encountered the dreaded "damping off" disease.

In fact, damping off is not one disease but a general term applied to the affliction of any of a number of fungal diseases, including Botrytis, Fusarium, and Phytophthora, that affect seeds and seedlings. For a look at how damping off affects seedlings--in nature as well as in greenhouse settings--check out this video:

There's no cure for damping off, so prevention is best course of action. If you want to give your seedlings the best possible odds of avoiding damping off and surviving those tender early days, here are 7 tips to follow:

Start with as sterile an environment as possible. That means using a sterile potting mix; cleaning pots or seed trays with a diluted bleach solution; treating tools like trowels, soil blockers, hand seeders, and labeling stakes with disinfectants; and using seeds that have been properly stored in a cool, dry, air-tight container.
Improve the drainage of the potting mix by adding perlite, vermiculite, or clean horticultural sand.
Avoid overwatering and if possible, avoid watering from above. A better approach is to set the pots or trays in a tray of water long enough to moisten the soil completely. Then empty the bottom tray of excess water.
Do not add fertilizers to the potting mix when you sow the seeds. Excess nitrogen can encourage growth of fungal diseases and besides, seeds can't utilize it. Seedlings will not really benefit from fertilization until after the first set of true leaves has emerged.
Good air circulation is necessary so putting a fan on a low setting over the seed trays can be helpful. A light breeze on young seedlings can also strengthen the stems.
Proper light from above and heat from a heating mat below will also keep moisture under control and encourage healthier seedling growth.
Avoid touching seedlings unnecessarily, especially when wet, as that can spread fungal spores, if they are present. But once you seen signs of damping off, dispose of any affected plant material as well as the soil right away before it spreads further.

With these precautions your young seedlings should have an excellent chance of growing up strong and healthy.

Fairy Gardens: A Guide to Growing an Enchanted Miniature World (Book Review)

2013-03-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

By Betty Earl

(B. B. Mackey Books, 2012, $21.95)

What is it about miniatures that so capture our interest and imaginations? Seeing tiny settings and landscapes seems to instantly unlock a door to the childmind within all of us, creating a pathway to the kinds of play and whimsy that are so often lacking in adult life. I have long had a fascination with elaborate dollhouses and in the past year or so I’ve noticed the emergence of a gardening trend that stirs my heart as a gardener and awakens a memory from my past—fairy gardens.

Betty Earl, author of Fairy Gardens: A Guide to Growing an Enchanted Miniature World has written a charming and detailed guide to the world of fairy gardens. The book manages to provide helpful how-to information about creating these gardens without crushing the magic behind them.

Starting with a discussion of the lore and mythology, Earl provides a glimpse of the fairy world, taking no firm stand on the contradictory views of fairies as benevolent vs. mischievous or even malicious, and then goes on to provide tips for attracting fairies to your garden. From there, she moves on to the details of assembling your fairy garden--choosing a location, selecting a fairy house, gathering accessories, and choosing the best plant material. Options are detailed and the book is heavily illustrated with full-color photos that will inspire and delight.

Earl offers tips for creating fairy gardens with children, but she makes it clear that the gardens are for people of all ages to build, plant and enjoy. She also makes it clear that it’s no matter whether you truly believe in fairies or not. Fairy gardens are meant to be taken at face value and appreciated for their charm and style if not their fairy habitability.

I've loved fairy gardens since I was ten years old, when my family moved to an old house with such a garden in the back yard. In the shade of a tall redwood tree the former owner had built a moss-covered hill about 4 feet high with a fairy castle at the top and a stream that ran down the hill to a fishpond moat below. Sprinklers piped throughout the hill created a light mist around it all, keeping the hill mossy and adding to the ambiance. I'm sure the fairies loved it, and I love remembering it. Betty Earl's book brought it all back to life for me and left me itching to create something similar (although perhaps not as grand) in my own garden. That is the best recommendation I can give.

Let's Talk Tomatoes at Evergreen Nursery!

2013-03-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to dig in and get your spring vegetable garden going? Before you do, come join me at Evergreen Nursery in San Leandro this Saturday, March 9th, at 1:00 p.m. I'll be focusing on organic growing tips for everyone's favorite edible to grow--tomatoes!--but there will be plenty of time to discuss other warm-season veggies as well as some of the cool-season crops that you still have time for. The talk is free and I'll be signing copies of my book, California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening afterwards.

Evergreen Nursery, 350 San Leandro Blvd., San Leandro, 510-632-1522

Deadheaders' Garden Gala Benefits Oakland's Marcom Rose Garden

2013-03-06T16:19:00.000-08:00

Want to get a sneak preview of the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show and lend much-needed support to a public rose garden? Check out the Deadheaders' Garden Gala, given by the Friends of the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland.

The event on Tuesday, March 19, 6 to 9 p.m. is being billed as Woodstock to Rootstock/Tie Dye to Black Tie/Opera to Rock--in other words, anything goes. Enjoy the music of the SF Opera Singers, dance to the tunes of the Sycamore Slough String Band, and bid on a silent auction while you enjoy free champagne, a no-host bar, and hors d'oeuvres.

Tickets are $100 in advance, $125 at the door, and they can be used for entry back into the show for the show's duration. Purchase tickets here.

If you haven't been to the Marcom Rose Garden (located on Jean Street, one block off of Grand Avenue), you should check it out. It's a lovely spot to spend a quiet afternoon and enjoy 7+ acres of beautiful gardens in the midst of a busy urban center.

Swiss Chard: You Can Grow That!

2013-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Of all the greens that I can grow in my garden, there's no doubt that Swiss chard is my favorite. The reason is simple: Not only do I like to eat it, but it's easy to grow and works as a great addition to any garden, even amongst ornamentals. The stark white or bright yellow, orange or red stems against the dark greens make it a lovely filler plant tucked into flower beds, and if I only harvest the bigger, outer leaves, the plant will keep growing in my garden for more than a year.

You can plant starts from the nursery but it's very easy to grow from seed. Although mature plants can tolerate light frosts, it's best to wait until after the last frost date to set out seedlings or direct-seed. Swiss chard can grow in full sun or partial shade and prefer cool, mild conditions. They also work great as container plants. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep in rows or broadcast over a bed. Seedlings can be thinned when they reach a few inches and the seedlings make a great addition to salads.

Plants should be kept evenly moist and mulched. Fish emulsion or compost is really all the fertilizer you need, but don't fertilize in the winter if soil temps get below 40 degrees. You can start harvesting leaves in about 50 days. You can cut the outer leaves just above the soil level and leave the younger, inner leaves to get bigger, or you can cut the entire head off at soil level (it may or may not re-sprout from the roots if you harvest the entire head).

Swiss chard is rich in vitamins and minerals and very versatile. You can use it in salads, stir fries, or the same ways you'd use any other greens. My favorite way of eating it is to just chop up stems and leaves together and throw them into a pot of simmering chicken broth along with some frozen tortellini. In a flash you've got a healthy, delicious soup!

For more on growing this and other edibles in California gardens, check out my book California Fruit and Vegetable Gardening (also available in a Nook edition at BarnesandNoble.com).

This post is part of the You Can Grow That! monthly blog series. Check here for more posts by other garden bloggers on how to grow all kinds of edibles and ornamentals.