Watermelon wins the heat wave
In the heat of the summer, when all my Facebook gardening friends are sending photos of wilted cucumber and dried-up lettuce, we had one star...
Jano Nightingale
Pottery for the tasteful gardener
It’s hot, and we might not want to go outside to water our garden. Instead, it might be a good time to search for pottery...
Add chutneys to your food preservation mix
I was first introduced to Indian food in New York City decades ago. I was a transplant from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where our family enjoyed all...
Preserve the bounty of summer
It is the time of year when there might just be too much of one of the vegetables in our garden, and the UC Master...
A ‘berry’ good time to make jam
In late summer of 1968, my maternal grandmother, Bertha Fritsch, would visit our small lakefront cottage on Lake Michigan to pick raspberries. Dressed in her...
Free seeds at the library
I have always loved seeds. Recently I discovered that I could find free seeds at the Seed Library at Carlsbad’s Cole Library. The Seed Library...
Learn to process herbal tinctures
One of my oldest friends in Cooperstown, New York, was Sue King Elkan, who owned a third-generation farm there. After retiring as a children’s therapist,...
Follow the monarchs
When I was in third grade, my parents found a tiny cottage on Lake Michigan. The house was basically one that no one wanted. It...
Children’s gardens: Summer is a perfect learning opportunity
Do your children love to play in your vegetable garden or visit a neighbor’s plot? If so, summertime gives us the perfect opportunity to turn...
Find your quiet place
It has been said that when you walk through your garden, you should have a place to rest. Your resting spot could be a comfortable...
The Plot thickens at Plantscape
It’s a cool summer evening in South Oceanside. The breeze is blowing through the large vegetable garden brimming with elephant ear kale, tiny golden summer...
Flowers can help dress up a porch this summer
When I am looking for something special for my front porch, I head to a tiny flower shop in Carlsbad. Bamby’s Flowers is a gem,...
The 70/30 rule to rid the garden of rodents
There is a loosely stated rule among gardeners, which goes like this: “70% of your garden space should be dedicated to feeding your household, and...
Display your patriotism with a colorful window box
Whether it be Memorial Day, Flag Day or the Fourth of July, a decorative window box filled with red, white and blue flowering plants always...
Entertaining kids this summer? Become a rock painter
What to do in the summer with children or grandchildren? Go outside! With so many children tied to their phones or computers, we must get...