The beet goes on: Ideas for this versatile root veggie
Harvesting beets is like finding an unexpected underground treasure. These magenta wonders have been growing in our garden’s soil for three months and finally arrived...
Jano’s Garden
Bi-Weekly horticulture and gardening column written by Jano Nightingale
Discover how to swap seeds
I love seeds! My obsession with collecting seeds is comparable only to a sport’s fan urge to collect team jerseys. Are you a “seed swapper,”...
Having fun with the colors in the garden
Planting a garden could show belief in the future, as Audrey Hepburn once said. It can also be a means to an end for artist...
Spring is on the way
Spring peepers! For those who have never heard them, they are quite a surprise. A slow hum coming from a wooded glen, gradually increasing to...
The holidays are for giving
Last week, I had the best soup I have had in years. Filled with chicken, spinach and orzo in a lemony chicken broth, this soup...
Adorn your door with a wreath
“Adorn-A-Door.” A catchy phrase for a gallery exhibit in Cooperstown, New York. This small town in upstate New York was my home for 10 years,...
Unusual desserts make sweet holiday gifts
I try my hardest to shop local during the holidays. Since I live in Vista, I often visit the Vista Farmers Market, which is open...
Far from family? Celebrate Friendsgiving this year
“Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother’s house we go.” This popular phrase is no longer the case for many of us who...
Ways to get help or help out during CalFresh benefits delay
More than 395,000 individuals across 240,000 families will be affected by the federal shortage of funds to pay CalFresh (aka SNAP and EBT) benefits for...
Put a squash on your table
Can you eat your Halloween pumpkins? Why not? Instead of throwing your orange treasure in the compost or recycling bin, why not make a pie...
A rough patch in the garden
Somedays it is just a bad day in the garden. As hard as you try, the elements seem stacked against you, or an unwanted visitor...
Plan ahead for holiday herbs
Christmas in July or Thanksgiving in September? As vegetable gardeners, we grow food that is useful, not just pretty to look at. And right now,...
The irresistible fig
At this time of year in Southern California, figs are in season. But if not picked immediately, they will fall to the ground and become...
Getting the hang of butternut squash
The winter squash, which in midsummer is showing its stuff, is a botanical wonder that surprises us all in its utter determination to grow to...
Discover a new tomato sauce from the Southwest
It’s harvest time for tomatoes and peppers in most North County gardens. Many gardeners hark back to preparing the traditional Italian tomato sauce that they...