Month: April 2009

  • Lady Bug Growing Pains

    While weeding and gardening this weekend, I spotted numerous lady bug larvae throughout the yard. These guys are voracious eaters. My yard has plenty of aphids for them to snack on. I noticed that the ones in the backyard are more mature than the front. At first they are dark black and bright orange and…

  • Arugula Flowers

    It was 95 degrees for three straight days in a row this week. Surprising the only plants to bolt were the Rocket Arugula. They sprout these small off-white flowers. I like the delicate line on the petals. The weather changed dramatically today and we even had a spot of unpredicted rain. I hope it stays…

  • Happy Earth Day!

  • Basil Addict

    If I had to pick a favorite herb, it would have to be Basil. In fact, I can honestly say that I’m slightly addicted to this amazing herb. I have multiple seedlings already growing and I’m about to start a few more. This year I’m not going to bother with the ornamental varieties like the…

  • Amazing Cabbage Salad

    I recently discovered a great cook book, “Local Flavors,” by Deborah Madison. It’s a collection of recipes created around ingredients found at farmers markets across the United States. My favorite recipe so far is the Napa Cabbage Salad with Peanuts and Cilantro. This recipe was perfect for the the CSA’s giant head of heirloom cabbage.…

  • Battling the Turnip

    I just grabbed my third box from my CSA and I realized that I never reported about my battle with the massive turnip. This was my first experience with eating and cooking a turnip. Since it was so big I actually was able to use it in two different recipes. The first time, I chopped…

  • Just Hangin Out

    I’m currently hiding from the nasty Northern California wind storm. But I’ll be reporting all my gardening progress very soon.

  • Dirt Nap

    I finally have a raised bed in the garden. As you can see Jack is inspecting the craftsmanship. The process of making the bed was surprising simple. The tricky part was filling it with the right mixture of soil. I went with a organic potting soil, perlite, and Fox Farms Ocean Potting Soil which is…

  • Happy Friday

    I only got a few tulips this year from last year’s bulbs. Luckily, they were these pretty white ones.

  • Lovely Yellow

    Spring is here and shades of yellow can be spotted everywhere in the garden. Here are a few of my favorites. Maya our golden retriever the ultimate gardening side kick. The Calendula has exploded this year. It’s twice the size it was last year. I forgotten all about the yellow freesia until it popped up…