Grow Your Own Hops
Three years ago, a friend gave us two Cascade hops plants. Since we make our own beer, I put them in the ground to see what they would do. Two …
Gardening
How I Grow Lettuce
For years, I had trouble growing lettuce. My California climate meant the lettuce tended to bolt–i.e. form flowers–before I had a chance to harvest it. Either that, or I just …
Growing A Wild Flower Lawn
As much as I like the idea of a clover lawn, there’s one idea that I like even better: replacing my lawn with a wild flower meadow. According to HGTV, …
Growing A Clover Lawn
[Small Things] Up until 1940, clover lawns were common in the United States. In fact, the first gardening book in the US, published by Andrew Jackson Downing in 1841, said …
Controlling Aphids
[Courtesy Luc Viatour] Ugh. Aphids come in many colors. I’ve seen them in green, gray, black, white, and red. Sometimes they have wings and sometimes they don’t. Despite their changing …
Five More Beneficial Insects
I’ve talked about beneficial insects as a means of pest control in the vegetable garden before. Without a doubt, getting natural predators to destroy pests for you is the easiest, …
Predatory Insects In the Garden
(Courtesy) This year, I have noticed a dramatic increase of ladybugs in my garden. I figured this was because of the dramatic number of aphids–and it probably is–but it may …
How To Grow Peppers
Green Jalapeños One of the common questions I’m asked about my garden is how I get peppers to grow. I don’t think I am the pepper whisperer or anything, but …
How To Get Rid Of Outdoor Ants
I always say I live on top of an anthill. Truly, the number of ants in my yard is amazing. They don’t invade my house, but they love to destroy …
Trellising Tomato Plants
[The Garden Grows] This year, I’m going to try trellising my tomatoes. After all, tomatoes are a vine, and it makes sense that they can be trellised like any other …
Build A Bean Teepee
Here’s a great idea for springtime: Build A Bean Teepee for the kids. What an awesome–and useful–fort. The idea is to tie poles together in a teepee shape and then …