A Tramp in the (Organic) Garden

Crandon Park Beach Gardens

2007-08-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

It was ages ago when I went to Miami, buuuuut....these gardens are worth checking out merely for the fact that there are supposedly random crocodiles running around supposedly, and exotic birds and reptiles. It used to be the ZOO in the 40s or something, as referenced by the horrible cages that are like 5 ft by 5 ft. Those poor poor animals! And amazing banyan trees with crazy roots that will awe you. This seemed much more meaningful like 5 months ago when I went there, but whatevs! Oh, and the peacocks- anywhere with peacocks is cool, and I'm still trying to convince my friend that she should add peacocks to her aviary of chickens. She is nonplussed...

Catsitting Isn't Hard When You Catsit Layabout Cats

2007-08-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

This is Chiquita, my landlady's cat. She is a layabout cat extraordinaire- and has taught me many things, like all non human animals do, about how to approach life. Rest when you are tired, enjoy the moment, go with the flow and take pleasure when it comes to you. Don't be afraid to pounce when something is worth pouncing on and always have a sense of humor. But I can't catsit her anymore because I have a bunny!

Holy Basil or Tulsi or Ocimum sanctum

2007-08-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

For one and a half years I had these holy basil or tulsi seeds, which I got primarily because they are supposed to keep away mosquitos, and I'm always attracted to grow plants that are spiritual in nature. Holy basil or tulsi is grown outside Hindu temples, and after I went to India, this had special significance for me. When I was in Kerala, the guide at our hotel wore a fresh stem of holy basil tucked behind his ear every morning, and as the day passed, I would watch it wilt and fade, but not lose it's spirit. Sweet and pungent, holy basil plants are often worshipped and taken care of by the family and have a special place outside a Hindu household...or so I read. This year I grew a few outside my back porch in the earth, and one in a pot outside the front door. One of my first rituals when returning home from work was to light an incense and place it in the pot of holy basil. Now the plant in front of my home has long flowered and gone to seed, and the leaves are yellow. This weekend I will harvest the seeds to plant the next generation...

PS- Holy basil or tulsi has many medicinal values as well and is an ayurvedic herb- for respitory problems, coughs, colds, stress, skin ailments, and is supposed to reduce cholesterol.

Bee's Like To Make Love to My Brugmansia

2007-08-03T20:45:00.000-07:00

Miami's Ever So Casual Flora

2007-08-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Of course, we had to walk down Lincoln Road in South Beach- I love it, people have dinner at 11:00 and go out at midnight. Everyone walking around enjoying life and a late dinner- not like LA, where you can barely find anything to eat after 11:00 except taco trucks, Canter's and Fred 62. Jesus Lordy Christ. But anyway, along my walk on Lincoln Road, I found it most fascinating and almost surreal that the tropical plants we sometimes covet in cooler zones are grown so casually in tropical climes. It's like being in a big greenhouse...

Isn't this a freaking sausage tree? I believe it is!

And isn't this a freaking bodhi tree just growing on top of this palm? Look at those pointed leaves, I'm pretty sure it is.

Huge beautiful bromeliads just totally casual. In LA, you pay like 40 dollars each for one of these at a nursery. I wanted to smuggle a small pup back to LA in my nether regions, but decided that would be unethical; it's people like me that bring in plant pathogens and new pests every year with their innocent exports.

I love east coast beaches- these fences are so romantic and photogenic. All those grasses and beach morning glory!

This was in the everglades- if the sharks don't get you, flesh hungry alligators will!

Vamos å Miami!!

2007-08-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago I went to Miami for four days. The sun, the ocean, the splendor! I was amazed by the clear warm water and pale sands- amazing! Although I hear Miami has the largets percentage of sharks in the US, so while I was in the ocean I was constantly scanning the water for fins, and trying to keep myself surrounded by a human barrier of unsuspecting , innocent swimmers to get eaten first. And so much skin everywhere in the city! I busted it out Miami playa style in a special golden leopard print bikini that my husband said made me look like a stripper. Wait, don't boys like strippers?

Clear clear water, wish I was there...

Rococo clouds made just for you..

Celestial sunsets...

sometimes on fire...

When night falls the city lights make everything magic.

PLAYING CATCHUP: A Hot Mess

2007-06-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

UM, yeah this was from late April...it reminds me of my best friend's mother who would have these dreams of reruns of the 70s TV show MacMillan and Wife. I hope I never get to that level, but I'm pretty sure I'm getting there sooner than later with old posts and my fetish for gold shoes.

PS- Do you think one can get MacMillan and Wife on Netflix? Hmmm.

This is the state of the little garden bed that I'm wanting to plant tomatoes in this summer...wild swiss chard in hot pink climbing for the sky, abandoned Grafitti cauliflower, that despite my relative neglect, still wants to grow and be noticed, and practically begs to be devoured, endive that has long been shooting up and now flowers in the most beautiful pale lavender blue of flowers that recall the cooler hues of winter, and heirloom garlics that compete for space in the middle of all this drunken jumble. This area is, as my friend would say, a hot mess.

But you, know, sometimes there is something I really like about watching winter's crops that have gone unharvested go to flower and eventually seed. There's something to be gained by simple observation of this process, an intimacy with plants in all their stages of life. Sometimes I feel I learn more about nature and it's rhythms by just relaxing and watching it unfold before me, and not getting too caught up in having everything so tidy and orderly, manicured and correct at all times. When I look more closely at this little ecosystem I notice ladybugs and their larvae, spiders who have made a home, or perhaps are just renting a space for the week, and bees that appreciate my recent lax gardening attitude. Aphids are even welcome here (okay just a few), and I know they will provide a short little feast for any hungry bird that may stop by for a visit. And I'm happy to provide whatever nectar, pollen or sustenance I can for any little creature that we have displaced with our so called civilization.

Uh, well, except nematodes. They can kiss my grits!!!

PLAYING CATCHUP: Kerala, India

2007-06-14T21:03:00.001-07:00

I wrote this along time ago, but never posted this motherhubbard. I have been so remiss in everything, including gardening. I've actually done things, just haven't written about them, and even took pictures that just sit in my IPhoto. Doh! Now I'm playing catchup, better than playing God, I guess?

Kerala is the southernmost state of India and the home of Ayurveda. This was the last leg of the trip I was on, and we ended it on a tropical note. The weather is luscious and we were lucky enought to stay at a wonderful place called Surya Samudra. The sound of the waves wafted in at night and lulled you to sleep. Then we hit the backwaters of Kerala for a couple of days. We came back to the Surya Samudra- I indulged in a couple of ayurvedic treatments- shirodhara, where oil is drizzled all over your third eye is wonderful, and another where the masseuse supports herself on a rope and rubs her well oiled foot all over your body. I've really never had any ayurvedic treatments, and there seemed to be a lot of oily boob rubbing and ass slapping. Hey lady, who's paying who for this massage? All in good fun and ayurvedic spirit. Incidentally, Kerala is ruled by a Communist government. Literacy is at an all time high in this state.

This is a little Ganesha underneath a Banyan tree. We were told that it makes a difference which way his trunk is facing- generally it should be facing towards the right, if you are facing him. If it's facing the other way, his power is more potent, and potentially more devastating if used incorrectly. Someone correct me? I love Ganesha, he is so powerful, mellow and loving. He is apparently the first Hindu deity that one should have in their house, then you may follow with Shiva, Krishna, Saraswati, Shakti and others. Again, what I was told- please correct me if I am wrong or if my observations are ignant.

This was a houseboat on Lake Illikilam.

The truck drivers adorn their trucks in so many beautiful way, and the style differs from the North to the South. The south seemed more inspired by flowers and natural elements, while in other places you might see more Hindu Gods. This is not a good illustration or even a clear shot! But still.

Another Ganesha- this time he's seated and his trunk faces the other direction.

I'm really hungry- I have to go eat mushroom turnovers from Trader Joe's now! I am about to faint from hunger. I could eat a goat....

Incarcerated Lettuce

2007-06-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

When I came back from India, after being gone for a month, I came back to not only terribly hideous jet lag, but incarcerated lettuces and other crops. While I was gone, raccoons and possums ravaged our little garden every night, plundering through carefully laid out beds of heirloom lettuces, garlic, cauliflower. They mocked us with their actions. They raped my soul.

So my husband decided it would be a good idea to take that roll of chain link fence from the basement and construct a physical barrier. It worked for a while against the critters, but what I also found out is that it kept ME out of the garden as well. Who wants to look at your veggies in tha clink? It's coming down today! It's been too long.

CONFESSION: When I came back from India, I wasn't happy to see my garden. Things had changed. I felt so dissconnected to all of it. I haven't touched it barely, or done any gardening in the past 2 months. My rose was never shaped or prepared for spring. Plants withered in their terra cotta vessels. I find trowels strewn around in odd places. How we keep our gardens is such a reflection of our inner emotions...

Swiss Plant Life

2007-03-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

These are field of what I think are sugar beets right outside of Zurich proper, in Witikon.

Worms did this! The worms in Swizzera are huge, apparently, strong and vigorous. The ground is riddled with these small piles of earth and what are probably some castings. The ground is extremely fertile in Switzerland.

This is a little community garden outside of Zurich.

Look at this extreme girdling on this tree on the lake of Zurich! I was trying to figure out exactly what happened and if it was done on purpose, as some sort of fashion thing.

This is a crazy example of pollarding. as you walk along Lake Zurich, you see long allees of chestnut or maroni trees that have been pollarded every single year, resulting in these knobbly bits you see here during the winter.

Tomatoes 2007

2007-03-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

MAMA'S BACK! And she's back with a vengeance, baby. I planted tomato seeds this weekend- it made me feel so incredibly whole! I forgot that with each seed we plant, it's like planting a little promise.

So far, the list includes:

VINTAGE WINE
SCHEIMMIG'S STRIPED HOLLOW- I can hardly wait to stuff these!
WHITE ZEBRA (has anybody heard anything about this?)
IVORY PEAR (any feedback?)
BLACK CHERRY- so looking forward to this.

Seeds from last year, that I planted anyway.
ANANAS NOIRE
ISIS CANDY
GREEN GRAPE
KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK

I have to round it out with some others- a nice black one- perhaps BLACK FROM TULA or PAUL ROBESON, a yellow bicolor -maybe NORTHERN LIGHTS or LUCKY CROSS and a proper trad red. I want ot grow as many cherries as I can this summer because they are so effortless. Cross fingers that freaking fracking nematodes don't spoil my effort and break my kitten spirit. I'm growing extra seeds to give away to friends and spread some garden love. Let the seeds fly where they may!!!

Once You've had Swiss..

2007-03-10T22:12:00.001-08:00

...there ain't nuthin' you're gonna miss.

1) Sheeps- love it.

2) Black sheeps- love 'em more.

3)Moss-genius.

4) Million dollar fireworks on New Years Eve- everyone wandering around with a bottle of champagne- brilliant.

TAKE THAT, LICHTENSTEIN!

Why I (Sometimes) Love Switzerland

2007-03-10T22:04:00.000-08:00

This is what I love about Switzerland; upon entering the country:

Customs Officer: So, what's up?
Me: (giggling) I'm visiting my husbands family.
Customs Officer: (slight grin on his face) Are you sure?
Me: (laughing) Yes??

That is why I love Switzerland.

Here are other reasons:

1) How thoughtful and considerate! They post hiking and walking signs with convenient little postings about how long it take to go through a trail. So Swiss.

2) Controversial modern holiday lights on the Bahnhofstrasse. A million dollars down the drain.

3) Graffiti with a surprisingly poppy amd feminine color palette.

4) Swans that attack! (They really will attack you and are quite dangerous, in my opinion)

5) Henry Moore sculptures ever so casually strewn around the lawns surrounding Lake Zurich

Swiss Lovin'

2007-03-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Even more reasons to love Switzerland! Not to be confused with Sweden. Sweden is ABBA, Ikea, lingonberries and Swedish meatballs, statuesque blondes, Volvos and Saabs...Switzerland is Swiss bank accounts, The Alps, St. Moritz, fondue and cuckoo clocks, yodeling and Heidi, Le Corbusier, etc, etc, etc. Oh, and most importantly SWISS CHOCOLATE!!! Everybody always get them confused....

1) Look at this cute public bathroom on Lake Zurich- would we have this in LA? I heart them for having good bathrooms.

2) Poor little Swiss Alps- no snow...but when it does snow- it's like God sprinkled diamonds all over the ground! Oooooohhhh.

3) Love the cold weather- you can set you Calandabrau right on the ledge of the window and it will stay cold!

4) Free drinking water and it is the most delicious!

5) Sweet little baby cows to pet and they are everywhere- the cows that is. I wanted to rescue all of them because I had a sneaking suspicion they would become veal. : (

Jaipur, Rajasthan

2007-03-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

Here are just some city shots of Jaipur within the walls. Jaipur is known as the Pink City. I found it to be fascinating, chaotic, really polluted, and very cool. If you go check out Gem Palace and Amrapali for bomb 22 k gold jewelry, you won't be dissapointed. Gem palace was amazing! So laid back, and the owners would let you just hang out and go through their jewelry without pressuring you at all. And give you masala chai! I found an amazing ring at Amrapali- 22k gold with a ruby on either side, it was about 70 years old, and I later discivered it was actually an opium holder that had little doors that had been welded shut.

Monkeys roam pretty freely within the city, you'll see them all over the walls and tops of building. On the ground level you'll see the most chill cows, even camels and elephants. I almost got attacked by a monkey! But I live to tell about it.

Indian Flora of Jaipur

2007-03-10T19:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things I liked best about India is how flora made it's way into daily life- garlands of marigold and roses for temples, sweet wristlets of fragrant tuberose (Or what was that?) or to tie in your hair. Nature and flowers seem to be a part of daily life more so than in the US.

We stayed for a little over a week in Jaipur, the pink city of Rajasthan. The is the closest state on the border of Pakistan- the weather was actually a little cold in November- sweaters and jackets were definitely needed. Jaipur was sooo different from Bombay- it's arid, dusty and has a completely different feel. I think this would be the easiest place to garden in India- although it gets to 140 degress in the summer sometimes! No cloche needed!

Flowers always floating in this huge urn outside of this amazing shop Hot Pink at the Narain Niwas Hotel in Jaipur...they were so fragrant. I didn't see a lot of different rose varieties in India, basically just this pinky red type. At the flower market, people would make garlands of these fragrant yummies. I bought a few and hung them around my hotel room along with the traditional marigold garlands. If I lived in India I would always have them in my house...

These were the front garden for the luscious Samode Palace outside of Jaipur. This former palace was amazing...nestled in between the bosomy hills, it's strategically a perfect location for a palace. Formerly a Rajput castle, it is now a heritage hotel. Most of the palaces in Rajasthan are now heritage hotels, actually. In a super short nutshell, they belong to various Rajput warrior clans who have no more wars to fight, but have these big palaces, so they turned them into first class accomodations. The detail inside these palaces is amazing, as is the vibe when you walk past walls with so much history. Love it.

This is the grassy couryard at the Raj Palace in Jaipur. I would totally walk on the grass and try and pretend it was my home. What a dork. I did the same thing at the Golden Palace in Thailand. Yes, this is how I spend my free time! It was really an amazing example of architecture. The grass by the way, was a close cut Bermuda grass that reminded me of that rolling little patch of lawn at the Getty Museum. Emerald green and superfine blades of grass. I was really hoping they weren't using a lot of fertilizer. Note also the potted plant. I didn't see any potting soil in India....I think everybody just grabs soil from the earth. That's what my mom does and I always try and tell her to at least mix in something else to improve drainage.

These below are these sweet little clay figurines at the Narain Niwas hotel in Jaipur. If I had my way, I would have brought back so many ceramics, including the sweetest little lanterns made from clay- perfect for the garden!

PS- I am so remiss in actually blogging about India and all the adventures! I'm not sure anyone cares anymore, but I'll plug away anyway. I've been sort of absent for the past couple of months. More later.

Bombay Plant Life

2007-03-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

These are the only plants in Bombay. Just kidding! But I had you fooled for a second.

These plants were collected together in the parking area outside this fancy flat. So sweet and wonderful this little collection of plants. The style of the terracotta was really interesting and believe me for a second it did occur to me that I "absolutely needed" to take back some terra cotta with me. I love the tropics because you rally get to see all the things we typically consider houseplants in their natural environment.

I think this was a nursery? It was surrounding this mall near Juhu, I think. But I didn't see any attendent there. Why, If I lived in India, my God, imagine the nursery I could have! It would be like Hortus, India style!

In India, everythign get recycled into something else. Everything. Check out this little Oleander growing in a container made up of tires. Note the soil it's growing in.

PS- I didn't really take a lot of pictures of the plants around the city, because it was the dry season, and so many plants were covered in dust and sort of withered. I didn't even get a picture of the banyan trees that grew near Colaba!

Impressions of Jaipur

2007-03-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I"m not sure exactly what the heck happened with the photo layout, kinda funky, but...here are some some more shots. I got VERY close to a curious elephant, who was so sweet, I loved her. Watched her trainers give her some fresh makeup, 'cause girl needs to look her best. A cool yellow room with this amazing blue chandelier. I was going to stay there, but then switched rooms, thank God, because there were all these painting of old school Rajputs on the walls that would watch me when I walked around. Cows in the streets! Monkeys climbing the walls! Camels and elephants! Snake charmers! (I touched the snake, but don't think I'm so cool because he was devenomized) The original swastika before the nazis stole it. A room in another beautiful haveli inside the walls. So many beautiful colors everywhere...I wish I hadn't been working and actually got a chance to be a little bit more of a tourist. But I had a beautiful experience nonetheless.

Crawford Veggie Market in Bombay

2007-03-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

The Crawford market is one of the main veggie markets in Bombay- very Victorian architecture.

A lunghi drying in the sun. Men wear these comfy wraparound cloths-I didn't really see a lot of men wearing them on the street, but at this market and in Kerela, yes. I fell in love with the bold hues of blue and the plaids, and bought a few to take home to use as tablecloths. I'm sure the man who I bought them from at this store in Colaba must've thought I was this crazy American chick. I also liked the idea of using men's clothes as tablecloths, I found it nicely and subtle sort of subversive, sick puppy that I am.

I loved him! He is a market courier! When he hold up his basket with one hand, it means he is available to carry something. I also love his orange and blue combo.

It was pretty damn hot in Bombay- some vendors opted to nap a little bit. I would totally love to do this at my job- like Costanza underneath the desk!

A vendor reading a newspaper. Fruits and vegetables are gorgeous- really the jewels of the garden and table.

Bombay Part Three

2007-01-10T23:06:00.000-08:00

Just this cool sign I saw while walking in the Colaba shopping district of Mumbai. Walking around Colaba can be a overstimulating. People come up to you and want to sell you drums (not drugs) and oversize balloons. At traffic stops, women and children may come up to you asking for mula. But the best part is that people will come up and want to sell you books! I wish we had that in LA.

Yes, Virginia, there is toilet paper in India. Why did I listen and bring baby wipes? Most bathroom ahave a pressure pump/ bidet type sprayer AND toilet paper. Very refreshing for the privies. Though the mini Charmin toilet paper rolls I brought did come in handy, as they would in every city. Every time I go out to see a band, I swear I'll bring a little roll with me. A full on toilet taper assortment at the Crawford Market:

This cool little shrine thing I saw walking near the Taj President Hotel. Uh, I forgot what it was. To keep away evil spirits in the trees? In LA, you'll find little candles and flowers on certain street corners everywhere on the Eastside because of drive bys. Are there ganstas in Bombay, too?

Bombay taxi cabs are these cool old Fiats- and taxi cab drivers adorn their cars in ways we never would. Check out these little pasties hanging from the bumper- cool or what? I need some of these for my car. Also, the mudflaps were amazing. Flowers and deities would adorn them, we all need some of these. Don't even get me started about the truck drivers! Opium and hookers- boys after my own heart! Crazy kids.

I also just want to say that I usually miss out on the big picture when I take pics and travel- and just get some silly details. Hope you enjoy.

Bombay Part Two

2007-01-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

This bomb ass couple I snapped while I was at the Crawford market in Mumbai. I want to be like them when I grow up:

Sorta touristy, kinda cool horse drawn carriages you'll find around some parts of Bombay.

I have way more to say, I'm just sort of jet laggy- so probably more will spill out later about various experiences in this great city.

Bombay Is Tha Bomb!

2007-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Almost the minute I landed in Bombay (the newer nationalistic title is Mumbai, but many still refer to it as Bombay) I felt completely at home- despite the 23 hours of flight time it took from Los Angeles to get there. My first impressions of Bombay was like this mesmerizing buzzing metropolis, totally living and breathing, completely alive and thoroughly dynamic. It really is the New York of India. I love it.

I also want to preface my photos by saying- I am the lamest ever and didn't take nearly enough photos to fully express the fullness of Bombay and India in general. But I was working! So my photos are really little snippets in passing....

This was my view from the Taj President Hotel where we were staying:

Just a street view while passing:

One morning I arose to this total ruckus. Later I asked the front desk what it was- it was a vegetarian protest! Protesting the eating of meat- how cool is that?? Only in India! As far as my simple American mind knows...

I scrawled my name on the wall of the nightclub, called the Ghetto, in Bombay, where we worked. Go before they paint over it! It's on the wall you face as you walk in. Go! Feel my heat...I was there, baby, and no dull Sharpie could stop my graffiti...Beat Street, King of the Beat...I am a tagging queen. Y'all suckah MC tagging crews better check it, 'cause mama's been to India...shiiiiiiiit.

The gateway of India across from the Taj Palace Hotel

That's all I have to show...totally lame. But whatevs...

Love,

Lolo

This Tramp Just Came Back From Switzerland Yesterday

2007-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I have felt like a jet setting tramp this past month and a half. I went to India for a month, went back to LA for a week, then off to Switzerland to have a holiday visit at my husband's parents in Zurich, the main city in the Swiss German part of Switzerland. I thought I was going to be blogging like a maniac while I was gone, but I surprised myself by just focusing on the moment.

So we just got back yesterday, and I'm experiencing some cranky headache-y jet lagginess, along with innapropriate cravings for red wine and espresso at all the opposite and wrong times of the day. I'm a tramp on the edge! Dare a raccoon or possum cross my path while plundering and I might snap like the twigs and pine needles that have covered my backyard!

I have more to say on India and Switzerland, gardenwise and otherwise and photos as well, and will post things a little later when I'm more refreshed and unpacked.

Cheers to 2007!

Jet Lagging and Masala Chai in Los Angeles

2006-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

It's 5:43 AM in Los Angeles. I can't sleep. I've just returned home from India last night, had an early night, and woke up again at 4:00 AM. Right now my body is calling out for a proper glass of masala chai, as it's 4:00 in the afternoon in India. I've returned home from Bombay, Jaipur and Kerala a full on Masala Chai Head, amongst many other things.

But this really has nothing to do with gardening, does it?? More green stuff later.

PS- Thanks for the lovely masala chai photo. Credit goes to Parmesh's Global Adda.

This Tramp Is Going To India

2006-11-14T00:18:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I leave on a 28 day journey to India for work. This trip will take me to Mumbai/ Bombay, Jaipur, and Kerala. I just finished packing right now and I'm about to hop off to bed. This should be a very interesting odyssey and I know I'll see many interesting plants along the way. Tea plantations, crotons as tall as a house- lets see what this holds in store!

THURSDAY: Illegal Swiss Iceberg Lettuce

2006-11-02T23:17:00.000-08:00

This is what the little winter bed looked like after Thursday morning, when I woke up a little earlier before work, and leaped out of bed and into the backyard to plant a stripe or 2 of Iceberg lettuce seedling, whose seeds I smuggled from Switzerland. At least I think that's what it is! I've never grown Iceberg of all things, so this should be interesting.

Tomorrow , if all goes according to plan, I'll be on to some radicchio and frisée!

WEDNESDAY: Graffiti Cauliflower and Rainbow Swiss Chard

2006-11-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

Wednesday during lunch I planted the little Graffiti purple cauliflower seedlings and some Rainbow orange, fuschsia, red and yellow Swiss Chard. What happened to me??? I'm brazenly planting an F1 hybrid! I mean it's going to be beautiful, but have I sacrificed my gardening integrity?

F1 hybrid just means the first generation of seeds or plants produced by cross pollinating 2 specific parent plants. It just means first generation of a cross. People grow F1 plants because they often display stronger productivity and strength than either parent. This is why many conventional farmers plant these types of crops. However, if you try and plant another generation of plants from seeds you've saved from the F1 crop, the next generation will be a genetic crapshoot- the genes are scrambled and you'll get plants that display a wide variety of genetic traits. All open-pollinated seeds basically started out with a first generation of plants and were eventually stabilized over many years. I'm not going to get into open-pollinated varieties right now, but I'm sure you know there is a big debate over open-pollinated VS hybrid.

TUESDAY: Mascara and Batavian Lettuce

2006-11-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

Tuesday I raced home at noon to plant a row of Mascara, this sexy red oakleaf lechuga and the Batavian crisphead. I have to say, I was pretty proud that my plan was working so far. I also planted a little row of beets in between the lettuces that I know are way too close together, but f it, I 'll harvest those little suckers young.

MONDAY: Forellenschluss Heirloom Lettuce

2006-11-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

This week I had my Master Plan- every day I would have lunch at home and sneak in a row of lettuce planting, and by the weekend I'd have part of my big Winter Garden Plan underway before I leave for a month.

So Monday was the 2 rows of Forellenschluss lettuce. It's an Austrian heirloom romaine lettuce, beautiful green leaves freckled with little burgundy spots. Gorgene and tasty, too.

Big Gardening Plans, Baby, Big Plans! and Edible Estates Talks

2006-10-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

I can't listen to ABBA and write about my Big Gardening Plans at the same time. That's just to preface my distracted ramblings. It's like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time- it takes a lot of concentration. (Knowing Me, Knowing You...unh haaaanh. There is nothing we can do, Knowing Me, Knowing You...unh haaaaanh.)

I had big plans for the garden this weekend! (Take A Chance, Take A Chance, take a chance, chance, chance, chance) Clear out all the leftover summer vegetables, remove the bamboo tepees trellises, remove the layer of mulch and fallen pine needles, and amend the soil, digging in a bag of kelp meal, more amendment, and healthy handfuls of Dr. Earth fertilizer. And plant the winter seedlings- lettuces, garlic, beets, sweet peas, etc. Along the way, to my dismay I discovered more freaking nematodes and ground termites. F*ck! I will douse you in neem and garlic extract and scatter your feeding ground with tilled in marigolds... I didn't manage to plant the winter seedlings, but I did plan the layout and vow that I would wake up early before work each day and plant one row. Yeah... (Money, Money, Money, must be funny, in the rich man's world, Money, Money , Money, must be sunny, in the rich man's world. So I must leave , I have to go- to Las Vegas, or Monaco...I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball...)

This is what it looked like before; I'm kind of embarrassed at the state... ( So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me, S.O. S. The love you gave me, nothing else can save me, S.O.S.) It doesn't look so bad in the pic...

This is a neglected corner of the garden that was left lingering while our fence had to be rebuilt. We gained an extra foot of land that I'd like to plant with some papyrus in the corner and bougainvillea against the fence, give it some agave and other succulent shoes and I'm not sure what else right now. I change my mind every other day. Right now I'm turning it into a pile, throwing disease free clippings from the garden, free coffee grounds from Starf*cks, and clean veggie scraps from the kitchen. There's some gray Plectranthus growing there that I grew from cuttings someone generously donated. (Chiquitita, you and I know,.....how the heartaches come and they go and the scars their leavin', you'll be dancin' once again! Chiquitita, you and I cry, but the sun is still in the sky and shining above you!!)

Let's use the moody out of focus picture so you really can't tell how crappy it looks. (There's not a soul out there- no one to hear my prayers-- Gimme Gimme Gimme a man after midnight, take through the darkness through the break of the day)

The little seedlings in cell packs are growing and they are ready to be planted in the fresh beds and given away to some peeps. (Voulez vous-un hah! Take it now or leave it! Un hah! Now is all we get! Nothing promised, no regrets! Voulez vous! Ain't no big decision! You know what to do! ) The blank spaces with nothing growing are the cipollini onions and black viola seeds. Hmmm, upon recollection, I realized these seeds were like three or four years old. Nothing happened. I'm surprised. I thought at least something would pop up, that maybe at least one here or there would still be viable. I guess this is what happens when you have a 5 year old compulsive seed buying habit. I just like to look at my seed collection and know that they are there- like my shoes . You don't need to plant them or wear them! Sheesh. (Take it easy, try to cool it, girl, take it nice and slow, Does Your Mother Know? I can see, what you want, but you seem pretty young to be searching for that kind of fun.)

At 2:00 I had a break from straightening up the garden and headed over to Machine Project in Echo Park to listen to some peeps talk about how they converted their front yards and lawns into vegetable gardens in affiliation with a project called Edible Estates. I'm sure you've heard of it by now- their initiative is so right on, you need to check it out right now. A few people talked about the conversion process, their experiences. But unfortunately I can't form sentences detailing what was said and how it was profound and important while ABBA is on. The vision is so important and makes so much sense. (My my! At Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender! Oh yeah! Waterloo! Couldn't escape if I wanted to. Knowing my fate is to be with you. Ooo-oooh- ooh!) Oh, yeah, let the beat take me back to Shallow-ville!

PS- I'm leaving in 2 1/2 weeks for a month long trip and am struggling and stressing to get everything done, in the garden and otherwise before I go. It should be a very interesting journey...more on that later.

Ghetto Gardening Tips

2006-10-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

1- Dispose of Garden Debris by Tossing it Over the Fence into Neighbor's Yard. This includes, but is not limited to: caterpillars, grubs, half eaten tomatoes, toys dug up in soil you suspect might belong to their kids, slugs, snails, vegetables leftover from crudité, wine corks, pieces of dried tortilla (just found this yesterday), anything gross that must be spontaneously deleted from the garden. For a successful toss over the fence, make sure no-one is looking or in their backyard. That their backyard is mainly full of brown weeds somehow appeases any guilt you might feel. Make sure not to hit their rottweiler in the nose.

2- Use an Old Sheet to Haul Your Garden Waste. Why use a tony bag or nice basket when you can use an old sheet? It's declassé element adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" for that ghetto garden you've always wanted. They won't teach this in Garden Design or Fine Gardening, nosirreebob. Hauling sacks of trimmings and leaves will make your neighbors think you are like a Ghetto Garden Santa! Hooray.

3-Leave Your Laundry on the Line for a Few Days to Protect Tender Plants Underneath. Laundry hanging on the line acts as sort of a ghetto cloche for plants that need extra protection from the elements. Plant tender plants like fern, begonias, and coleus especially underneath your laundry line to take full advantage. Leave laundry on the line for 4-5 days and only take it down when you have done another load.

PS-The events depicted in this blog post are fictitious (truly fig-ticious, Bombay in LA). Any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental.

Forget the garden, it's 88 degrees today and we're off to the beach!

Distractions (Away From The Garden) Abound

2006-10-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing...can distract like a cat can distract. Last weekend and a couple of days before and after we've been catsitting the cats that used to frolic in our backyard and "belong" to our landlady. (Really, "owners" "belong" to their cats.) Oh, how I missed them! The little furball explosions of movement chasing squirrels in the backyard. How you never really get anything done when they are around, because you end up just plopping on the ground to have a love session. Oh, and the feeling of cat hair sticking to my lipgloss. You can see why I've been distracted. Then early last week I had to jet to Palm Springs for some last minute work stuff (I don't want to say anything, but international art counterfeiting rings plays a role. Shhhh.) Then it was my husbands birthday and I had a lasagna request to fulfill. Phew!

It just seems for the past few weeks with the combination of a frenetic work happenings, general googly-brainedness and even some debauchery and just plain life in general, I haven't really gotten to the garden lately. Oh, I look at it from inside the house and outside. I ponder it, plan it, think about it and manage to feel a little bit guilty while leftover crops lanquish and call out for my attention. I've even started seeds that are growing mightily. But it just seems I haven't made it out there to clean up the beds in preparation for the cooler weather and our Californian Winter. The temps have been dropping at night- down to 60 degrees! BBBrrrrrrr. Angelenos have it rough!

In Love With: Le Paludier Fleur De Sel de Guerande

2006-10-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

This Le Paludier Fleur De Sel de Guerande is abso-freaking-lutely amazing on your last tomatoes warm from the garden. It's so melt in your mouth, exquisitely good, that it will make you want to lick the salt marshes of Guerande. Apparently, it's harvested according ancient Celtic methods- which resonates just a little with my little bit Scottish Celtic blood. My Mexican side likes it, too. It's taken me year to actually get some of my own, and-my friends- it's a year I will never get back. Get it at Nicole's in South Pasadena...Rock on...

Now it's time for a shameless plug:

On a side note, I was first introduced to this delicious salt when I coerced Crisi Echiverri of Providence Restaurant in Los Angeles to drag me along to a Food and Wine photo shoot at Jay Griffith's place in Malibu for a feature on a Malibu Garden Party/August Issue 2005, featuring the exquisite dishes of chef Michael Cimarusti. All because I wanted to see Jay's home garden (that was not featured on the annual fundraising Venice Garden Tour) and because I'm such a fan of his work. The pleasure was all mine as I got to meet Jay Griffith- our chemistry was intense and we are currently having a mad passionate love affair. Oh My God- just kidding!! Sheesh...just being silly and K-razy. The real truth is that I was behind the scenes helping a little to lightly prep some things (I sorted favas, helped to put together some fennel packages for the grill, plucked some perfect cilantro leaves for the prawn and shaved vegetable salad). I remember it as being a wonderful day...

Dining at Providence, by the way, was the most profound culinary experience I've ever had. Please rush your booty there-Michael Cimarusti and Paul Shoemaker and crew hook up your taste buds and your soul in a deep way...

Freaking Nematodes

2006-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Nematodes, I curse thee, I cuuuuuuuuuurse thee! I have freaking root-knot nematodes in my backyard..... Deep sigh. I always nematodes were something that happened to other people- not me! It feels like my garden has VD and all the antibiotics in the world can't get rid of it.

I first noticed it on the EARLY FRAME PRESCOTT MELONS and then my KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK and NYAGOUS TOMATOES, when I pulled out these non productive and sickly plants and examined their roots- knobbly, distorted and ridden with galls. I was horrified. Plants afflicted by parasitic nematodes often show above soil signs of poor health, drought stress and lackluster nutrition- yellowed leaves, sign of wilting. It's only when you pluck them from the soil and have a look at their roots that you can make out the true cause of their demise. Parasitic nematodes are actually microscopic "eel-like" worms that parasitize the roots of plants, reducing it's ability to intake water and nutrients from the soil, the most common type being the "root-knot" nematode. Don't get me wrong, some nematodes are beneficial- feeding on bacteria and fungi that can be detrimental to a plant. Unfortunately, the bastards that got my tomatoes and melons are not...

How to deal with it? Drown your sorrows in a good Chateauneuf Du Pape! No. alas, that's only temporary. 1-Grow nematode resistant veggies and plants. 2- Solarize your beds during the summer months. 3- Plants crops that nematodes cannot feed on, and supposedly the populations will decline. Certain cover crops, por exemplo. 4- Add organic matter to your soil, to help your plants increase resistance and remain healthy in spite of these bastardos. An organic matter rich soil will help hold water and nutrients, decreasing plant stress. 5- When you pull up the plant, remove all and any roots so nematodes cannot continue to reproduce and feed. 6-Till the soil as much as possible to expose the nematodes to the drying sunlight. 7- Planting African (Tagetes erecta) and French (T. patula) marigolds and tilling them into the soil when they have grown can help reduce populations. The roots contain chemicals that suppress those suckers. You have to plant a lot of marigolds for a couple of seasons to see a difference. Some effective varieties to look for are Tagetes patula 'Nemagold,' 'Petite Blanc,' and 'Queen Sophia'.

May the force be with us.

PS- Nematodes are most active during warmer weather and may not affect cool season crops as much- they cannot penetrate roots at soil temps below 64 degrees. Take that! The most commonly afflicted veggies are Solanaceous- tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, Cucurbits such as melons, squashes and cucumbers. Also, beans, peas, and carrots.

The Show Must Go On: California Cool Weather Crops

2006-09-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

I declare this summer's crops a complete and total wash. Deep sigh. Raccoons, squirrels, and possums feasting on my peppers (even some jalapeños), figs and tomatoes. Like 5 cucumbers, 3 eggplant, some tomatoes, figs, beans, and herbs were harvested but in far fewer quantities than I would have expected or that my gardening ego demands. Not one night spent inbibing mojitos in the garden. No giddy harvests shared with friends, and few just picked tomatoes added to salads or eaten with sea salt. But je ne regrette rien. Soon it will be fall and soon spring after that. The show must go on!

But, Southern Californians, did you think just because it's starting to be the end of the summer that you can just rip out your tomato plants and call it a day until spring? I don't think so, my friend! It's time to start planting your seeds for fall. This is tough love right here. In Southern California, our fall and winter is comparable to early spring for you East Coasters. While you are putting the garden to sleep, or getting in a quick fall crop. we are preparing for a whole other season- cool crops like LETTUCE, ENDIVE, ARUGULA, MUSTARD, KALE, CABBAGE, CAULIFLOWER, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, BROCOLLI, GARLIC, ONIONS, LEEKS, SHALLOTS, SWEET PEA FLOWERS, PEAS, POPPIES, PANSIES, SWISS CHARD, SPINACH, CARROTS, CILANTRO, PARSLEY, CHERVIL, CELERY AND RADISHES are all great to grow in this easy, rainy season. I refuse to let Southern Californians lay about during the winter, drinking red wine by the fire and listening to moody music. Put on a sweater and go plant some lettuce for the love of Mary! (It's so easy). I insist. Please. This will be the year that you grow your first head of lettuce and cry when you bite into that juicy leaf that you grew from seed yourself. You have been annointed by the earth, baby- why stop now? Plant like you mean it!

I started a few seeds this past weekend, but here's my Winter Seedplan:

OPIUM POPPIES- It just seems like a good place to start, you know? Start off the season with a bang- a flower that gets you on an FBI list. Too bad I lost the seeds I ordered, I'll have to find more. I envision double flowered, peony type flowers. Hot pink, of course.

ORIENTAL POPPIES- These are for the front of the house, a terraced yard that I'll be working on with my neighbor this fall. I've been making little lavender and succulent cuttings to plant there this fall. These poppies are perennials that favor cool weather. This is a multicolored seed pack, which I normally don't like, but whatever. I plan to start both types of poppy seeds in peat pots, because poppies don't like to have their roots disturbed.

'MISS WILLMOTT' SWEET PEAS- This flower is supposed to be an orangey pink. An heirloom from the early 1900's, and it was named after garden writer Ellen Willmott. The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens says "Miss Ellen Willmott, a great plantswoman of the same era, dwindled away a fortune largely owing to her gardening obsession. When she outgrew her 50 acres in Essex, she bought a French château and an Italian villa to plant up, at one point employing more than 80 gardeners. Imperious and autocratic, she would blow her stack over the presence of a single weed in the garden or the discovery that the bloom time of one of her plants had been imprecisely documented. Her descent into bankruptcy never interfered with her purchase of any rare plant she coveted." My kind of gal, hell yeah!

'FRENCH BREAKFAST' RADISHES- These are so easy and quick and have been grown since the 1700s. If you have a little space, grow some radishes. They are also incredibly beautiful. I saw these at Pavillions for 5 bucks a bunch! I was outraged.

'BOWLES BLACK' VIOLAS- I've had these seeds for a year. They'll add a nice dark gothic bass note to my plantings.

CIPOLLINI ONIONS- I've never grown onions. Let's see what happens.

FIVE COLOR SWISS CHARD- Similar to the BRIGHT LIGHTS SWISS CHARD mixture. I've always wanted to grow these. I can weed out the colors I don't want. They look really gorgeous backlit by the sun.

CROSBY EGYPTIAN BEETS- A friend gave these seeds to me. I love beets, they are so good for you. But be careful if you juice them- my husband got a strong juice of beets and apples that had him barfing in the parking lot of a gas station. Too much nutrition at once is No Bueno.

MCGREGOR's FAVORITE BEETS- These have gorgeous purple leaves, but a low germination rate. Let's check 'em out.

ROSSA DI CHIOGGIA RADICCHIO- This is a heading type radicchio, and you don't have to blanch them.

GREEN CURLED RUFFEC ENDIVE- I love frisée. This one you just tie up to blanch 'em.

BATAVIAN LETTUCE- I think this is really a type of endive/chicory, and I got the seeds in Switzerland, smuggling the seeds past customs. Phew! I make a fantastic international garden criminal! Yay, me!

ICEBERG LETTUCE- Who knew I'd one day grow iceberg lettuce? Got these seeds in Swizzera. Smuggled lots of seeds through customs, though I will deny it. I'm a sucker for a crisp iceberg lettuce with a creamy blue cheese dressing. It reminds me of going to Bob's Big Boy when I was a kid.

MASCARA LETTUCE- A frilly oak shaped leaf that holds it's color in warm weather. I love growing lettuce- so simple and pure.

FORELLENSCHLUSS LETTUCE- on old speckled Austrian heirloom romaine lettuce. Speaking of Austrian lettuceheads-isn't it crazy that Arnold Schwarzenegger is our governor? I mean, would you have ever imagined? Ggggrrrr. "California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apologised on Friday for remarks saying Puerto Ricans and Cubans were hot headed because of their mix of black and Latino blood. The remarks were caught on tape and released to the Los Angeles Times which published them Friday. The controversial comments threatened to overshadow the former movie star's bid for reelection as a Republican governor in a heavily Democratic state. He said "I mean Cuban, Puerto-Rican, they are all very hot, they have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it" Dude, what the f**k?

Other than that, I'll also be growing the usual MESCLUN MIXES, PARSLEY, CHERVIL, CILANTRO, ARUGULA, MORE PANSIES AND LETTUCES I pick up from the nursery on a whim.

Ciao, babies!

Tracy Powell: My Favorite Photographer

2006-09-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I'm so pleased, my favorite photographer to emerge this decade, Tracy Powell is having a show at Bergamot Station. I've been a fan and following her work for quite some time- I think I met her once at a party, an introspective, yet rowdy type. I think she said she was a Sagittarius-and if I'm not mistaken I think that's her on the lower right side of the LA Weekly cover. Anyway, the show promises to be good, with many other talents as well. The show is at Bergamot Station complex. 2525 Michigan Avenue, Bldg C-1 Santa Monica, CA 90404 at the Track 16 Gallery.

So they say in the LA Weekly :

" The influence of Catherine Opie on the young photographers of UCLA is visible most notably in a conscientious attention to place. Tracy Powell, one of the most accomplished of those photographers, describes her own project in abstract terms — as an exploration of “the sublime space between where nature begins and civilization ends” — but it is the quality of this attention that distinguishes the work, anchoring her poetic instinct in concrete terms: in the subtle reflections on the surface of water, the entanglement of trees and sky, and the geometry of local architecture.

A child of the military, Powell moved frequently while growing up and sees her work now reflecting that experience of constant exploration. “My photographs are about moments found in the midst of journeys,” she says. “There is no distinct separation between bodies of work, no matter where the photographs originated.” Given the sheer beauty of these locales, with their glassy lakes and cloud-skirted hills, it’s an enviable job, this journeying. But photographs of this caliber may the next best thing. And in some ways, they’re even better."

PS-Hopefully, it's okay to use this photograph and she won't kick my a** in a dark alley one day.

Big Bad Spiders and Mud Dauber Nests

2006-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

What looks like a mud dauber nest...they are solitary wasps. The females rool mud into a ball, and mold it with their mandibles to form a nest. After the nest is done, the female captures spiders or other tasty edibles to leave in the nest with the eggs. When the larvae hatch they have a hearty breakfast to sustain them. Wait, this is a mud dauber nest, isn't it? Gulp. (We found this on the door frame of our side door)

This is a Black and Yellow Argiope aurantia orb weaving spider. My husband found this on the basil and fern leaf lavender plants tonight when he was gathering some leaves for a pesto. MMM. Delicious Argiope spider pesto. From head to toes, this bad mamma was about 2 inches. Yowza! They are carnivorous and feed on aphids, flies, grasshoppers, wasps, and bees.

PS- There has been this abundance of spiders and insects in the garden this year....I always feel like our backyard is this wilderness that wants to return to it's natural, wild state. Spiders come and go, pine needles litter the ground, ants build their nests regardless of knowing this is my cultivated raised bed designated exclusively for vegetables and flowers, possums plunder, a clay soil goes from flat and controlled to rolling and unruly. But is that really so bad? It just reminds me to sit back sometimes and just observe the show...maybe sometimes you can learn a lot more that way if you just sit the f**k down and shut the f**k up.

Summer 2006 - It's A Wrap, People

2006-09-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Every spring season starts out with so much hope and anticipation- the glorious harvests, the orgies of tomatoes, the idea that somehow THIS year will be the year when everything goes right, nothing succumbs to pests and diseases, and everything will flourish in abundance. Seeds will be started on time, transplanted in time, everything will be done in a timely fashion. That's how I felt when I started this seasons little crops. Alas, the results were not always what I expected....

Tomatoes- pictured above as seedlings:
GREEN GRAPE and ISIS CANDY- Unfortunately these were eaten by eaten by ground termites and replaced with SUNGOLD and SWEET 100 hybrids from the nursery. The replacements have a fusarium wilt, but are holding on and producing a small crop of cherry tomatoes. I hope they ripen up before the wilt gets 'em or the critters do.

KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK- I was kind of looking forward to this orange beefsteak tomato, but unfortunately I remembered too late that I planted it in an area that had sunflowers last year. Sunflowers are allelopathic, and the beefsteak flourished briefly then just sort of sucked. It currently has a fusarium wilt, and I have to get rid of that sucker.

ANANAS NOIRE/BLACK PINEAPPLE- This is my favorite tomato this year. Because it's really the only heirloom tomato I got to eat before they attack of the tomato killers. But it was actually really good. The animals thought so, too, though I managed to save most of them. But of course, the hugest one, which was like 6.5 inches was chomped on. They shall rue the day. They shall rue the day...

NYAGOUS-I can't really say I know what happened with this tom. It was doing fine, then it dropped a lot of blossoms during our intense summer heat, but managed to produce one. Which got eaten by an animal. Bummer man, I really love black tomatoes.

BLACK KRIM-This one is in my front yard, transplanted during intense heat (a no-no), but it's doing fine, and I'm waiting for tomatoes. I looooove black tomatoes.

BRANDY BOY- I got this off of Craig's list. Another tomato obsessed person was giving away little seedlings, and was kind enough to drop one by. It was 2 inches tall- I grew it and gave it to my neighbor, even though I had planned to put it in the frony yard and have a little tomato farm. Alas, that did not happen...

Lettuces- little baby sproutlings pictured above:
MIGNONETTE BRONZE and CIMARRON- Hmmm. Let me tell you now that I'm not perfect. I started them in cell packs from seed...and kind of lost interest when it got hot...Lettuce is much better grown in the winter, in my opinion.

Beans:
CHINESE RED NOODLE BEANS- I will grow this one again next year. And I want everyone else to grow it, too!

CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS- The rest of the seeds in the pack will be given to friends as a faux act of kindness. But I will shuck the pods I've grown and make a soup with the beans.

PURPLE JALAPENOS- My transplants perished due to cheap a** potting soil. I managed to save one plant and grew it in a pot, but then the raccoons or possums or whatever the hell they were ate my jalapeños. And I was so looking forward to these, too...next year. Deep sigh.

LEMON CUCUMBERS--(pictured above at left) I did manage to get a few, and they are delish, if a bit seedy. I'm tired of these, so next year I'll probably grow Persian or Armenian cucumbers, those wonderful sweet ones that you get at Jons Supermarket. They are scrumptilicious with French Feta and lavash for a quick summer snack.

EARLY FRAME PRESCOTT MELONS- I'm really not good with cucurbits..this melon story ended in them growing a couple feet, being attacked by aphids. I ripped them out this week, and noticed the presence of nematodes. Chin up! I will try again next year.

EGGPLANT- The transplants were given to me by my friend's father-in-law, and avid gardener. I gave one plant away, but got three eggplants from this shrub. They are beautiful plants when healthy...and they usually make my tongue itch, but these were so fresh and spectacular.

Though this season was basically a complete wash- the good news is that I've found some new gardening music: Eagles of Death Metal 'Death By Sexy' and Daniel Persson Awwwwww, yeah!

Fig Massacre Part 3: Mafia Possum Suspected

2006-09-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

Suspect seen fleeing the scene, but not apprehended.

He left a little mafioso warning behind...

Paws up against the wall, buddy!

Fig Massacre Part 2

2006-09-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

This year a serial fig plunderer has hit our home. I awoke to this bloody scene this morning- the fig's entrails ripped out ruthlessly, left hanging, left for dead...

(But you have to tilt your head to the right to see it the correct way- for some reason it won't show up on my desktop flipped)

Juicy Tomatoes of the World Unite

2006-09-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

This spring I grew a whole bunch of heirloom tomato plants from seed and gave them away to people near and dear. A summer later, this is their story:

Ilga: These ANANAS NOIRE tomatoes were grown in a fire escape of an historical building in Hollywood. Gorgeous!

Amy's tomaters are the juiciest tomatoes I've ever seen. Oye, mamita! From South Pasadena.

Mindy and Eric's tomato structure In Highland Park looks so beautiful- I love that he built it for her. It's like the gardening equivalent of giving diamonds. Chivalry is not dead, friends. Very gentlemanly...They are growing a variety of tomatoes this year.

Natasha's HILLBILLY in South Pasadena with Cheryl the Rooster in the background guarding the plants. We couldn't figure out why these hadn't produced anything this year, until...Natasha revealed that she had grown corn (a heavy feeder) in the exact same spot the year before, which most likely has something to do with it. Cheryl and Mindy also had problems with their HILLBILLYS, though, too. Interesting....

Kirsten's toms- an ANANAS NOIRE can grow in Downtown LA. Go, tomato, go!

Elea's various maters scramble all over a trellis in South Pas- I dig the velvet pillows. Shouts to AD for the photo.

Tiana's BLACK BRANDYWINE in Ventura county benefit from a marine breeze- here with Swiss chard in the background:

Cheryl's grow between a rock and a hard place in Altadena-from left- KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK, HILLBILLY, AND BLACK KRIM:

Beth made a sweet PATIO ORANGE tomato still life with a note on my desk at work one morning- I was very surprised these were red, and not orange. Whassup with that, world?

Lila's ripening ANANAS NOIRE in Los Feliz looks beaut even when green:

Maria in Canyon Country has produced some delicious ISIS CANDY- here with bonus still life with roses from her garden:

My own juicy ANANAS NOIRE- the critters didn't get this baby!

This years tomato growing season has been exciting, even dangerous at times (well, not really, I'm just being dramatic) - next year I vow to do things differently. I WILL start my seeds earlier and cover them with little plastic cloches. I WILL spray the seedlings with seaweed emulsion every 2 weeks. I WILL choose only the most hearty, disease resistant, heaviest producing tomatoes. I WILL disseminate tomatoes to people in a timely fashion with a copy of planting instructions. And I WILL not forget any of these things come spring!

Peace out, tomatoes and tomato growing peoples- it's been fun- until next year! Thank you so much for participating in my tomato madness and providing photos of your beautiful babies...

I hope it was a great adventure for all,

Your humble Garden Tramp

PS-ANANAS NOIRE seemed to be the superstar this year, producing earlier than others, and more reliably. The plants seemed vigorous. The flesh looks amazing when cut, is delicious and low in acid. I would grow them again next year. For some REAL tomato reviews, check out Hanna's Tomato Tastings 2006, they are the bomb.

Fig Massacre in Los Angeles!

2006-08-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

A fig massacre has occurred in Los Angeles! I don't want to be sensationalistic, but this weekend a hungry squirrel was caught brazenly ravaging the luscious figs I had been growing in a pot on the front porch. Flaunting it's behavior in front of our eyes! This is the same squirrel that taunts the neighbor's cats by throwing things at them through the screen door in the morning. It's getting pretty vicious...

PS- Quickie Tomato Update: Last night I had to harvest ANANAS NOIRE/BLACK PINEAPPLE tomatoes a little unripe because the raccoons or possums or squirrels had already started in on the ripe ones...it's either you or me, baby...

Crazy wonderful-ish Beans

2006-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Oh, beans. You haven't let me down this summer with your showy display of pods. This is the first year I've officially grown beans- I planted three tepees worth in the beds where I grew tomatoes last year to add nitrogen to the soil and rotate out the beds a little. It was a such a big adventure at the beginning. I was so innocent then...

CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS (at left) and CHINESE RED NOODLE BEAN- the CHEROKEE'S coming to me as a gift, the CHINESE RED NOODLE BEAN from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, just because they sounded so fascinating and looked gorgeous and growing anything that's 2 feet long sounds exciting. How thrilled I was when the first little lavender blossoms appeared on the CHEROKEES. A sweet little vine scrambling all over my CECILE BRUNNER ROSE (that needs to be relocated to a place where it can climb freely, not all over the vegetable beds where real estate is high). When the pods were tiny, I picked them eagerly, bit into one, anticipating the salade niçoise I could make or some exquisite Thai dish. They tasted like paint. They were awful.... I always knew that there were many types of beans- pole beans, snap beans, wax beans, wax pole beans, bush beans, horticultural/shell beans, dry beans, broad beans, butter beans, runner beans, tepary beans. Many types of beans for many types of people. You want a bean? There is a Phaseolus out there just right for you. I just never bothered to investigate all of them, but with a little more light sleuthing, I found out that CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS are snap pole beans, and can be eaten as young beans or shelled when dry to use in soups and such. They still tasted like paint to me...

The CHINESE RED NOODLE BEANS (above) however are pretty outstanding and I would surely grow them again next year. Long little twin flowers that yield little twin strands of these burgundy, whiplike beans that you could turn put in a nice Thai curry. I'm pretty damn mesmerized by the little display they put on. Pretty dramatic and good for your next dominatrix themed garden. Tonight, we just steamed them and put them in a salad and they were great. And they turned purplish black when cooked! MMMMMMM...delicious Goth salad...

PS-By the way, the CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS BEAN was the one that sustained the Cherokee Indians as they were forcibly relocated west. The Indian Relocation Act was passed in 1830, the same year the US government found gold on Cherokee lands....I pour out compost for my Native american peeps who perished during this time.

Goodbye Los Angeles Palm Trees?

2006-08-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

Are we losing Los Angeles Palm Trees to age and disease? And do we care? Some excerpts from this Los Angeles City Beat Article on Los Angeles' diminishing iconic palm trees: Native Plant displacement...biological xenophobia...Department of Parks and Recreation...Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Million Trees Los Angeles Initiative...like the palm, few Angelenos are native...distinctive identity of Los Angeles...manmade oasis....

I have to say, back in the day I used to really dislike LA's palm trees, thinking them overated somehow and really cliché. Years later I appreciate their silhouette across the LA skyline. There's something so soothing about their iconic qualities, and the long swaying skinny Washingtonia and the shorter little fattie feather palms whose botanical name I never remember. My backyard overlooks a little valley dotted with Italian cypress and little tufts of palm tree heads. It's really true California.

Extreme Tomato Catfacing

2006-08-23T19:11:00.000-07:00

Lord I hope nobody has a cat with a face like this! Catfacing is a catch all term for any malformation of a tomato. So many things are supposed to cause catfacing: cool and cloudy weather during flower formation, too much nitrogen in the soil, exposure to pesticides (who uses pesticides??), irregular soil moisture levels. It's most common on older varieties, and you'll see this most often with heirlooms. No biggie, just adds personality.

A friend took this photo of a insanely catfaced tomato from the Hollywood Farmer's Market for $1.00. Sweet deal! I like how he added the wine cork to show proportion. Clearly he knew he was the target market demographic he was dealing with- winos.

PS- The other day I actually harvested some tomatoes, a little unripe, to keep them from the raccoons or devilish squirrels. Common red BIG BEEF hybrids, these babies were- I'm used to growing heirlooms with all their catfacing, stitching, all their lovely idiosyncracies. Ripening on my stove counter they struck me as so odd...they were so...perfectly round, and so....red. So...bizarre...yet so...normal. The normalcy of it all was so...almost Fellini-esque?

Amorphophallus titanum Video

2006-08-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

MMMMM. The smell of rotting meat- yummy! What better to attract hordes of carrion eating beetles and flesh flies! If you haven't already seen this, check out the titan arum flower in full video splendor . It generally only grows in Indonesia, but Brooklynites have recently been privy to it's full pungent glory.

PS- So sorry if someone else has posted this vid- I don't remember where this came from!

Karl Lagerfeld, Raccoons, Tomatoes...

2006-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Um, when did this become Bizarro Tomato Landia Summer 2006? My ripest tomatoes, just on the verge of delicious succulent caprese goodness have been plundered by the ravenous appetites of a fuzzball raccoon (or so I suspect). I feel, well...I don't know what to feel anymore...next season I vow to not emotionally invest in growing tomatoes anymore. It's just too heartbreaking. Please be witness to the destruction of some BIG BEEF tomatoes (my mom got these plants for me from large orange home improvement centre in protest to last years heirlooms):

Exhibit A: A snall nibble pocks the flesh of a ripe tomato. Luckily this tomato was saved.

Exhibit B: Half of the fruit is devoured- raccoon...or chupacabra?

Exhibit C: Tomato from Ex. B was left on the ground near tomato plants, partly in disgust, partly as offering. The next night this is what was found. Muuuuuuurdaah. Bloody muuuuuurdah.

Exhibit D: Last night I found another tomato slightly nibbled on.

Exhibit E: This is the same tomato this morning! Doh.

We've also discovered that sweet peppers have gone missing ("Did you pick that red pepper outside?" "No, I thought you did."), and yellow, red and orange bell peppers from our neighbor's yard. We really need a couple meowing cats to claim this territory again and protect the veggies. In the meantime I guess I'll concoct some sort of garlic and pepper spray...

PS-But thank goodness I have Karl Lagerfeld and the gang at Chanel to keep it real and remind me of what's really important in life! I bet you Andre Leon Talley doesn't have these problems....

Public Fruit Jam- Jam On It!

2006-08-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

This Sunday August 20th from 12pm to 3pm at Machine Project in Echo Park- be there or be square:

"The Fallen Fruit collective will conduct a Public Jam, in which they collaborate with the citizens of Los Angeles in a communal jam-making session. We ask that you bring along any of your home-grown or public fruit (see fallenfruit.org) and any clean, empty glass jars you have. At the end everyone will leave with a jar of communal jam. If enough people bring surplus, even the empty handed will leave with jam. Vats of fun for all!

The kinds of jam we make will improvise on the fruit that people provide. The fruit can be fresh or frozen. Fallen fruit will bring public fruit. We are looking for radical and experimental jams as well, like basil gauva or lemon pepper jelly. We’ll discuss the basics of jam and jelly making, pectin and bindings, as well as the communal power of shared fruit and the liberation of public fruit.

Our friend Michael O’ Malley will be baking some bread for toast.

Jam with us and share the fruit of our labor!"

(Hopefully okay with Fallen Fruit to use this photo)

The Huntington Library Gardens Experience

2006-08-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I attended a very proper tea (tea....quila!) at The Huntington Library and Gardens. It was all very proper. Afterwards the very very proper ladies walked about the grounds and we observed some very interesting things. I won't bore you with too many sweeping shots- you can find that on the website or in books. Instead I will give you the perspective from the street, the raw nitty gritty underground view. Actually I was just starting to get a cold from my week of partying like a rock star and felt quite weak and woozy so my perspective may be a little bit...underwhelming. Alas, there was no handmaiden or houseboy around to revive me with smelling salts or mist me with Italian rosewater. What a pity.

Glaucous Agave on glaucous Agave. Love blue foliage.

And I love it when Monstera climbs trees in the tropics. It's so exotic. I love the tropics.

Dendrocalamus asper bamboo was backlit by the summer sun.

This African Gardenia was quite simply stunning. I remember this same shrub knocked me off my feet years ago with it's delectable fragrance. Powerful, mesmerizing, graceful. Unforgiveable....

Love the Crinum in Hot Pink- a hot throwback to the 60's in California. You'll find this makes a presence in old gardens.

The masses flock to the Japanese Garden. It is serene.

The Herb Garden was simply abuzz with bees.

Birds like to eat cactus fruit in the Cactus Garden. Feast on, little birdling!

Violet Opuntia becomes more violet with heat, drought and cold stress. Would look so good massed with a blue vertical accent in the background.

Very friendly ducks! Demanding little critters.

And friendly koi- he actually let me pet him and he was enormous. Soundbyte!

Water lilies are always pretty. And edible, too, if you get locked inside the gates at the Huntington after hours.

Crickets are God's Form of Payback

2006-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

In case you are wondering, crickets in the bedroom, cheerping in the middle of the night are God's way of punishing your for forgetting to pay an eBay vendor with any sort of timeliness. For the past 2 night there has been a lovesick cricket in our bedroom- criiii, criiiiiii- that only starts chirping when you are asleep. Criiiiii, criiiiiiii. The wings grate together even more up close. Criiiiiii. I've been too sleepy, and kind of too creeped out to get up and look for him. But yet, I've also been scared-criiiiiiiiiiiii- that he will jump on my feet and eat me or find his way into the covers and turn me into some sort of cricket snack. Criiii, criii. I think this specific form of punitive torture must be sent from God, who is clearly punishing me somehow for forgetting to pay for those 2 antique seed packs I bid for and won on eBay 3 weeks ago. Clearly, it is so.

I'm just saying. I'm no conspiracy theorist-- but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck either. Mama knows what's going on. Criiiiiiiiiiii.

Update: The good news is, later this evening I escorted a very tired, hungry, horny, thirsty cricket outside into the night. No crickets were harmed in the making of this blog post.

Je Deteste Les Aphides

2006-08-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Je deteste toi, aphide, je te deteste. Ton suckage de mes leaves de mon concombres...c'est tres mal. Quel horreur.
Pourquoi? Je suis une femme tres honorable, tres sympathique. Une jardiniere pour le monde avec mes methodes organiques, mon amour pour le terre.... Je respecte tout le terroir. Pourquoi, je demande?!

Et maintenant mes haricots chinois. Tout les branches sont couvertes avec ton army de destruction. Oh...mon dieu...le tristesse en ma coeur. La douleur...

Vous etes l'antichriste de mon jardin!

Earthworms and LA Sub-Vermiculture

2006-08-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Please don't tell me you are afraid of wormies. These blessed creatures aerate the soil, improve water absorption and permeability. Their castings are nutrient rich. They improve soil fertility by moving minerals up from deep in the earth. Bacteria in their stomachs help break down chemicals and other organic wastes. I could go on and on, but I'm know there are much better sources of this info, and you don't need to hear it from my sleepy self. You just can't party like a rock star for 7 nights in a row, go to work during the day and expect to come up with something coherent to say when you are 35. So I'm just going to yadda yadda the rest of that paragraph.

But how 'bout this-did you ever think you could ever be able to say that you were the proud owner of a box of hermaphrodites? LA County Department of Public Works offers free workshops in worm composting, and also offers worm bins plus some Red Wiggler worms and compost bins at discounted prices.

Nighty night!

Whatchu Think About Tomatoes?

2006-08-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Here's your chance to tell people what you always been dying to about your fave tomaters if you are growing them in southern cali. Reply to Yvonne Savio's blog by August 20. Yeah, hmmm, yeah, I'd love to write something and give a taste critique of say, oh, any one of my tomatoes, except that....um, hmmmm, oh, I HAVEN'T HARVESTED ONE FREAKING TOMATO! I could say something about the tomatoes from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or the farmer's market, perhaps. Or perhaps the tomatoes from the little store on the corner. All I can say right now is, those tomatoes in my backyard better ripen up soon-my whole reputation is at stake!

Also going on next Sunday August 13th is an heirloom tomato taste testing at the LA County Aboretum in Arcadia. Of course, I can't make it to that because I'll be going out of town that weekend. It appears that the Tomato Faeries are not looking out for me this summer.

Harumph!!!!

Morning Cucumber Update

2006-07-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

So I walked out this surprisingly cloudy and cool morning, my hands half covering my face, prepared to see the cucumber havoc I'd wreaked....and everything was all good. No leaves were burned. It lookes like I've killed most of the aphid colonies, but the ants have moved whatever survivors there are onto different parts of the leaves, and are still crawling all over, despite my spicy pepper, soap, and garlic brew! Perhaps I made it too weak...

So I sprayed the marinated overnight leftover onto the leaves, and am now preparing a NEEM tea brew to add to the mix. Usually the NEEM seeds are used in such preparations, but I have some leftove NEEM tea from India Sweets and Spices, so I'm going to give it a shot.

Gotta run! More on NEEM, ORGANIC PEST CONTROL, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, and how ANTS HERD APHIDS BECAUSE OF THEIR HONEYDEW later!

Here are some recent cucumber pics- horny bee:

And cucumber baby pic:

Lemon Cucumbers...and Aphids-Moi?

2006-07-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Look at mama's sweet juicy cucumbers- I just plucked them from the vine a few days ago! Very exciting. Last year I grew lemon cucumbers, but as per usual, I always overcrowd things out of enthusiasm to have a crazy jumble jungle of veggies, and the the plants end up suffering because some really want their space. (I always do that and am starting to mend my ways) So my 2005 lemon cucumber crop was limited to 2 cukes, and then the plant eventually succumbed to powdery mildew becaue the light and air circulation was drowned out by it's sunflower neighbors. But on this years cucumber plants I did notice some aphid colonies (this can't be happening to me, why me God, why me, I've always been a so-so, kinda, almost halfway good girl) being tended to by the ants running up and down the plant. Overall, the plant looks green and healthy, but I foresaw doom, doom in it's future! Plus I've only harvested 2 stinkin' cucumbers and my gardening ego demands more. I cut off some of the unhealthy, sucked dry leaves, and rinsed the plants well.

Check out the APHIDS on the undersides of the leaf:

I checked them again this morning and rinsing the plants off didn't really do that much- still plenty of aphids and plenty of ants herding and tending to them. So this breezy afternoon...I decided to concoct a HOMEMADE INSECTICIDAL SOAPY SPRAY POTION to off some of the aphids. A little DR. BRONNER'S PEPPERMINT SOAP, a little HABANERO PEPPER SAUCE, a little powdered CAYENNE PEPPER, a couple CLOVES OF GARLIC, and a dash of LIQUID KELP for good measure. I blended all of these ingredients with water, strained the mixture and added more water and sprayed it on both the tops and the undersides of the leaves. Spicy peppers and garlic make great pest repellants, and the soap actually kills the ants and aphids. Garlic is also supposed to be anti-fungal and discourage powdery mildew and so on. There are a few natural insecticidal soaps on the market, but they are plenty easy to make on your own, and you can always find recipes online. I usually never spray my plants with soapy sprays because it also kills most BENEFICIAL INSECTS, like ladybugs, too. Most of the time, if you let pests chill in your garden, the situation often takes care of itself. PREDATOR BUGS arrive on the scene to make a feast of the pest, a flock of birds might land and devour the bad guys. Usually most pests have some sort of parasite, disease or predator that could wipe them out. And sometimes this fragile, beautiful little ecosystem is balancing itself out in a world to small for us to take notice and we end up destroying it all before this process has even had a chance to begin. So I don't always encourage a finger on the insecticidal trigger.

But this time I got all IRRITATED BY ALL THESE APHIDS which multiply so rapidly- and there was nary a ladybug in sight. And where were those lazy birds to come and dine in my backyard? So I made my concoction...and I didn't use a recipe, I just felt it out...and I'm going to be crapping my pants until morning because "What if I made it too strong and I burn the leaves with the soap?" Oh well, we shall see...

PS- Often an out of control pest problem will signal an imbalance- the plant could be stressed out by soil nutrient inbalances, incorrect light needs, lack of or excessive water. Pests are usually attracted to plants that are stressed. In my case I think the plants got a little burst of nitrogen from the liquid organic fertilizer I gave them. Sucking pests (they suck, alright) like aphids are attracted to that new, juicy high nitrogen growth.

Tomato Love to Increase Pollination

2006-07-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a little tip you may or may not have heard of: To increase fruiting on your tomato plants, make sure the flowers are getting pollinated. You can do this by simply shaking the tomato stem, thusly shaking the the pollen onto the stigma (part of the complete female part, or pistil) of the flower. You can also accomplish this by flicking each individual tomato blossom å la Yvonne Savio. When you do this, you can actually see a little cloud of pollen waft into the air. Very exciting. Above is a pic to demonstrate this procedure with my raggedy-ass manicure.

PS- Tomatoes, unlike say cucumbers or squash, have both the male and female sex parts contained in one flower. These types of flowers are called perfect, bisexual, or hermaphoditic.

Is my Tomato Doing Yayo?

2006-07-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

It all started so innocently with my SUNGOLD yellow cherry tomato. The subtle insistence that we move the tomato patch to Miami. The way it ended all it's sentences with "mang". Quoting dialogue from Scarface : “All I have in this world is my balls and my life....” and "fuck the Diaz brothers". Talking about moving keys of fertilizer. I thought it was kind of cute at first...but then...a moment of clarity...was my tomato doing yayo?

I don't how it began. It could have been the time we watched Scarface on the laptop outside to beat the heat. Maybe it was the guilt of replacing the fallen ISIS CHERRY and GREEN GRAPE tomatoes that perished due to ground termites. I'm not sure. Maybe I wasn't there after work to water it like I should have.

Or is than...can that be....DIATOMACEOUS EARTH?!! Of course it is, oh, thank God! I'm just kidding about the yayo. Sheesh! I'm just being escandaloso en el jardin. Actually I was the one who tried to deter and eradicate the ground termites, which apparently can be a bit of a crop pest, and accidentally spilled the bag of diatomaceous earth all over the place. Diatomaceous earth is a completely legal white non-toxic powder that is the fossilized remains of ancient sea organisms called diatoms. It's often used in livestock feed and to control crop pests. It it completely harmless to mammals, though it may cause some irritation to the skin if handled inproperly. The fine powder works mechanically, not chemically, on hard and soft shelled insects and bugs by (this is gory, not very Buddhist) such as beetles, fleas, ants, earwigs, silverfish, cockroaches, slugs, and others by scratching their outer surfaces and causing them to basically dehydrate to death. And now that I've just written that, I feel really sad and will probably never use it again.

Anyway, I sprinkled it around the soil to try and get rid of the ground termites that ate my tomatoes and dropped a bunch and that's why there is a big pile of powder near my tomato. Don't get all crazy. The drug wars are not on in Highland Park.

And as a wise woman has said "Everything just wants to live..."

PS- This was part of my Sunday project carried out in the humid heat wave we are having in LA- I need to replace those fallen tomato plants. My Sunday excursion took me to Sunset Nursery (I can't believe I ventured into the world in the heat!), where I picked up a couple of SWEET BASIL, CINNAMON BASIL, and some SPICY GLOBE BASIL, then Trader Joe's where I picked up another huge, but rootbound SWEET BASIL. Last weekend I also went to Burkhard's and picked up a couple of new cherry tomatoes- SUNGOLD yellow cherry and SWEET 100 both admittedly hybrids, but there was nothing else that looked good. I wanted to plant cherries in that area because it doesn't get tons and tons of sun, and I needed something that would ripen easily. Larger tomatoes obviously take more time and sun to ripen. When you are at Trader Joe's buying tomatoes, take a look at some of the containers- some of them are the SWEET 100 variety.

60 Figs

2006-07-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

60 Figs! My potted Brown Turkey fig has 60 figs! The tree has grown substantially and vigorously, as all trees in the Ficus genus are wont to do- the roots are tremendous, and actually the tree could stand to be repotted into a larger pot, though the one it's in now is almost 15 gallons. At the base of the tree, to dress it up and give it some shoes, I planted a few Echeverias and mulched with some seashells and stones I collected from a beach in Italy, which remind me of the trip every time I water.

The tree is on our front porch along with a Meyer lemon tree, a potted pink jasmine that trails up a trellis that creates the porch enclosure and smells amazing in the spring, a Brugmansia that looks like crap when it's not in bloom (and needs to be watered almost every day when it's hot, and I don't, which is probably why it looks like crap- oops!) and some huge Echeverias. Oh- and an little baby Agave americana 'Mediopicta' that was a sweet gift and is really adorable.

Another gratuitous shot of the fig tree and my neighborhood in the background- it's laden with figs, suckah!

PS- The fig is major history. The first written records of figs were in approximately 2500 BC. The Egyptians wrote about them, as did the Greeks, who ate them whether rich or poor. The asp that killed Cleopatra was brought to her in a basket of sweet ripe figs. It made it's way to China, to Rome, to Mexico via Cortes, and then to North America by 1790. It is mentioned in the Bible and the Garden of Eden. It is also one of the sacred trees of Islam.

If your favorite tree is a fig tree- Ficus carica- this is what it supposedly says about you: Sensible ~~ Very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, family, children and animals, a bit of a butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, practical talent, intelligent.

It just seems like a good tree to greet visitors at the front door.....

In Love With: Silver Crocs

2006-07-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

These are the best ever for bumming around the garden or house, watering plants, running to the market, or wearing to work to be sensational, yet comfy. I received mine as a birthday gift a little while ago, and I must say, I adore them. You can only get the silver ones at Nordstoms, for some reason, not even on the Crocs website. Love 'em!

Bhangra Friday Night Vs. Tomato Lecture Saturday Morning

2006-07-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

BHANGRA V. TOMATOES

It’s a hard decision. There is a Tomatomania lecture (Saturday, July 22 at 9:30am TOMATOMANIA FOR THE WESTSIDER A tribute to the tomato! Scott Daigre, Mr. Tomato, will share his wealth of tomato knowledge. This workshop will include growing tomatoes in the garden, tasting them in the kitchen and portraying them in art! At Barn Studio, 1660 Stanford Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404) sponsored by Nancy Goslee Powers Saturday morning at 9:30, but there is bhangra Dance Downtown event in the courtyard of the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion tonight! This is a toughie...If I decide to go to the lecture tomorrow morning, that means I have to go to bed at a reasonable hour, which definitely won’t happen. And the lecture is for the Westsiders, and I’m Eastsider....on the other hand it would be cool to hear Scott Daigre speak. That means I’ll have to wake up early on Saturday morning and can’t dawdle and putter as I’m prone to. Hmmm, both are pleasurable and will feed the soul...but BHANGRA it is!!

Well, perhaps I could fit in both- oh, who am I kidding!!??

PS- Just a quick side note: The tomato in the pic is called RED LIGHTNING , and it's a full on hybrid created by Burpee. It's lineage includes the reknowned RED ZEBRA heirloom, and this is supposed to be an "improved" version. It looks like the striping is a little more intense than RED ZEBRA, and I'm not sure if it's open- pollinated (doubt it) or resistant to any fusarium wilts, etc. I almost feel like growing it next year.....stop me stop me...slap my hand!! I did say I was a tramp! Lord protect me from what I want!

Fertilize Your Potted Plants!

2006-07-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you are wondering why your plants in pots are not thriving? They haven't grown an inch in months perhaps years and the leaves might be a pale green colour? Don't feel bad- you are not a bad gardener. You just need to fertilize, my friend. Plants in pots can't send out roots in search of nutrients like those in the ground. They are confined to a somwhat artificial environment you've created for them. So you need to get on a regular schedule of adding a good organic fert to the pot, and possibly even adding some liquid kelp solution while watering. But you have to maintain a schedule- like once a month or once every 2 weeks to keep plants looking tip top. But steer clear of liquid chemical ferts...like the blue stuff...and focus on a nice organic fertilzer instead. As the Brits might say- these are shite for your plant. More on that later.

My recs are Dr. Earth organic fertilzers. Most are powdered and granular- very slow release, so they won't burn your plants. Add the recommended amount and try to lightly scratch it into the surface. Add a small amount of compost as long as you are at it, and make sure no roots are exposed on the upper surface. Dr. Earth also makes a liquid fert that is easy enough to mix with water and pour into your pots. These are completely organic ferts, and they do smell as such- your cats might be attracted to them as well. They are made primarily out of fish products, kelp and alfalfa meal and also contain microorganisms that are beneficial to your soil. They are as vegetarian as you can get- even most organic ferts out there contain chicken manure, blood and bone meal, which grosses some people out. Dr. Earth products are my faves and they are available at Sunset Nursery in East Hollywood and Burkards in Pasadena.

If you shop at OSH, you can pick up a whole range of Whitney Farms natural ferts. Armstrongs also carries a line of natural ferts.

So get off your butt and go give those plants in containers some love!

PS- This is a rose-scented geranium (pelargonium) that I rooted from a cutting taken from the curbside area at Fatty's in Eagle Rock for a friend.

Think About Drought Tolerant Plants

2006-07-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

It’s been freaking hot people. Have you been watering a lot and seeing your plants buckle and wilt with the heat? If you haven’t already, start thinking of incorporating drought tolerant plants into your Cali and So Cali landscape. It doesn’t have to be all lawn and water guzzling plants to look lush and luscious! Succulents, cacti, Mediterranean plants like lavender, rosemary, and other herbs are wonderful garden staples that provide color, fragrance and usefulness with little care once established. Australian and South African plants like Proteas are wonderfully bizarre and add texture and funky focal points. Many native plants require zero care and water once established and provide a natural habitat and food for our local wildlife and insects while being absolutely adapted to the local climate. I’m not saying you have to hug a tree and eat granola, but just stop for a second and think a little about how you can use less water- and work less to boot. Which would leave you more time for drinking mojitos with your friends in the backyard and discussing the finer merits of, well.... anything!

PS- Supposedly in Los Angeles County alone, we lose 50 MILLION gallons of water a day due to RUNOFF- crazy, huh?

A Bat In The Garden!

2006-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

I just saw a bat in the garden!! I was outside picking some basil for my pasta and I saw what I think was bat or either a very very very very large, very very active moth near my tomato plants!

Eat those mosquitos, cucumber beetles, cutworms, moths and other pests and leave your guano behind, friend- don't be a stranger! Bring your party crew!

Lawns Part 1: It's a Lawn Story

2006-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Lawns- ptooey! Who needs them? People that want to play badminton and have garden parties, that’s who! 2 years ago, when we first moved into our apt, the backyard was a jumble of weeds growing in clay soil. For the first 6 months we would mow them down in an effort to make order of this glorious chaos- or well at least the gardeners my landlady hired would. The gardeners would also give me the “crazy eye” when I said I wanted to keep the pine needles on the hard, compacted clay soil floor as a natural mulch. And they’d look askance when I wanted to show them all the ladybug larvae that looked like little crocodiles that were growing on the knee high weeds. Well, whatevs...we still ended up tracking mud and dirt into our house on a regular basis. We kicked up clouds of dirt when we played badminton. Very annoying- we needed something under our feet, and quick.

So we decided to plant a small lawn, and I have to say I f-ed it up royally, my friend. Well, it didn’t start so bad.....we dug out as many Bermuda grass stolons and patches as we could....we hauled composted horse manure from the Burbank stables, and lugged it (and by “we”, I mean my hubster did, while I offered emotional support) up a flight of 14 steps, round the side of the house and onto the roughly 25 x 50 foot backyard. It was a lot of compost, like a grip or a shitload. We rented a rototiller from the orange home improvement store, rotoltilled it all in, smoothed it out with a huge roller filled with water and planted what I thought were good seeds- for sun and shade. I didn’t research, I didn’t discriminate, we just bought the seeds and spread them. Oh, if I could turn back time like Cher! If I could find a way, my friend!

Listen to me. Look at me. Heed my warning- and do as I say, not as I do. I will dissolve my ego and tell the tale.

The seeds ended up a cool season blend of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial rye, which means in the spring and winter, they are a glorious green (minus a little rust, don’t get me started), but they can’t stand up to our hot sort of inland-y summers. (They would be fine and not stressed near the beach or in the Pacific Northwest, probably, where cooler, more temperate weather predominates) In the summer we practically live outside, and the surface looks terrible...and, more importantly, it guzzles tons of water if we want it to look good. Oy, vey is mire. I f-ed it up, yo. Last summer I tried tough love. Long, deep waterings every 1-2 weeks. Let those roots work for their rent! It looked terrible all summer, probably because we gave it a little bit too much tough love.

This summer, we are very guiltily watering our lawn as needed, and it looks much better, though we have tentative plans to redo the lawn with a sturdier, rhizome forming grass like bermuda (which has no taken over portions of the lawn, but now I really appreciate it’s toughness and drought tolerance) or St. Augustine, or slowly transform it into a naturally biodiverse groundcover incorporating clovers, creeping thymes, bellis daisies and other things, or my dream, rehab the lawn with all native and drought tolerant low growing sedges. Right now it has bits and pieces of white clover, supplying nitrogen naturally to the soil, a few Bellis daisies I stole from Griffith Park with my mom as a lookout and Bermuda grass creeping all over and into my 2 raised beds along the sides. Oh, and some dandelions, which I love in the lawn. It makes it look really authentic- authentic what exactly, I don’t know.

We shall see..in the meantime- above are some pics of a hard workin’ man aerating the lawn with monster spiky shoes and mowing the lawn- taking care of the lawn, the lawn, the lawn. What’s the deal with boys and lawns? They love the lawns. The lawn is manhood. The lawn is virility. The lawn, the lawn, the lawn!

In Love With: Mrs. Meyers Geranium Dishwashing Liquid

2006-07-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

I love this dishwashing liquid- it has revolutionized my life. For those of us unfortunate enough to not have dishwashers, we must resort to good old aromatherapy to get us into the kitchen sink. It smells freaking fantastic- and you can find other things in this scent- hand soap, laundry liquid, dryer sheets, glass cleaner, counter cleaner, lotion and candles. I highly recommend it. Even though it doesn't make me feel like doing housework any more than usual....

Get it at Mrs. Meyers online.

Ciao bellos!

PS- It seems sort of silly to be talking about something as trivial and small as dishwashing liquid given all the intensity and shit that is happening in Lebanon right now...we are so spoiled, we Americans...how silly...pretty smelling dishwashing liquid when there is no clean water and the country has been bombed to shit...

Tomato Update!

2006-07-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

My ANANAS NOIRE or BLACK PINEAPPLE have baby tomatoes that are growing larger day by day! Can you see how sweet and pleated they look? I've been pinching off the blossoms until the plants were larger, and now finally are just letting them go. These grew in like 4 days. Look at the babies, then look at what they'll end up being- a sort of crazy tie- dyed tomato that doesn't look quite ripe.

Also, the BIG BEEF tomato plant that my mom picked up from a large orange home improvement store because she was tired of my heirlooms last year. I did my best to not help it along, and I planted it months ago and it looked like crap...but...it's now super healthy and disease resistant. Not really a hybrid lovin' gal, but....

The NYAGOUS black tomato is coming along, but the KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK has been dropping it's blossoms due to some extreme 87 degrees plus heat. The leaves were looking a pale green, and I made an infusion of Dr. Earth veggies fertilizer with water and fertilized it with that....I see some new growth, but I'm not sure it's liking the heat.

I'm also sorry to say I lost some recently planted cherry tomatoes- ISIS CANDY and GREEN GRAPE...due to subterranean ternites I think! They wilted for no reason, then fell over, and when I pulled them out of the ground, what looked like termite workers crawled through the stems and out. I've seen this with a couple of Aeoniums before, but never with tomatoes. Very dubious, indeed. ISIS CANDY and GREEN GRAPE rest in peace- am I never to taste your sweet succulence? Here, a pic of the grave markers:

And remember previously, my lately planted IVORY PEAR cherry tomato plants had perished due to crappy, too-much-moisture-retaining potting soil- well I replanted them in good GARDENER'S GOLD potting soil and two are doing well! Here, a pic:

An Ode To Eggplant and Quick Aubergine Update

2006-07-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

The eggplant that I planted, even though I'm allergic to eggplant and it makes my tongue itch-- is growing like crazy! I swear, the fruits are growing by the day. I don't know what to do with these suckers. I just like watching them grow...I love the relationship you develop with them. You reach out to touch the flowers and they prick you with their spiny little thorns. It's so S&M. The flowers are so sexy and purple, the whole plant is so mysterious. I grew it this year because I wanted to see the flowers unfold, like deadly nightshade...

PS- Eggplants are in the Solanaceae plant family, which also contains tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, Brugmansia, datura, tobacco and those petunias, too.

Mama Ain't Funkin Around...

2006-07-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

...with no cheap a** potting soil never again. The four little IVORY PEAR tomatoes that I had repotted, I had their new homes all planned- and 2 of them, they completely croaked on me. I swear it's that cheap potting soil. It couldn't possibly be me, could it? Clearly not. I've never had this problem before. I think the potting soil retains too much water. I've sprouted so many seeds in good old Gardener's Gold potting soil, and I never had any problems.

Bummer, man...I was really looking forward to giving away more of those tomatoes..here's a pic of my deceased IVORY PEAR tomato. Sniff, sniff.

Tomato Hornworm, I Curse Ye

2006-07-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

Um, in the past week I've caught TWO tomato hornworms visciously clinging to my tomatoes. TWO! The first on my little ISIS CANDY and the other on my BLACK KRIM tomato I've just planted this monday in the front of our yard. When I get my hands on the moth that started this!

But I guess caterpillars have to eat something too...and tomato plants can continue to produce despite being partially defoliated...but let one of those critters start muching on my tomatoes and there will be heck to pay....I will not hesitate to whip out the Bacillus thuringiensis on ye green a**!

And with that- goodnight, sir!

Viva Italia!

2006-07-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of Italy winning the World Cup finals futbol match, my plant list for the next couple of seasons shall include CHICORY, COSTOLUTO GENEVOSE TOMATO, ITALIAN PARSLEY, and more BASIL grown from Italian seeds. What a crazy match!

(But did Marco Materazzi really call Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore" and tell him to "just f**k off"? )

Only the basil shall know for sure.....

Mulch Like You Mean It

2006-07-10T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's freakin hot out here. At least for us wussy Angelenos (I can say this, I'm actually a true Angelena) where, 85 degrees is hot and 60 degrees is cold. Everybody get's hot, even your little plantitas. You must protect them- from the fluctuating soil temps, the rapid evaporation of moisture from the soil, the elements in general. And so during this type of weather my friend, you must mulch like the wind!

Below are reasons why I implore you to mulch with something organic like wood chips, compost or shredded garden matter. You can even use grass clippings or newspaper, though the look is not as tidy as wood chips.

1- WEED CONTROL- It's difficult for weed seeds to germinate under a 2-4 inch layer of mulch. Reduce time spent a weedin' the garden.

2-REDUCE EVAPORATION OF MOISTURE FROM THE SOIL- Applying a thick layer of mulch to the soil will help you reduce watering tremendously during the hot summer months, and reduces the need for frequent watering.

3-ADD ORGANIC MATTER TO THE SOIL- Organic mulches like wood chips, compost, shredded bark, grass clippings, and newspaper will eventually decompose and add organic matter to your soil, enriching your soil, attracting earthworms, encouraging beneficial soil microbes, etc. Inorganic mulches such as pebbles, stones, gravel, polished glass or river rocks will not decompose and enrich the soil, but are still beneficial for the garden.

4-REDUCE POSSIBLE PLANT DISEASES BY REDUCING WATER SPLASHING SOIL AND LEAVES- Many plant desease are spread by water splashing the soil where fungal spores reside , then the leaves. When you mulch, you reduce the possibility of this happening. You also KEEP FRUITS AND VEGETABLES CLEAN.

5-KEEPING THE SOIL TEMPERATURE MORE CONSISTENT- Mulching will prevent soil tempurature from fluctuating. Soil that is too hot can stress a plant. A nice layer of mulch creates a better environment for a plant to thrive in.

But please, please don't mulch right up to the plant stem- give the plant's crown a little bit of breathing room...

...and get thee to a mulchery!

I Miss Chiquita The Cat

2006-07-06T23:49:00.000-07:00

Oh the pain of heartbreak. My neighbors moved out about 2 months ago, taking with them their 2 critters, Chiquita and Mama Cat. Oh, how I miss being distracted in the garden, pleasurably neglecting all my garden duties and just plopping down on the grass to have an impromptu game of "chase the pine needle". My heart hurts. Though it pains me to look at photos...I will show these. Oh how I miss their sweet feline vibes roaming the garden, their in vain attempts at lunging after squirrels and birds, the meowing coming from the tomato plants. They gave the place some soul, some furry life. I will pour out a little compost for my homegirls who now reside in Atwater Village, not so far away from here.

Say No To Cheap A** Potting Soil

2006-07-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Mama's pissed. I didn't have the time to swing by my usual nursery, Sunset Nursery, where the vibes are good and there's always plenty of willing staff and great selection--and was in the neighborhood of a local home improvement store. I need to repot those little IVORY PEAR, REISENTRAUBE, and YELLOW PEAR tomatoes, as well as all my PURPLE JALAPENOS into larger containers real bad. So I bought a bag of the cheap stuff, which apparently turned out to be the shwag of potting soils. I repotted all my plants and they totally damped off on me and craoked! Damping off is a term for a fungal infection that affects new seedlings, and basically they just die. It exists in the soil, which is one of the reasons you should use a high quality sterilized potting soil.

I highly recommend GARDENER'S GOLD organic potting soil (visual provided so you can easily spot it)- it's my favorite and available at Sunset Nursery. Rich and dark, smells terrific and has the perfect weight and organic matter particle size- you can even use it to start seeds. I highly recommend it. Also Master Nursery potting soil is a good quality organic potting soil- you can get that at Burkhard Nursery in Pasadena.

Learn from my mistakes. Amen.

My Summer Heirloom Vegetables and Crops List

2006-06-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

I’m so excited about this season's collection of plants I’m growing! From left to right in the photo, the teepees are filled with beans, lemon cukes, more beans, more lemon cukes and melons.

I also have all different sorts of heirloom tomatoes I planted from seed- GREEN GRAPE, ISIS CANDY, KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK, ANANAS NOIRE, HILLBILLY, NYAGOUS, BLACK KRIM, and some red one my mom got from Home Depot, and a BRANDY BOY hybrid I got from someone on Craig’s List. In between the tomatoes I’m planting a couple varieties of heat- tolerant heirloom lettuces- MIGNONETTE BRONZE and CIMARRON. Of course there’s ITALIAN SWEET BASIL from seeds I smuggled in from Italy, PURPLE OPAL BASIL I started from seed, ARUGULA from saved seed, (which is so easy to grow) and perennial herbs- CHIVES, CITRUS THYME, MARJORAM, and a YELLOW VARIEGATED SAGE. Thyme is so essential in the garden- a fantabulistic ground cover and excellent for cooking. You must plant fresh herbs! You’ll never go back to those little plastic containers of $3 herbs that are slimy and wilted.

A few others are some CHINESE RED NOODLE BEANS, a long bean that is supposed to reach up to 18” and keeps it’s red color when cooked! Also, CHEROKEE TRAIL OF TEARS pole beans that I received as a gift, PURPLE JALAPENOS, LEMON CUCUMBERS, and EARLY FRAME PRESCOTT melons, which were grown before 1885 and which I’m going to try my hand and trellis for the first time. They were often grown in cold frames in Europe and are only about 2-3 pounds, and are supposed to be delicious and gorgeous. I bought most of these seeds from Seed Saver's Exchange and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.

I was also given some sweet seedlings- EGGPLANT and PEPPERS- from one of my gardening friend’s father- in- law who starts all of his seeds with a heat pad and lights in his house in Newbury Park. I’m not even sure what varieties these are- but what the hell! Eggplant flowers are gorgeous….what a mysterious plant. Also a YELLOW BELL PEPPER from my neighbor in the coolest bright yellow plastic pony pack.

What else? Oh yes, some INDIANA GIANT COCKSCOMB- the flowers are hot pink and supposed to reach up to 14“ across! What a size queen. I started them from seed but they are lingering in pony packs in my back yard right now….ooops!

That's about it....right now...oh- also in the works is an IVORY PEAR white tomato...little tiny seedlings even now, so late...but let's try it!

Don't Be Cheap and Lazy- Amend Your Soil with Organic Compost or Quality Amendment!

2006-06-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the expression "Plant a $1 plant in a $5 hole" ? Absofreakinglutely true! Especially when it comes to planting your precious veggies and anything that bears fruit and flowers. So don't be cheap and lazy, people- ammend your soil! I know it's a pain in the a** to drag a big bag of compost or soil amendment from the car to your yard. I know. I know how the lazy mood strikes and you're just not in the mood to get dirt all over the car and on your clothes. I know. And I know that's it's like "ouch" when you end up shelling out like 28 bucks for like three bags of Bumper Crop. Believe me, I know. I know and I hear you, and if you were here right now I'd give you a big hug and we could drink rioja and talk for hours about this and at the end of the night we'd be best friends. I'd hug you and tell you why building up a healthy soil is the most important thing you can do for the health of the plant. I'd pour you another glass of rioja, bum a cigarette off of you, look deep into your eyes, and tell you that a healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy organic garden. That feeding the microorganisms in the soil and building up a good earthworm population was an act of love. That building a healthy soil was akin to having a healthy diet- and that it was the pillar of good health. I'd stroke your cheek, pull the hair away from your forehead and whisper gently that you should amend your soil at planting time and mulch with compost or amendment throughout the season. That having a healthy soil could ward off pests and disease and reduce stress for your plants. And that it could only be accomplished by amending your soil with organic matter. I suggest BUMPER CROP soil amendment.

Let me tell you why you should ammend your soil :

1-Don't be lazy! Carrying 2 cubic foot bags of compost builds muscle! It's like free exercise! Have you taken a look at your panza lately? Trust me, you ain't getting any younger and you need all the help you can get, my friend!

2-Adding organic matter to the soil every time you cultivate it makes it easier for you to dig and work through your brick hard clay soil in the future, especially if you are planting vegetables. Make a luxurious soil and INCREASE IT'S WORKABILITY! (I'm appealing to your laziness first)

3-When you add organic matter to the soil, you INCREASE THE SOIL'S CAPACITY TO HOLD WATER. The little bits of organic matter will hold moisture and make it available over a longer period of time than pure clay or sandy soils.. This is very important for the health of your soil and the plant- and you get to WATER LESS, which is especially important with sandy soils which retain very little water.

4- Regardless of whether you have a clay soil, or perhaps live near the beach and have a sandy soil, amending your soil will improve the structure of your soil. It will help sandy soils retain nutrients and moisture and will improve aeration and compaction in clay soils, loosening them up and making their fertility and nutrients more readily available, and, very important for clay soils -IMPROVES DRAINAGE. Ultimately, you are IMPROVING IT'S PHYSICAL STRUCTURE. The plant's roots will love you...

5-COMPOST ADDS IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS TO YOUR SOIL. Compost and soil amendments contain many micronutrients that you cannot get from traditional fertilizers.

6- A soil high in organic matter will help ATTRACT EARTHWORMS. They love a good soil rich in organic matter. Earthworms in the soil help increase aeration and irrigation through their tunneling, improve soil quality as they digest soil and produce nutrient rich castings. Earthworms are your friends. Invite them to that party in your soil, baby!

7- Organic matter in the soil will help FEED AND ENCOURAGE BENEFICIAL MICROORGANISM POPULATIONS. These beneficial soil microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, actinomycetes, and fungi. All these miniscule critters help decompose organic matter and help form humus, as well as help plant roots extract nutrients from the soil. If you are used to feeding your plant with chemical, water soluble fertilizers (which you should stop doing right this second), this will naturally help your plant reduce it's dependency.

ASSORTED NOTES:

A- AVOID AMENDMENTS AND PLANTING MIXES WITH SEWAGE SLUDGE IF YOU ARE PLANTING EDIBLES! . Sewage sludge is basically composted human shit, and contains a lot of heavy metals that could end up in your vegetables, fruits and edible flowers. While appropriate for ornamentals, I wouldn't use it on edibles. By the way, not to gross you out, but most conventionally grown produce is grown with composted sewage sludge...another reason to grow your own organic produce or buy organic.

B-BEWARE OF CHEAP COMPOST- SOME OF IT IS STILL "HOT"! That means the carbon/nitrogen chemical reaction has not fully finished and there is still excess nitrogen. Excess nitrogen can burn your plants, similar to what happens if you overfertilize with nasty chemical fertilizers. The bag of cheap compost may smell like ammonia, and might actually feel hot. Let this bag settle for a week or longer in a quiet place and come back to it later when the carbon/nitrogen reaction has completed and the compost has fully decomposed. Trust me on this one- I once spread some cheap compost from a large discount chain on my plants and because it was so "hot", the excess nitrogen burned the foliage on ALL my plants. I was devastated- all my plants were "burnt".

C-NEVER EXCEED THE RATIO OF 50% NATIVE SOIL AND 50% AMENDMENT AT A TIME. Amend the soil every time you disrupt the earth, (for example to cultivate the soil because you are adding a new crop) but never stray from this ratio. The soil you create will be too rich for the plant- better to add a little every time you plant.

D-I really suggest getting the good stuff- don't cheap out when it comes to ammendment. I suggest BUMPER CROP SOIL AMENDMENT found at any good nursery- it comes in a 2 cubic foot bag.

E-Don't get crazy when amending the soil for NATIVE PLANTS. Amend a little when you plant, depending on what the species desires, but keep in mind that most native plants would rather be mulched than have their soil structure and microorganism relationship disrupted. Also, many native plants actually prefer a thin, un-enriched, pure native soil. Let the earthworms do the work for you- the one time you get to be lazy in the garden.

Is that too confusing?? Hope not!

In Love With: Takashimaya Rose Petal Black Tea

2006-06-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

I discovered this tea almost 2 years ago at Takashimaya (Takashimaya -693 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10019 near 54th St. 212-350-0100) in New York- the most exquisite, delicious tea you will ever find, an absolute mandatory daily indulgence. It's like drinking a delicious perfume, and even the boys are wowed by it. Beauty in all it's forms transcends gender. I drink it with artisanal orange blossom honey and soy milk. It's also amazing iced. If you don't live in New York, you have to order it by calling in and placing the order and giving your CC #, which nowadays seems very odd. You don't have a PO #, or a confirmation #, it's just all trust. I love that you receive your parcel with a hand written thank you card and the tea is delicately wrapped.

Why do I live in L.A.????

Wanna See My Melons?

2006-06-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

I think one of main reasons to grow melons is to be able to say "Wanna see my big juicy melons?" I mean really, how can one resist? This is all coming from a little Size A chica. Wanna check out my lemons?

Anyway- here's some shots of my Early Frame Prescott melons- a smaller warted melon- grown from organic seed of course. (The wet brown stuff on the leaves is liquid seaweed and liquid Dr. Earth fertilizer). It's a variety suitable for trellising, as long as you support the growing melons with a sling or something similar. I made bamboo teepees and plan to add horizontal levels on as they grow. We'll see about the slings....challenging? I gave a few seedlings away to friends, and I'm personally so excited to grow them this year. They are so jolie-laide!! And I'm also not very good with curcurbits, you see, which makes it all the more challenging. They get powdery mildew and poop out on me. But I'm spraying the foliage with seaweed emulsion to help combat any fungal foliage pathogens and they look pretty healthy so far. I'm so in love with the foliage....and I'm already sensing a mushy love phase with all things melon. Check out the Victor Schrager and Amy Goldman book on melons- the photography and styling is amazing. I wish I had all the room in the world for more melons...too bad we agreed to plant a lawn to accommodate that little badminton habit....

I need a farm...

Growing Lettuce in So. Cali.

2006-06-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

Growing lettuce, I'm convinced, is absolutely one of the purest things you can do in life. The satisfaction you reap from sowing a lettuce seed and ending up with a bowlful of the most delicious goodness ever is so freaking amazing. I used to just broadcast seed all over the ground and harvest the new baby lettuce leaves as they grew, but this last winter I planted pony packs with one seed per cell and ended up with some amazing heads of lettuce. I was so proud of myself, I have to say....lettuce is great for the ego.....I grew MERVEILLE DE QUATRE SAISONS and a spotted variety called SPECKLES, which I think is really a butterhead also known as BUNTE FORELLENSCHLUSS. We also grew some LOLLA ROSSA and some corn mache from some seeds I smuggled in from Switzerland.

Here's some pics of the early winter seedlings and here's a pic of my cute hubby doing a nighttime harvest for dinner. We have this flashlight you strap onto your head and it's perfect for nighttime dinner harvests. Also some more MERVEILLE DE QUATRE SAISONS that I planted from seed. (I planted it between 2 tomato plants- the shade of the tomato plants will provide some protection later on in the summer.) Notice how the edges of the leaves are a bit gnawed and bedraggled.

Be aware, though, that in southern cali, lettuce is typically a winter grown vegetable! There are some varieties that fare well in the summer heat, though most would be prone to bolting into flower much more quickly than in winter. If you live near the beach or have that coastal influence you have a better chance with summer lettuce. If you are inland give it some shade or a little protection from the sun. Treat it nicely- plenty of water and no plant stress. And if you do grow some bitter lettuce, before you eat it, soak it in water for a bit- you'll find that this reduces the bitter flavor and makes lettuce crisp and palatable once more. Fo shizzle!

I'm planting some lettuces during the summer and will give you my feedback. I got most of them from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds . This place is in the Ozarks, and their tagline is "preserving our ethnic heritage", which as a café con leche, half Mexicana/half white girl makes me nervous a little bit (what's that slogan about anyway) , but they're totally cool and really all about keeping seed strains clean, open-pollinated, etc. We need more of that attitude. I got CIMARRON, MASCARA, MIGNONETTE BRONZE. AND FORELLENSCHLUSS. I just planted MIGNONETTTE BRONZE and CIMARRON for the summer, and I have a few heads of MERVEILLE DE QUATRE SAISONS on their way. CIMARRON is a romaine type lettuce which resists bolting- and it's from the 1800's! What a way to re-connect with history. Think Vive Le Revolution! MIGNONETTE BRONZE is great for tropical hot weather and was introduced in 1898. I will let you know how these work out.

This fall I want to plant lettuce sampler pony packs and give them away to my peeps. Lettuce for the world!

Tomato Obsession- It Ain't Pretty

2006-06-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

You know that part in the movie Half Baked where Bob Saget gets up in the middle of a Marijuana Anonymous meeting and is like " I sucked dick for coke, man." Well, that's basically the type of behavior of anyone in the middle of a full blown tomato obsession- it's crackish and whorelike behavior.

I admit it- it's in my title- I'm a plant tramp. I'm a seed slut. I'm a compost whore. What do you want me to do? It's the middle of the June and I'm prowling the internet for highly coveted GREEN GIANT tomato seeds. Ordering VINTAGE WINE seeds from 2006 just because I got to have a little taste of the good stuff. IVORY PEAR- I just need a little bump, baby. Just a little something to get me through the next day or so. Someone is giving away a BRANDY BOY seedling on Craig's List? I don't grow hybrids, baby, but when mama needs it, mama needs it. Leave it my front porch....

Here are some places besides Seed Saver's Exchange to get seeds and heirloom plants from: Cynthia's Love Apple Farm in California , and another small seed company Amishland Heirloom Seeds , Gary Ibsen's Tomatofest , and Scott Daigre's Tomatomania sales, which is where I caved last year and instead of planting all the tomato seeds I had bought, ended up getting tomato plants- LUCKY CROSS, COSTOLUTO GENOVESE, CARBON, BLACK PLUM, AUSSIE TOMATO...another great one for tons of heirloom tomato varieties.

I planted an abundance of extra tomato seeds THIS year and have given most of them away. I think I grew and gave away about 60. I started them all from seed, nurtured them with Dr. Earth organic fertilizer and good Gardener's Gold potting soil and gave them all the love I had to give. The varieties for this year- all primarily heirloom, open- pollinated, no F1 hybrid love here. Most were from Seed Savers Exchange. I grew KENTUCKY BEEFSTEAK (orange), PATIO ORANGE (small orange tomato suitable for pot culture), NYAGOUS (black), GREEN GRAPE (determinate green cherry), ISIS CANDY (bicolor red orange cherry), ANANAS NOIRE (multicolored), HILLBILLY (yellow flushed red), BLACK KRIM, BLACK BRANDYWINE. I love black tomatoes- they are tops.

I then started another wave of seedlings-all cherries: RIESENTRAUBE (an extremely old one with nipples), YELLOW PEAR (a farmer's market classic) , IVORY PEAR (supposed to be like little white grapes). I'm sort of curious about white tomatoes. They seem so unappetizing and tasteless...but I'm giving it a shot. I'm commanding a friend from work to plant these seedlings mid season. Commanding!

So whilst in the middle of potting up seedlings, and when I should have been working diligently at work (it's research), I was....planning my lineup for next year! And ordering a few samplers (a little pick me up) from a couple of places. And not only was I planning the lineup, I was accepting more tomato plants from strangers! And I hadn't (and still haven't) made room for the tomatoes yet to be planted- like Green Grape, Isis Candy, a huge Black Krim I'm saving for the front which get's full day sun, Plus the Brandy Boy! What the hell am I thinking?

A Brief Intro

2006-06-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Hey this is a brief intro to my life, gardening and otherwise. I live, love and garden in Highland Park in Los Angeles. It's between Downtown LA, South Pasadena, and Echo Park- and it's a veritable mecca of sunshine and sin, lemme tell you. It's a zone 11, according to the USDA, and I think a zone 21, 22, something like that, according to the Sunset Western guide. I don't remember. The soil is clay, clay, clay. Light brown, absolutely no organic matter, and turns into a brick when it's hot and dry. It's crap and I've had to amend the soil like it was going out of style. Alkaline clay soils are very, very typical of Los Angeles and Southern California. You are lucky if you garden in one of those pockets of luscious silty loam. Soil that's actually black and fertile! And it gets plenty hot on the Eastside- so hot that when I go "into the city" which is Hollywood or the westside, I feel fresh cool and relaxed. Aaaaah. Especially know that I have AC in my car...shhhhiiiiiiiiiiiitttttt. Mama knows. Mama knows how to do it up!

Anyway, I started a gardening blog last year by almost the same name when I was sort of lushing it up and could never find it again. Oooooops! Live and learn, I say.

We rent a space in Highland Park- we don't own, which makes gardening a little more of a challenge. When we started- the entire backyard, a space of about 25' x 40' was only dirt except for a mulberry tree in the corner and a huge Canary Island pine. I had a million ideas, but didn't like the idea of landscaping the property completely with perennials with out leaving an area to plant vegetables, other edibles and annuals. We argued and fussed over what we should do with the large tabula rasa space- even getting into an argument one night at The Chalet. Eventually we decided to go with the most mundane of layouts- plant a lawn in the middle to accomadate that little badminton habit, create raised beds along the sides for rotating seasonal plantings, and plant other perennials along the other sides. How boring and suburban! (Gone were my plans of walking through a lush meadow into a small clearing to wine and dine!) And why should I spent $1000 on plants when I can propagate my own? I opted to rely on cuttings and other propagated plants to fill the garden. So that's been a little bit of the running theme of the garden. Buy only the basics and propagate the rest. Friends are only too willing to give you cuttings, and succulent swiped here or there- well who's to know?

The backyard was nothing but weeds when we first moved in, but glorious weeds I might add- filled with ladybug larvae, ladybugs and all sorts of sweet flowers. It was still magical to me even when it was dirt and weeds. I'll try to find a photo somewhere.....but anyway, here are some shots of it kind of recently. In fall when the tomatoes had grown into a wall of vegetation, one this spring, when I hijacked all the garden chairs, stripped off the cushions and used them to hold seedling flats, and one this spring when all the winter plantings had gone to flower and the cymbidium was looking gorgeous. And one of our porch- it looks like a charming cottage. Our house is lopsided! It's all a bit messy, but so what?