Green beans from the garden picked today

Green beans from the garden picked today
Originally uploaded by dewelch

I got a hand full of of green beans out of our driveway bed yesterday. This will be our biggest success this year as the lettuce and spinach bolted on us after a hot spell a few weeks ago. Of course, now temperatures are nearly perfect for growing then, but now it is too late. I have to plant some this Fall and then get a quicker start next Spring.

Review: TB57 Lithium Ion Battery Cordless String Trimmer / Weed Trimmer

A few weeks ago, Troy-Bilt was nice enough to send me their new TB57 Lithium Ion Battery Cordless String Trimmer / Weed Trimmer. Like most other products I review, I was unsure exactly how useful this would be in my urban garden, but after a trial run it seems that this will find a solid place among all my other tools.

I have never really considered buying a line trimmer before, as I have no lawn on my property. Typically trimmers are used to trim around obstacles in the line and edge the grass where it abuts sidewalks, walls and fences. That said, I have found a great use for this trimmer.

In my front garden, I have a large arrangement of geometrically shaped azalea beds planted by the previous owners. (You may have seen and heard me talk about trimming those in previous installments of A Gardener’s Notebook) In-between these beds are pea gravel paths. During our Winter rains, these paths quickly fill with grass and other weeds. The drier months cause these to die back, but every Spring the front garden looks a bit messier than I would like. Additionally, the mature elm tree that dominates the front yard also drops tens of thousands of seeds. These quickly sprout up in the paths and in the middle of the other plantings.

Enter this new line trimmer. Today, I was able to go out and spend about an hour clearing the paths and other open parts of the beds of all types of grasses (both tall and short), elm seedlings and anything else that decided to pop up in the paths. In the past I had thought about using Round-Up or other herbicide to clear the paths, but years ago I decided against using such products in my garden. Everything here must survive under the rule of benign neglect and organic gardening, even if I don’t go about it with any grand plan in mind.

This benign neglect “philosophy”, if you can call it that, really makes the TB57 a great choice for my garden. It allows me to physically control weeds that would take hours to remove by hand (ask my wife). It is electric and cordless, so I am not using the heavily polluting 2-cycle gasoline motors used by many devices. The battery life is certainly sufficient for my limited needs. It seems it should give at least 1-2 hours of typical trimming work on one charge. The specifications at Troy-Bilt.com also show that it is only supposed to take 4 hours to recharge the Lithium-Ion battery. This means with an extra battery you would be able to work most of a day.

My only issue with the TB57 trimmer is its hand grip. In my testing I was unable to find a way of holding the unit that was totally comfortable. I think that adding a bit of a curve to the straight handle might help to move the battery out of the way a bit and allow for a more natural grip. I am also playing with the placement of the U-shaped handle to see if moving that up or down might make it a bit more comfortable for me. My 11-year-old son was able to easily operate the unit and didn’t seem to have the same issue with the grip, so maybe those who are a bit smaller than I am will find this less of an issue. My usage of the trimmer is typically in the 30-45 minute range, not the hours that some might be spending with it, so it didn’t significantly impact my ability to use the trimmer.

If you are looking for a powerful, yet cordless, trimmer for your garden, the Troy-Bilt TB57 makes a good choice. It is easy to use, feels lighter weight than typical gas-powered units, pollutes less and is useful in a variety of roles – whether performing your typical lawn trimming needs or my more esoteric path clearing.

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Malibu Garden Club - May Meeting

Image by Tie Guy II via Flickr

You may have heard about the Malibu Garden Club recently in this LA Times story, Malibu Garden Club trowels for new members.

Link: Malibu Garden Club Web Site

When I read this story, I immediately thought that there might be some ways to use New Media to gain visibility (and hopefully, new members) for the group. I even wrote a blog post about it. (Can New Media Save a Gardening Club?)

I am planning to be at this next meeting both to meet the members and learn more about the group and also because I think I will really enjoy the speaker.

Why don't you join me?

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Malibu Garden Club - May Meeting

OUR WILD BEES: Ode to Flight Season

Back by VERY POPULAR DEMAND! If you missed Frances Night last year, you won’t want to miss her talk this year. Frances is a bee expert who will speak about Bees & their relationship with plants, nature and our Gardens, and how to plant a Bee friendly garden.

California is home to a great diversity of native bee species, whose role in pollinating plants is ‘foundational’ to the life of our ecosystem. Sudden declines in honeybee and wild bee populations around the world have set off alarms about the sustainability of wild lands, the reliability of our food crops, and the quality of life. There is new urgency for habitat preservation and more responsible use of pesticides. Learn how we can identify these fascinating and gentle insects, and how we can provide nectar and pollen plants, and nesting materials for them in our home gardens.

PRESENTED BY:
Frances Night
-WEDNESDAY-
May 6, 2009

The Club House
Pt.Dume Club
29500 W Heathercliff Rd.
Malibu at 7:30 PM

Guests always welcome. Refreshments served.

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• Can New Media Save A Gardening Club? (welchwrite.com)

Seedlings are up!

Yesterday we saw the first signs of seedlings in our little garden bed. Our fingers are crossed that the squirrels and bugs allow them to continue. They will require some thinning once we can identify the strongest candidates.

Planting and hoping

Joe and I planted a bunch of vegetables in this small garden plot today. We are a bit behind schedule for Los Angeles, but we will take what we can get and enjoy it.

Garden Classes at Green Arrow Nursery

Garden Classes at Green Arrow Nursery
Originally uploaded by dewelch

Joe and I headed out the Green Arrow Nusery to pick up some transplants and seeds for our little kitchen vegetable garden. I haven't been here in a while and was surprised when I saw this sign.

It is good to see them reaching out to the public a bit more. of course, my New Media self wishes they were also recording and podcasting the classes. Then they could reach even more people.

Elsewhere Online: Making a compost box

An interesting instructable on building your own wooden compost bin. I like my plastic ones, but these certainly look nice.

Making a compost box - More DIY How To Projects

Can New Media Save A Gardening Club?

Image by imagebysp via Flickr

Reading today's LA Times, I came across this article, "Malibu Garden Club Trowels for New Members." This is a story being repeated all over the world, for all sorts of clubs. This is yet another example of multiple aspects of my life coming together. In this case, gardening and New Media.

Reading about their difficulties in attracting new members, I immediately saw where New Media could assist them greatly in improving the visibility of the group and reaching out to new, younger, more digital members. Under the auspices of my group, New Media Interchange, I sent them a note offering to help them expand their New Media reach and pointed out a few ways to get started. I think this will be a great case study to cover for New Media Interchange that can show the methods and benefits New Media can offer any group.

I am waiting for a reply from the club, but I hope they are interested in working with me to expand the reach of their group and help it survive for many more decades.

Compost harvest and vegetable bed prep

My gardening task for the day was to empty out Composter #2 for the first time and then use that compost to prep the small bed outside the kitchen. Most of the finished compost from Composter #1 went into this bed last season, but I wanted to add some more before turning the ground and trying some shade tolerant vegetables in this spot. We tried tomatoes here last season, but there just isn't enough sun for something like that. I mentioned some shade tolerant veggies in a previous post here.



Composter #2 has more compost than I thought. I had opened the bottom door to check in it a few weeks ago, but it looked like it was still cooking. I needed to make some space in it for more kitchen scraps, though, so I started digging some from the thin layer at the bottom. I quickly found that the compost in the middle was completely ready and was hidden by a small covering of uncomposted leaves and such. I ended up with about 4 -5 cubic feet for the new bed. Cool!

I sifted this compost and then spread it on the new bed and used our new electric cultivator to give it all a good turn. The bed looks good and ready for us to do some shopping for seeds and transplants.

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• Family Time with Vegetable Gardening for Kids (backyardgardeningtips.com)
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Time to find some shade vegetables

Image via Wikipedia

Although I didn't really believe it at first, there are some vegetables that will grow in part sun. I am going to head the the nursery this weekend and find some that will not only grow in the little bed outside the kitchen window, but also be something that we will actually eat.

I am a fussy eater, so that could be a challenge, but after doing a bit of research on the Net I find that kale, oregano (I know, a spice, not a vegetable), broccoli, cauliflower and a few others might do OK here. I plan on pulling out the little electric cultivator and perhaps working in some more of our homemade compost.

I also plan on putting in some salad mixes. According to some sites, growing this in partial shade, especially here in the hot San Fernando Valley might help to keep the lettuce from bolting as the days start to heat up.

This little project will help me complete a long list of to-do items so I am looking forward to it. Too often, I can come to dread various gardening projects, but this one holds a lot of interest for me.

Here is my list of things to accomplish fairly soon, if not this weekend:

• Visit nursery for transplants and seeds
• Empty mature compost from both compost bins
• Work compost into the bed using electric cultivator
• Plants seeds and transplants
• Adjust/fix soaker irrigation system to minimize leaks
  

From my neighborhood walk today...Figs!

I took my usual walk around the neighborhood today and was listening to the new podcast, The Typical Shutterbug Podcast, with my good friend, Victor Cajiao. Having iPhone in hand, it turned into a mini-photowalk.

Victor is collecting some great interviews, tips, hints and advice from professional like Michael Freeman, author of The Photographer's Eye and amateurs like himself and his fellow listeners.

It is great to have a new source of inspiration to go out an shoot, even if it is only with the iPhone or point-and-shoot cameras. You don't need an expensive camera to think about composition, framing, exposure and more. These can be practiced with any equipment, even your own eye.

Figs in the Sun



Figs in the Sun 2

Upcoming events from the Theodore Payne Native Plant Foundation

45 home gardens reveal the beauty of California native plants -and how to save water

Discover the beauty of California native plants and learn how to save water at the Theodore Payne Native Garden Tour on Saturday and Sunday, April 4 and 5, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $20. To buy tickets or for information: visit www.theodorepayne.org/Tour/ or call (818) 768-1802.

Forty five home gardens throughout the Los Angeles Basin are featured, including Sherman Oaks, Encino, Sun Valley, Tujunga, North Hollywood Granada Hills, Woodland Hills, Culver City, Torrance, Hawthorne, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Topanga, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Altadena, Monrovia, Glendale, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Highland Park and Atwater Village.

FREE LECTURE: Indulging Our Senses in the Native Garden
Saturday, April 4, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 90027

Join Carol Bornstein, director of nursery operations and horticultural outreach at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for an inspiring evening about gardening with natives. Discover the visual delights of gardening with natives, as well as the tactile, audio, olfactory and even gustatory pleasures! Ms. Bornstein is also the co-author of California Native Plants for the Garden! A book-signing follows the talk. The lecture, sponsored by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, is held in conjunction with the organization?s annual native plant garden tour.

California Wildflower Hotline will bloom March to May 2008

Twenty-four hours a day, March 6 through May, anyone can call the hotline at Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline at (818) 768-3533 or visit www.theodorepayne.org to find the best places to view wildflowers in Southern and Central California. The hotline message is narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Joe Spano (Hill Street Blues, Apollo 13, NYPD Blue) and is updated every Thursday evening with new information on wildflower sites throughout Central and Southern California. The web site www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html also features weekly reports covering the same areas. The site also provides web links to more than 50 flower-watching destinations and lists both the common and botanical name of each flower mentioned, and where and when it is blooming.

Event: Count Butterflies at Debs Park! - March 28

Learn all about Butterflies at the Audubon Center at Debs Park!

Tim Bonebrake started volunteering with the Audubon Center at Debs Park about nine years ago when he was in high school. The Tujunga native helped monitor birds, reptiles and amphibians in Debs Park. Since then, he has studied parrots in Venezuela, and has received a degree in Environmental Sciences at UC Berkeley. More recently, Tim has been working towards his Ph.D. in Biology at Stanford University, studying butterflies in places like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica.

On March 6th at 7:00 pm, Tim will return to the Audubon Center to give a talk and slideshow about the unique diversity of butterfly life in the Mesoamerican tropics. He will also discuss some of the links and comparisons to our own butterfly communities here in the Los Angeles area. Both English and Spanish speakers are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Then, on March 21st, the Audubon Center will conduct its first Annual Butterfly Census in Debs Park. Volunteers are invited to drop by the Audubon Center, anytime between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, to search the park to count the 13 known butterfly species that have been spotted within the park’s borders. No experience is needed. The Center will also host arts and crafts activities and Butterfly Story Time, which will be held at 10 am, 12 noon and 2 pm.


The Audubon Center at Debs Park is located at
4700 N. Griffin Avenue
Los Angeles, 90031.

Admission to the park is free.

Please visit the Audubon Center’s website http://ca.audubon.org/debs_park.php for more information.

The Audubon Center at Debs Park is celebrating its 5th Anniversary this year!

Elsewhere Online: 10 Perennials Easily Grown from Seed

Image via Wikipedia

I am looking carefully at this article from Fine Gardening magazine. I have some difficult spots in my garden and lots of shade due to all the mature trees. I also prefer perennials over annuals, as I am not an every day gardener like some.

Do you have plant tips for dry shade? I am still looking for something to fill in my back woodland garden area. Even a ground cover would be nice. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

10 Perennials Easily Grown from Seed

Because this bunch is simple to start, you'll save money and get more plants

by Panayoti Kelaidis

Home gardeners often assume that starting perennials from seed is more difficult than sowing annual flowers or vegetables, when, in fact, it is as easy to start a primrose as it was to germinate that bean in a cup back in grade school. Considering the many benefits of starting perennials from seed, it seems foolish not to do it. Seed is economical, and in short order, you can produce flats of plants that would cost hundreds of dollars to purchase retail, which is great if you have a large or new garden or are on a tight budget. Many plants must be grown from seed because they are otherwise unobtainable or difficult to propagate any other way, and seedlings often establish better than large plants. I am more willing to experiment and less apt to rue plant losses when I know I have an inexpensive, ready source available. Abundant supply also means there are plants to spare and to share.

Read the entire article

California poppies in a vacant lot

California poppies in a vacant lot
Originally uploaded by dewelch

I am guessing a little guerrilla gardening took place on this lot. Among all the grass sprouted these California Poppies, but I also spotted a few lupine mixed in. I am guessing a handful of native wildflower seed was tossed over the fence in the past.

This lot has remained empty for years, despite its location on a busy corner in Sherman Oaks. What a change it would be to have a park grow here instead of another gas station or mini-mart.

I can dream, if nothing else.

Elsewhere Online: Indoor Gardening Projects for Kids

Image by cafemama via Flickr

I am always looking for garden projects for kids, so when I saw this one come through my RSS feeds, I knew I wanted to share it with everyone here. There are 3 projects which can help to keep your kids (and you, too) entertained on those cold, damp and possibly snowy days.You can read about a germination experiment I did with my son a few years ago. We had a good time and it includes pictures and everything.

Read: The Seeds of Time

Indoor Gardening Projects for Kids

from Urban Garden Casual by urbangardencasual.com By Vanessa Richins

When I was a tiny child, I remember proudly bringing home a paper cup full of dirt and bean seeds.

I would watch anxiously for the first peep of the stem pushing through the soil.

Years later, I still enjoy watching new plants grow.

Gardening can teach children so many skills. They learn about science, patience, math and more. You don’t have to wait until summer, either. There are many gardening projects that can be started indoors year-round - especially inviting in the bleak winter months.

Read the entire article

Event:Tomatomania comes (again) to LA - Mar 27-29

The annual Tomatomania will arrive in Los Angeles on March 27-29. You can find more information, including all the locations for Tomatomania around the country on the web site at Tomatomania.com.

Here is a video I shot at last year's event.



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