Elsewhere Online: These Days from KPBS Radio

My fellow Friends in Tech Member, Steve Holden, passes along this radio show from KPBS San Diego...

KPBS > Radio > Programs > These Days

These Days: Gardening Experts Share Tips for Fall

Tom Fudge: The fall season has arrived, and a lot of people believe this is the best time, in our climate, to plant. We%u2019ll talk about the cooling temperatures and the coming rains, and ask what kinds of things are likely to thrive in the next few months. Our gardening experts, Tom and Nan share some ideas and discuss seeds, bulbs, trees, grass, flowers and related subjects.

Guests:

Tom Piergrossi, wholesale nursery owner and host of the gardening show Down to Earth on the County Television Network.

Nan Sterman, gardening expert and freelance writer.

(Via Fellow Friends in Tech Member, Steve Holden.)

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, hobby, california, grow, podcast, podcasting

Autumn Glow - Photo-A-Day for October 25, 2006

Autumn Glow - Photo-A-Day for October 25, 2006
Originally uploaded by dewelch.

This photo is part of an new, on-going photo--a-day project which I am doing over on My Word. Whenever I happen to hit upon a garden themed photo I will cross post here to AGN as an added bonus.

I took this photo late Wednesday night out in the front garden right off the driveway. We have a series of landscape lights in that section and they provided just enough light to illuminate the elm leaves and ceramic pot that currently sits empty. My wife has recently filled another with a large basil plant in hopes of convincing me to use the fresh basil instead of frozen or dried. (SMILE)

The orange color here struck me as very "Hallowe'en", which is appropriate as we are only days away now. I only hope it cools down before next week. I want Hallowe'en to be crisp and cold, with cups of cider and the smell of fall in the air. Usually it is just oo darn hot our here in Los Angeles. (Pout)

A new AGN podcast is in the works and should be coming your way sometime next week, "God willing and the creek don't rise!" as we use to say back home. My parents were in town last week, so expect more folkisms in future posts. You should hear my accent! (SMILE)

California fuchsia

California fuchsia
Originally uploaded by dewelch.

This would be lovely to put into my garden. I found this huge patch, and another just as large when I took my parents to Franklin Canyon Ranch/WODOC above Beverly Hills today for short stroll. This is, by far, the largest patch I have ever seen. You can find more information at the Las Pilitas Nursery web site.

Bulbs? In October?

Yes, that's right, we have bulb foliage coming up in October. These poor bulbs might seem confused to the typical garden in more temperate climes, but here in Southern California, the bulbs have sensed the light showers we had the other day and started poking their heads above ground.

Winter in Los Angeles is like Spring elsewhere, in most cases, but while the leaves are losing their leaves in true Winter fashion, these snowbells, paperwhites and daffodils are just getting started.

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, california, grow, outdoors, losangeles

Just in time for Halloween

All these books have great ideas for your Halloween Jack-o-Lantern and other food-based decorations.

First Rain 2006

The first rain of the season arrived last night. I thought it was just going to be a bit of drizzle, but as I sat here in my home office working on some projects, I started to hear actual heavy rain on the roof top.

There is something special about the first rain. The thirsty garden laps it up and you can see an almost immediate change. Yesterday, I noticed that there are already some bulbs starting to push up from the patio bed.

According to my, utterly lax, records, this is the earliest first rain in a while. Over the last several years it has occurred around the end of the month and into November.

We can only hope that now that the yearly drought is broken we get a steady supply of rain throughout the Winter.

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

- Langston Hughes, April Rain Song, 1902 - 1967

Elsewhere Online: Fall colors in my yard

Since I don't get a lot of Fall Color here in Los Angeles, I need to get my fix elsewhere...in this case from Steve's Garden Blog. Click the link for more words and pretty pictures.

Fall colors in my yard

Many leaves are changing in my yard now. I should mention the plants that are turning and when they started. I wonder if it will be the same week in future years or if temperature affects these things much? Here’s a little rundown: (Continues)

(Via Steve's Garden Blog.)

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, hobby, grow, outdoors, photo, photography, fall

Podcast Expo, composting, the $64 Tomato, and rats! - October 3, 2006

Listen to the Podcast

Theme Music: The One by The Woodshedders, aka the Hot Club of West Virginia, courtesy of the PodSafe Music Network

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I'd love to hear what's going on in your garden. Post your comments here or email them to agn@welchwrite.com.

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, hobby, california, grow, build, make, DIY, howto, how-to, outdoors, losangeles

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Elsewhere Online: The Plant-Free Garden

Well-designed garden hardscape CAN make a beautiful garden, as the folks over a Garden Rant discovered recently. Click on the link to their article and witness a wonderful expression of urban gardening that harkens back to earlier centuries.

I have some troublesome areas in my garden that could do with a similar hardscape treatment, although the cost is somewhat prohibitive at the moment. Heavy shade makes it difficult to grow much of anything in the alleys on the sides of the house, but a lovely brick walkway, like the one shown in the article, would do wonders for the "charm" of the garden.

The Plant-Free Garden

Today, the Wall Street Journal has a deliberatively provocative piece called "The Concrete Gardener" about a big trend in gardening: no plants whatsoever.  Just hardscaping.  And TV's, dishwashers, couches, hot tubs, and all the things that really make heading outdoors worthwhile.

Of course, here at Garden Rant headquarters, we think this is all horrible, reprehensible, these people ought to be stopped--except I was stopped by the accompanying photo of a side yard in Alexandria, VA.
(Via Garden Rant.)

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, hobby, california, grow, build, make, DIY, outdoors