A Gardener's Notebook » Elsewhere

Video: California Carnivores from CoolHunting.com

Douglas E. Welch — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:23:00 +0000

Typically Cool Hunting focuses on art and style type of stories, but this recent video on Carnivorous plants caught my eye for sharing here on A Gardener’s Notebook. Enjoy! — Douglas

From CoolHunting.com…

“In our latest video we trekked out into the beautiful farmland outside Sebastopol, California to visit California Carnivores, North America’s largest carnivorous plant nursery. We spoke with founder Peter D’Amato about his personal history with these hungry plants, their cultural significance and what it takes to raise up fantastical plants from seed. Taking in the active plant life, we watched Venus Flytraps chowing down and a got a peak inside the stomach of an American Pitcher Plant.

See more of our videos at coolhunting.com/video “

Video: California Carnivores from CoolHunting.com is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Elsewhere: Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans – Saturday6

Douglas E. Welch — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:49:33 +0000

My fellow Saturday6 blogger,”Meems”, has some great advice and reminders for gardeners new and old on the Troy-Bilt web site today. — Douglas

Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans

By Cynthia “Meems” Glover, http://www.hoeandshovel.com/

Being a gardener has countless benefits. Sowing a tiny seed into the earth, watering it with faith that a sprout will shoot out of the ground, and then nurturing that plant with the care it needs until it matures is nothing short of adventurous. Successful gardening endeavors make our hearts swell with satisfaction and urge us forward to the next effort.

As a teacher of patience, diligence, commitment and resolve, a garden will hand out these valuable virtues to the gardener as they are earned. Celebrate the victories and learn from the upsets. Every disappointment becomes a lesson in personal growth; each success a humble reminder of what we’ve learned and where we began.

Read the entire article

Elsewhere: Gardening Tips for Beginners and Reminders for Veterans – Saturday6 is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Idea: Use topsoil bag as your “first year” garden

Douglas E. Welch — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:26:48 +0000

I came across this idea on Pinterest and, I must say, as a lazy gardener, this could be an excellent way to turn parts of your lawn into garden with very little effort.

Place the bags on the area of lawn you want to kill, slice them open and plant away. I would probably also make some holes in the bottom side of the bag for drainage. By the end of the season the grass should be dead and ready for removal and you already have a handy amount of topsoil to fill the whole left by the sod.

I could see using a similar method to start converting some bare areas and unneeded garden paths in my garden. I don’t have any grass here, so it would be more a method of expanding overall gardening space than carving the space out of a lawn.

Source: motherearthnews.com via Douglas on Pinterest

Idea: Use topsoil bag as your “first year” garden is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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I Like This – Wooden Spoon Garden Markers

Douglas E. Welch — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:51:19 +0000

Found on Pinterest today….

Source: littlegreenfingers.typepad.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I Like This – Wooden Spoon Garden Markers is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Interesting articles from Houzz.com – Grasses, ornamental trees and raised beds

Douglas E. Welch — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:56:23 +0000

Recently from the Houzz.com newsletter…

Build a Raised Bed to Elevate Your Garden

A bounty of homegrown vegetables is easier than you think with a DIY raised garden bed to house just the right mix of soils

8 Ornamental Grasses for Coastal Gardens

These hardy seashore plants evoke the ocean, sway in the breeze and help prevent sand erosion in the landscape

6 Unsung Spring-Blooming Trees

Billowy blooms and rare fragrances will make you wonder how these flowering trees could ever have been underused in landscapes

Interesting articles from Houzz.com – Grasses, ornamental trees and raised beds is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Event: New Altadena farmers market starts May 30

Douglas E. Welch — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:23:51 +0000

Sounds like a great new Farmer’s Market is getting started in Altadena. My wife is a co-worker of one of the principals of The Institute of Domestic Technology. We probably won’t be able to make until about the 3rd week of June unfortunately due to scheduling conflicts.

New Altadena farmers market starts in May

The Institute of Domestic Technology announced that the Altadena farmers market is set to launch May 30 at Loma Alta Park. The weekly Wednesday market will operate from 3 to 7 p.m., sponsored by Altadena Heritage and managed and operated by the Institute of Domestic Technology, a new organization that cites as its purpose reigniting “the passion of how we make food, the ingredients we source and the farms on which they originate.”

Read the entire article.

Event: New Altadena farmers market starts May 30 is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Amazing photo collection of Southern California gardens (and more) at turn of 20th Century

Douglas E. Welch — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 21:50:54 +0000

I came across mention of this new online collection from the Library of Congress via this Metafilter post — The Lantern Slides of Frances Benjamin Johnston. What immediately caught my attention were all the shots of Southern California, including some areas I visit on a regular basis. It is amazing to see what was once there and, in one case, still remains.

There are many shots of lovely gardens and more.

Johnston (Frances Benjamin) Collection

Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864-1952) was one of the first American women to achieve prominence as a photographer. Trained at the Académie Julian in Paris, she studied photography upon her return to Washington, D.C., in the mid-1880s and opened a professional studio circa 1890. Her family’s social position gave Johnston access to the First Family and leading Washington political figures and launched her career as a photojournalist and portrait photographer. Johnston turned to garden and estate photography in 1910s. [To learn more about Johnston, see the Biographical Overview and Chronology.]

Read more about and view this collection

Amazing photo collection of Southern California gardens (and more) at turn of 20th Century is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Project: DIY upside down tomato grower

Douglas E. Welch — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:12:49 +0000

I have been toying around with various container ideas in order to get the most out of my heavily shaded property. We are surrounded by mature trees, so sunlight can be hard to come buy. One way around this is to use containers, large and small, that allow me to move things into the sunniest part of the yard on demand.

This DIY upside down tomato planter caught my eye for just this reason. It could be hung in a variety of areas and even perhaps put on wheels so it could be moved at will. Looking at the design it might be a bit heavy to move around too much, but I think I would have to make one first just to be sure.

Do you have creative ideas for getting the most out of the sun in your garden? Please share them in the comments.

Source: attainable-sustainable.net via Douglas on Pinterest

Project: DIY upside down tomato grower is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Updated: Coming this weekend! — Tomatomania 2012 dates announced!

Douglas E. Welch — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:10:17 +0000

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Tomatomania, the annual tomato seedling extravaganza has just announced it’s dates for 2012. It looks like they have added a few new locations, too.

Each Tomatomania has hundreds of different varieties of tomatoes ready to take home to your own garden and kick start your Summer growing.

Here is a video I shot last year with Tomatomania founder, Scott Daigre.

Download “Tomatomania 2011: Scenes and Interview” – iPod Ready format

My local Tomatomania, at Tapia Bros. Farm in Encino, CA will be held on March 23-25, 2012.

Updated: Coming this weekend! — Tomatomania 2012 dates announced! is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Photos: Teresa’s Azaleas

Douglas E. Welch — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:30:21 +0000

Visiting one of my computer consulting clients today, I found these amazing azaleas in full bloom in her garden. Teresa says that they were even better before we had the heavy rains over the weekend. I can hardly imagine how much better they could look when they look so fabulous today. Teresa’s garden is located in Pasadena, California (Yes, the home of the Tournament of Roses parade) Take that all you rose lovers! (LAUGH)

Enjoy!

Photos: Teresa’s Azaleas is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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