Announcement, Books, Food No comments yet

Gift Guide 2013: The Drunken Botanist: The plants that create the world’s great drinks by Amy Stewart

By on November 10th, 2013

The drunken botanist : the plants that create the world’s great drinks

I love gardening and I love imbibing, so what could be better than a book on both?! Learn about all the botanicals that go into making your favorite beers, liquors and cocktails. A Wonderful Read!

From Amazon.com…

“Sake began with a grain of rice. Scotch emerged from barley, tequila from agave, rum from sugarcane, bourbon from corn. Thirsty yet? In The Drunken Botanist, Amy Stewart explores the dizzying array of herbs, flowers, trees, fruits, and fungi that humans have, through ingenuity, inspiration, and sheer desperation, contrived to transform into alcohol over the centuries. Of all the extraordinary and obscure plants that have been fermented and distilled, a few are dangerous, some are downright bizarre, and one is as ancient as dinosaurs—but each represents a unique cultural contribution to our global drinking traditions and our history. This fascinating concoction of biology, chemistry, history, etymology, and mixology—with more than fifty drink recipes and growing tips for gardeners—will make you the most popular guest at any cocktail party.”

More 2013 Gift Guide Items:

In the garden, Plants, Podcast, Show, Video No comments yet

Video: In the garden…November 9, 2013: Saturday Catch-up in the Garden

By on November 9th, 2013

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I take out 2 small dead pine trees, finish off the triangular area we turned into a raised bed months ago, plant 2 lavendar cuttings I raised on the potting bench and “hill” the sweet potatoes once again. Whew! Busy day in the garden.

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Check out what was happening in the garden a year ago: “Container Vegetable Garden Update 8 – Squirrels a-diggin’” and “In the garden…November 7, 2012“

Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook

 

Watch all past episodes of “In the garden…” in this YouTube Playlist

Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

In the neighborhood, Photos, Podcast, Trees, Video No comments yet

Video: Fall Color 2013 in the San Fernando Valley

By on November 8th, 2013

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Photo montage from of some Fall Color here in the San Fernando Valley.

Photos used in this video can be found in this photo set, Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013.

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Check out what was happening in the garden a year ago: “Container Vegetable Garden Update 8 – Squirrels a-diggin’” and “In the garden…November 7, 2012“

Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook

 

Watch all past episodes of “In the garden…” in this YouTube Playlist

Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

Education, Flowers, Interesting Plant, Plants No comments yet

Interesting Plant: Anemone

By on November 4th, 2013

Interesting Plant: Anemone

Anemone

Discovered via Pinterest User, Gina Marino †☠Mystical Enchantments☠†

Anemone /əˈnɛməniː/, is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native to thetemperate zones. It is closely related to Pulsatilla (‘Pasque flower’) and Hepatica; some botanists include both of these genera within Anemone.

Anemone are perennials that have basal leaves with long leaf-stems that can be upright or prostrate. Leaves are simple or compound with lobed, parted, or undivided leaf blades. The leaf margins are toothed or entire.

Flowers with 4-27 sepals are produced singly, in cymes of 2-9 flowers, or in umbels, above a cluster of leaf- or sepal-like bracts. Sepals may be any color. The pistils have one ovule. The flowers have nectaries, but petals are missing in the majority of species. 

The fruits are ovoid to obovoid shaped achenes that are collected together in a tight cluster, ending variously lengthened stalks; though many species have sessile clusters terminating the stems. The achenes are beaked and some species have feathery hairs attached to them.[3] – Wikipedia.org 

More information on Anemone:

From Amazon.com:
 
 
Anemone from Amazon.com:

Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas

In the garden, Podcast, Show, Video No comments yet

Video: In the garden…November 3, 2013: Literally “In the garden” with the bulbs

By on November 3rd, 2013

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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 I am literally in the garden and down with the bulbs in today’s episode.

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Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook

 

Watch all past episodes of “In the garden…” in this YouTube Playlist

Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

Education, Elsewhere, Food, My Favorite Things, outdoors, Plants, Trees No comments yet

13 of My Favorite Gardening Things for October 2013 – Douglas E. Welch

By on November 1st, 2013

My Favorite Things 

As always, let me know what types of interesting items you would like to see and I will keep an eye out for them especially. — Douglas

Photos, Plants, Trees No comments yet

Photos: Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013

By on October 29th, 2013

A short walk through the neighborhood today yielded these shots of some of the rare Fall color we get here in Southern California. The liquidambar trees offer a bit of red and yellow which, at least, gives a small feeling of the changing season. Here are a few pictures from the set. You can click any image to see the full sized photo and connect to the entire set.

View the entire photo set, Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013

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Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013 - 34Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013 - 25Fall Arrives in the San Fernando Valley 2013 - 16

Flickr Set Slideshow

Flowers, Interesting Plant, Plants No comments yet

Interesting Plant: Allium Cowanii

By on October 28th, 2013

Interesting Plant: Allium Cowanii

Allium cowanii

Discovered via Pinterest User, Shirley Wilkerson

 

I have always found allium quite beautiful, and there is something about the color and shape of Allium cowanii that caught my eye especially. The flowers almost look like snowdrops/snowflake flowers grouped together on a larger stem. Maybe it is this similarity that makes me like them, too. I have snowflakes in my garden here and always enjoy the show they put on each year.

“A very delicate and pretty, early-flowering, pure white allium, cowanii is excellent in the border and as a very long-lasting (3 weeks) cut flower. You can eat the flowers in salad too. – SarahRaven.com

More information on Hemerocallis ‘Derrick Cane’ (Daylily):

From Amazon.com:

 
 
Allium Cowanii  from Amazon.com:


Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

Interesting Plant is a series from A Gardener’s Notebook blog and podcast that highlights the most interesting plants I find in my Internet and real-world travels — Douglas

Container Garden Update, DIY, Food, Herbs, In the garden, Podcast, Show, Video No comments yet

Video: In the garden…Prepping and Storing Dried Herbs

By on October 27th, 2013

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Today I package up the herbs (peppermint, oregano and lemon thyme) I set up to dry in a previous episode. (See this earlier episode – In the garden…October 4, 2013: Harvesting herbs and radishes) Rains are coming and I wanted to get them set aside before they absorbed moisture again

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Check out what was happening in the garden a year ago: “What Douglas Dug… Show 006 – Gates, structures, walls and more! “

Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook

 

Watch all past episodes of “In the garden…” in this YouTube Playlist

Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

In the garden, Podcast, Video No comments yet

Video: In the garden…October 23, 2013: Replacing a damaged soaker hose

By on October 23rd, 2013

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Replacing a damaged soaker hose in the garden today

Check out what was happening in the garden a year ago: “What Douglas Dug… Show 006 – Gates, structures, walls and more! “

Check out my collection of gardening essays, “From A Gardener’s Notebook” now available as a Kindle eBook. (You don’t need a Kindle to read it, though. Read it on your PC, Link: http://j.mp/fagnbook

Itg 20131023 thumb

Watch all past episodes of “In the garden…” in this YouTube Playlist

Please Like this video and/or subscribe to my channel on YouTube.

Your likes and subscriptions directly reflect how many other viewers are suggested this video.

 

 

“In the garden…” is a series for A Gardener’s Notebook highlighting what is happening in my garden, my friend’s gardens and California gardens throughout the seasons.

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