This gardener used an old futon frame, hung on end, as an interesting garden gate. I have on older futon I am about to give away, but now I am thinking of doing something similar with it. The sleek modern lines of most futon frames work well for this type of arrangement. It might be a bit too modern for some gardens, but I am sure there are ways to paint and theme to fit in almost anywhere.

It is great to see such creative thinking and reuse of materials that might otherwise simply be thrown out.

Re-use: Futon frame as garden gate is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Altoids Tin Mini Garden

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by mischka

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You dont have an own garden, but like to live in a green environment? Why dont you make an Altoids Tin Mini Garden for your desktop? Use an empty Altoids tin. Put in a piece of tissue, add garden cress seeds and water and wait 3 days. Dont forget to keep your seeds wet.

Project: Altoids Tin Mini Garden from Instructables is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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One nice thing about our garden is that we have a host of evergreen trees and shrubs, so even during the winter the garden still looks pretty green. Of course, with our wonky rain cycle, Winter is usually the greener part of the year anyway. It is the summer months that turn everything brown. (or golden, as I prefer to say (SMILE)) We have a large Eucalyptus, Ficus, Carrotwood and pine trees in the garden along with a few deciduous trees like Ash, Camphor and our huge Elm tree out front. The azaleas, which make up the front garden are also evergreen. These azalea replace any lawn we might have in the front garden and I prefer doing their once-per-year haircut to the constant management of a lawn.

We host a party in the garden each summer and I am always a bit dismayed how rough it looks. The bulbs are all spent and the paths are dusty for want of rain. The roses can even start to look a little shabby. They like the sun, but the heat tends to wilt them or, during the hottest years, dry the blossoms while they are till on the plant.

While the trees do tend to shade the garden quite a bit and prevent us from growing vegetables, their benefits in cooling and reduction of our air conditioning bills is well worth it. They have become a bit of an expense, though, as they are so large that we can no longer prune them ourselves. We have to call in the tree crew that climbs up into the top of the trees and prunes from there. This is typically a $200-$300 expense for our largest trees, so you usually don’t do it more than every 2-3 years.

So, even though we don’t get snow here in Los Angeles, evergreens can keep your garden looking fine throughout the year much as they do in the colder climes of North America.

Evergreens of all sorts is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Video: Harvesting Lavender is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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This was originally written for release in February 2010 for another publication, but it never appeared. Much of the information is still valid, though, even as as move through April. — Douglas

While much of the US is still buried under quite a bit of snow, out here in California we are already planting veggies in our gardens. I don’t point this out to be mean. I am from Ohio, after all, so I understand what Winter means. That said, those of you cooped up in your houses can live vicariously through those of us in warmer climes and maybe even get a few good ideas for your garden once the ground thaws.

While our warmer weather allows us to plant earlier in the season there is also a bit of necessity. Our summers are so much warmer here that traditional garden staples like lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower simply can’t cope. Try to plant them in May and they will be bolted almost before you get them in the ground. Sure, we can get tomatoes earlier, but in the middle of summer they can suck up a small fortune in water to keep them going. So, now is the time for us to get all our cold weather vegetables into the ground so we can get our harvest before the 100+ temperatures shrivels them in the ground.

This can make your garden planning for your summer much easier, though. Seek out garden bloggers in warmer areas to get an early idea what the neatest, coolest, best producing varieties are new this year. You can even get some real-world feedback on how well they do before you need to start your own seedlings. It is true,though, that good news about certain plants could have you looking for space to hang grow lights and set up irrigation systems trying to get jump on your own garden.

Here are a couple of hints on how you can use warm climate gardeners as your get your started in your own garden (and kitchen) planning for the coming season.

* Check out online forums and see what others are planning and what they might already be planting.

Share your experience with others. What worked (or didn’t work) for you last year? What are you going to trying this year? You’ll find people from all over the country and the globe.

* Start collecting recipes that can make use of your garden bounty.

Gardening planning is always easier when you have some obvious goal in mine. Online recipe files have thousands of possibilities for all sorts of vegetables.

* Seek out garden bloggers. We all love sharing what is happening in our gardens.

You can use Google or other search engines to locate gardeners both in your area and around the world.

* Use restaurants as your guide

Many higher-end restaurants specialize in using new and interesting ingredients in the dishes. Consider the ingredients in an interesting dish, especially one’s new to you and how they might fit into your garden. Then, seek out these plants in seed catalogs and your local nurseries.

*Be adventurous!

Try something new this year.

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Planting time is already here, in some states is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Read locally

First, you need to find gardening books that speak to your geographic area, your urban vs rural balance, your wildlife — basically everything that defines the natural and relatively unchangeable aspects of your garden. It does little good to read about “banking” your roses for Winter if the temperature never drops below 60 degrees. Conversely, reading about harvesting tropical fruits like bananas and papayas when you are snowed in can only lead to frustration.

For my own gardening needs, I quickly related to the “bible” of gardening books for the American West, the Sunset Western Garden book, when I inherited my current garden. It has served me well, as it concentrates on plants that grow in the West (which of course includes California) and the problems that might arise from this climate. Even then, though it has to cover many different elevations and growing zones, so I have to read with my own zone in mind. Even here in California, it can still snow, even in the desert.

Look in your local bookstores and, more importantly, consult your fellow gardeners about the books they rely on most. It is a rare location that doesn’t have a few books on the unique challenges of gardening there. You just need to go out and find them. Sure, the Internet is a great resource, too, but there are times I am less than keen to take my laptop into the garden.

Balance between information and design

The next item to consider for your gardening library is establishing a balance between books filled with information — latin names, identifying marks, propagation tips –and books that focus on theory and design. You want a few of each as you will need both sides of the equation. Informational books can help you in plant selection, placement and care, but theory books give your mind a place to dream and plan. Do you want a “white garden” or are you growing vegetables, or perhaps a bit of both. Once you sketch out that grand plan for your beautiful garden, you are going to need some in-depth information about each plant so you can design irrigation installations and balance between the sun and shade parts of your garden.

No one book will fit all your needs, nor should it try. Each book has its strengths and focus. You should gather a small collection that serves all your needs by working in comparison and contrast. In this way, you will be able to create your best garden.

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Gardening books are friendly, supportive and stimulating companions is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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Here in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, I have often seen various types of backyard livestock. Despite the fact that we are a heavily urban area, there are pockets of ranch and equestrian neighborhoods scattered throughout our city. In these areas it wasn’t that unusual to see an occasional chicken, rabbit or even a goat. That said, when our close friends divulged they were building a hen house in urban Woodland Hills, we were a bit taken aback. Then, a few years later, another friend did the same thing. Now it seems to be a national, if not international trend. Surely you couldn’t be allowed to raise chickens just down the street from the latest Chipotle or Jerry’s Famous Deli. Like most metro areas, though, this is exactly the case. Regulations vary from city to city, but most allow you to keep a few hens (no roosters, please) on your property for your own use.

As you might imagine, fresh eggs — the freshest you have ever eaten — are one big draw of backyard chickens, but there are also the benefits of reconnecting your family (especially kids) to nature.

Keri Dearborn says of her backyard chickens, “Beside providing eggs, chickens naturally recycle kitchen scraps into fertilizer. They also do something that I never expected. When they are out foraging in the yard, they create a sense of peacefulness. Just watching them explore and go about their lives had a zen feeling to it.”

Backyard chickens take time and money, though. Feed and bedding, while not overly expensive, do have a cost, but time is probably more critical.

“Chickens are early risers and go to sleep with the sun. If your days are long, you might have trouble feeding them. They prefer to see the food put down, without that visual stimulation they tend to eat less and be less healthy. They need a sturdy coop to keep out predators and just the right amount of sunlight and shade.” says Dearborn.

You won’t save money raising chickens, as feed and maintenance costs mount, but that seems beside the point.

Susie O’Connell, another Valley chicken farmer says, “It’s been a great experience for me and my kids. The jury’s still out on my husband, but even he appreciates the fresh eggs and ample chicken poop fertilizer for our garden.”

You can find extensive information about raising your own chickens on line, including the blog, Back Yard Chickens at http://www.backyardchickens.com/.

The garden is going to the birds! is a post from: A Gardener's Notebook

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