Practical advice & moral support for the small-scale gardener
This November started off hot and ended up wet. The rainy season’s sudden, dramatic arrival extinguished the lingering heat, leaving clear, crisp skies in its wake. It was what I’ve come to recognize and appreciate as a classic Bay Area autumn. Wherever you are (in the Northern Hemisphere), the days are getting shorter, and you…
September is the month of harvest, though that is perhaps too strong a word for what I do on my balcony. Without much premeditation, my garden has become quite fruit-forward — I have figs, woodland strawberries, lemons, and olives (yes, also a fruit) — and their production is comically small, both in terms of size…
If you’re a gardener, chances are you’ve got some seeds squirreled away that are past their prime. Maybe you’re overzealous with your seed orders every year (me), couldn’t resist a bunch of free but expired seeds at a garden event (also me), or can’t bring yourself to throw away a packet with pretty illustrations on…
February flew by fast. After the leisurely pace of December and January, it felt like my gardening to-do list exploded, while my available time to do said gardening dwindled. But I needed to get ready: the spring equinox is only a few short weeks away (on March 19 this year). Urged on by the spring-like…
As activity outside on the balcony slows down, I’m keeping busy inside this December. The shelves installed in my kitchen window (a.k.a. “the greenhouse”) are populated with a collection of scraggly young plants that will be spending winter indoors. Each little pot contains a miniature experiment in propagation. Cuttings of herbs, salvia, and Agastache mingle…