Practical advice & moral support for the small-scale gardener
Happy October 1st! Despite the Bay Area’s warm temperatures, it’s really starting to feel like fall. The days are noticeably shorter and there’s a subtle, spicy scent in the air. As summer winds down, we gardeners in the Western Hemisphere reflect on the growing season and start scheming for the next one. It’s Gardening New Year….
I was set to have a bumper olive crop this year. When I came back from vacation in August to a mix of successes and failures on the balcony, my olive tree’s abundant fruits consoled me. Fast forward one month, and every single one of those olives has been eaten by rats. Signs of rat activity…
Perennial plants grown in pots have a problem: sooner or later, their roots will run out of room. And you, the container gardener, have a related problem: limited space for large pots on your balcony or patio. But when your beloved perennials outgrow their pots, it doesn’t have to be the end. In this step-by-step…
I’m not in the best place emotionally when I get back from Italy. It’s like being spiritually plucked out of the warm, cuddly waters of the Adriatic and plunged into the icy waves of the Pacific Ocean. I go from hot to cold in every metaphorical and literal way. Back in the Bay, besides being overjoyed to…
I know I sound crazy. Spring has barely sprung and I’m already suggesting you plan your fall garden? Listen, I’m not advocating against being present for the miracle that is springtime. On the contrary, we should all revel in it! But just as we take steps in the autumn months to prepare for spring (like…