Garlic is easy to grow. Though it has a long time to maturity, it requires little care during the growing season and takes little space in the garden. A typical gardener with a few square feet of garden space can grow most to all of the garlic his or her family may use in a […]

By this time of year, parsley plants will have gone to seed in most parts of Southern California. But rather than viewing the end of fresh parsley from your garden with despair, view it as an opportunity: the opportunity to engage in sustainable gardening practices by naturalizing parsley. How to Naturalize. One of the best […]

The word “lavender” may be derived from the Latin “lavare,” the verb “to wash,” which hints at the plant’s longtime use as a bathing infusion. For a medicinal, fragrant bath, run very hot water and infuse about 1 cup of dried lavender flowers or 2 cups of fresh flowers (or to preference) for about 10 […]

As Decoration. Once harvested, avoid packing stems tightly in vases, which will allow them to dry naturally. Lavender flowers remain fragrant and attractive, and may be kept on display for extended periods of time, although they may be a bit messy as they drop fine dried petals over time. Lavender flower are traditionally dried in […]

Pinching and Pruning. In general, lavenders need frequent, somewhat aggressive pruning, pinching back, and harvest to maintain an attractive, compact form and avoid becoming leggy. Prune more aggressively after blooming from spring to fall for general cleanup and removal of spent blooms. Lavenders bloom on the current season’s growth. Use caution when pruning or pinching […]

Want to grow an edible in the winter that is relatively easy and extremely useful? Planting purchased transplants in a container now can supply you with enough parsley for most of your cooking needs for the next few months. Leaf parsley is well-suited to growing in containers, and often has fewer problems in containers than […]