OK, so we started our seeds last month (or two weeks ago, or now, if you’re me) and we’re ready to transplant them into the garden or pots. How do you know when the little plants are ready to transplant? Leaves The leaves tell us when the plants are ready. For all seed-bearing plants, the […]
Down and Dirty
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Seed Season
At this time last year, Humboldt County was about to go into lockdown along with most of the state, country and, well, world. Toilet paper was being hoarded, and you couldn’t find a sanitizing wipe anywhere. And seeds! Garden seeds became a hot commodity as many people decided to spend their time sheltering in place […]
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Winter Pruning on the North Coast
Winter has finally arrived in Humboldt, after the sunshine and warmer temperatures in early January. We’ve had frosty nights, even on the coast, and now the normal rains have returned, at least for now. But it’s still time to get out in the garden, especially if you have fruit trees, ornamental flowering trees or roses. […]
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Fall Color
Fall is upon us in all of her splendor. The late rains this year mean we’ve been able to enjoy the beautiful trees longer than we’re generally used to. The lack of wind, until recently, has also contributed to the beautiful foliage staying in place. At my place, the paperbark birch is resplendent in her […]
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Cleaning Up the Fall Garden … or Not
My calendar tells me that the Autumn Equinox starts at 6:30 a.m. PST on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Before you get all excited about pumpkin spice season, it’s time to think about planting your fall garden if you haven’t yet and to think about cleaning up the summer garden (or not, but more on that in […]
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Labyrinth Labor of Love
When I walk a labyrinth, my mind becomes almost still. So when I interviewed Susie Laraine and Rockie Head, two Eureka women who built a labyrinth, I expected them to be soft-spoken, even reverent. Instead our conversation was punctuated with raucous laughter as we sat apart on the grass next to the labyrinth in Head’s […]
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Harvesting Your Haul
It’s the end of August and harvest season is upon us, time to gather all those goodies from the Corona garden you planted back in May. Aug. 8 was, according to the National Day Calendar, “Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day.” Keep the spirit going. In some more rural areas, you can even […]
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On Becoming A Flockster
Growing up in rural central California, my two best friends each had chickens in their backyards. Their busy moms would bribe us with a trip to Lickety Split, our favorite ice cream spot in town, if we helped out with chicken chores. We’d happily collect eggs, feed and water the birds in exchange for a […]
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Corona Gardens are the New Victory Garden
Back on March 19, my landscaping assistant and I were out working when we heard from friends that Humboldt was under a shelter-in-place order starting later that evening. We decided to hit up one of the local nurseries to pick up some seeds for friends, as well as for our own gardens. As a landscaper, […]
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Blackouts and Enchanted Gardens
Here on the home farm, we used October’s electricity-free hours to get ahead of winter gardening chores. Our clover cover crop has successfully germinated and the leaves on the apple trees and blueberries are turning lovely shades of yellow and crimson. We carefully stacked firewood, cleared out the summer vegetables and got out the barrels […]
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Getting Covered and Putting up Apples
As the leaves turn color and pumpkins on the vine become more orange by the day, we welcome autumn on the home farm. Harvest season offers reward for carefully tending to the garden all spring and summer growing season: crisp apples, golden sunflowers and homegrown cannabis are soon to be harvested. Life in autumn offers […]
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Micro-farming a Kitchen Herb or Succulent Garden
Late summer, and the weather continues to be fine with warm days and long evenings. Here on the home farm, we’re straightening up our culinary herb garden bed to enjoy stepping out the back door and snipping a few sprigs of fresh herbs to add to farm kitchen sauces, salads, soups and stir-fried veggies. Cucumbers […]