Cricket Invasion in Not-Quite-Biblical Proportions: Mr. Hoppity, Please Get Out of My Office and Go To Town
Dear Garden Gal, At night, my home office is overrun by crickets! I’ve noticed them in the garage, too, and in the rosemary which grows under the window at my desk. I love their night chirping but not inside the house. Any suggestions? -Hopping in Hastings Ranch Dear Hopping, In these round-the-clock times it’s not [...]
Thinking Caps On. Hoe Down – Ask Garden Gal
Summertime is a time for brain cells to take a rest. If you are at a loss for what to do next… with that lawn/shrub/hole in the garden or hole in your wallet, we’ve got a few suggestions. Or are your out of town visitors looking for a day trip off the beaten path? Again, [...]
Fertilize For Bumper Crops – Ask Garden Gal
Dear Garden Gal, How often should I fertilize my tomatoes? Can I use bone and blood meal? -Asking in Altadena Dear Asking, According to Scott Daigre’s TomatoMania lecture at the Huntington this past spring you should be able to fertilize just once after the plants have set fruit. But, and I’m adding my big but, [...]
The Time For Summer Daydreams & Simple Pleasures – Ask Garden Gal
The Time For Summer Daydreams & Simple Pleasures I’m writing this from lovely New York City, home of street smells (insert your imagination here) and tourists. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday the Italians outnumbered all others, but this morning at breakfast at the Euro-style Washington Square Hotel (book in advance, visitors. This place fills [...]
Tomatoes Fail to Set in Summer Heat – Ask Garden Gal
Dear Garden Gal, Itís July already and I have very few tomatoes on my six plants. Also, very few blossoms on any of them. I canít find evidence of insects although I did see a cricket in one of the vegetable beds. Is it the heat? I do so love tomatoes. What should I do? [...]
Upcoming Events For Gardeners and Everyone Else – Ask Garden Gal
Learn! California Native Plant Society Meeting, San Gabriel Mountains Chapter. The next program meeting is Thursday, June 26, 7PM, Eaton Canyon Nature Center.This month: Plant Identification Workshop, for beginning and intermediate plant sleuths, conducted by a team of knowledgeable members of the chapter. Various plant families prominent in the SG Mountains will be identified, and [...]
End of Year Teachers Gifts Too Cool For School – Ask Garden Gal
Practical end of year gifts for teachers include daisies in pots, lavender flowers ready for infusing. Last week, you may recall, we had a letter from a reader who wondered what kind of indestructible plant to give to her children’s teachers for end-of-the-year gifts. Those would be plastic, of course. But short of giving the [...]
Nature’s Garden, Goosed By Helping Hands – Ask Garden Gal
The split personality required to be a gardener and a writer has caught me off guard. Again. Where’s Jake Gittes when I need him to slap some sense into or outta me. “I’m a gardener! I’m a writer! I’m a gardener!” So gardening won the arm wrestle this week. Hence, I’m too sore to dip [...]
Ground Up Gardening – Ask Garden Gal
Dear Garden Gal, I live on a wonderful old street in Pasadena, lined with mature shade trees. My back yard, and front garden, too, are filled with loads of tall trees. Talk about your urban forest! Sure, it’s relatively cool here in the summer but I want to grow vegetables. I’ve never even tried because [...]
Tomato Tragedy – Ask Garden Gal
Dear Garden Gal, I’m gonna scream! Two weeks ago I planted ten beautiful heirloom tomato plants in my community garden plot. Last week I noticed a red splotch down the middle of the tomatoes. While watering today I saw the same spots on my basil! These plants were too expensive to donate to diseases or [...]