Today is a toasty 92°F (33°C) but that is normal for this time of year for us. We’ve actually had an unusually cool summer so far and our tomatoes and zucchini are only just starting to ripen. I’m grateful that our area has been spared the intense heatwaves so many areas of the world haveContinue reading “The Heat Is On–in the garden and on the planet”
Author Archives: lisatheardentgardener
Baby Foxes Afoot! (cuteness warning)
An adorable family of gray foxes has taken up residence under the ruins of the old barn. I suspect the call of the compost pile and worm bin full of juicy morsels from the kitchen is a great attraction. The first encounter was surprising. Imagine having a nice quiet meditation in the house one day,Continue reading “Baby Foxes Afoot! (cuteness warning)”
Spring Awe–Buds and Bugs
Nature does not stand still and wait for us to catch up. It’s a glorious spring after all the winter rains we finally enjoyed after so many drought years. Verdancy is erupting in the garden and the air is abuzz with activity. There are summer veggies to plant and damselflies to admire. The ladybugs areContinue reading “Spring Awe–Buds and Bugs”
The Frogs are Happy, Dormant Pruning Is Done, Bareroot Is Planted, Fungi Is Fruiting and Seedlings Are Started–Whew
I’ve lost track of how many atmospheric rivers have come through California so far this rainy season, so I just looked it up. The answer is fourteen! (KGET) Not that I noticed when one ended and the next began. I’m not complaining. I’m delighted to see that Lake Sonoma is full again, as is ourContinue reading “The Frogs are Happy, Dormant Pruning Is Done, Bareroot Is Planted, Fungi Is Fruiting and Seedlings Are Started–Whew”
Saturated, Inundated, Swamped…
Which of these watery words of overwhelm should I use? When it rains it pours? Trying to keep my head above water? We’ve gone precipitously from an historic drought to getting flooded with back-to-back atmospheric rivers. My heart goes out to those who’ve been caught at the dangerous end of the weather impacts. We wereContinue reading “Saturated, Inundated, Swamped…”
Winter Garden Reflections
The winter shadows are long across the landscape, creating dramatic patterns amongst the fallen leaves. We’ve awakened to ice on the bird fountains many mornings and felt grateful for the warmth of our wood stove at night. Even Puffball Kitty, well-outfitted in her full-puff winter coat, and not put off by a bit of coldContinue reading “Winter Garden Reflections”
Sowing A Wildflower Meadow
Sow your wildflower patch in winter to enjoy the blooms in spring. Read about when I broadcast California poppy and arroyo lupine seeds and how I tend to them in my native wildflower meadow. Watch the lumbering native bumblebees collect pollen.
How to Spook Gardeners on Halloween
Tongue in cheek… just for some Halloween fun, I thought I’d see if I can spook any gardeners with some garden Goth. What might cause my gardener’s soul some sleepless nights? Night Raiders of the Orchard Ghosts would be welcome over these nocturnal haunters: mule deer, raccoons, foxes. At least ghosts can’t eat fruit orContinue reading “How to Spook Gardeners on Halloween”
October Garden–fall harvests, winter crops, tucking the worms in & sharing the abundance
The October garden is a wild thing–overgrown and intertwined–with the last of summer’s exuberance. The squash tendrils have crept like fog and pulled themselves into uncharted lands and left behind bizarre shapes in their path. Cooler nights are leaving little patches of plant cemeteries littered here and there, joining the falling leaves of the grandfatherContinue reading “October Garden–fall harvests, winter crops, tucking the worms in & sharing the abundance”
Hot Autumn Hibernation with Houseplants
It was our turn for a heatwave, or so it seems, as our outdoor temperatures seared this week to about 114°Fahrenheit (about 45°Celsius). A hot autumn is normal here but the heat is getting hotter — with the North Bay city of Santa Rosa breaking an all time record of 115°F. Fortunately, the night tempsContinue reading “Hot Autumn Hibernation with Houseplants”