Thumbnail image for Share Your Ideas in the March Blog Carnival!

Share Your Ideas in the March Blog Carnival!

March 1, 2010

It’s time for the March blog carnival, and I’m really excited about this month’s topic, because it is a reader-suggested topic. In case you missed the first two LOTB carnivals, and you’re not sure what a blog carnival is, it’s when one blogger requests that other bloggers publish posts on a certain topic and then [...]

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Thumbnail image for And the Winner of the Smart Pot is…

And the Winner of the Smart Pot is…

February 28, 2010

I used Random.org to help me select a random number between 1 and 24 (there were 24 comments/entries) and it came up with #1. So SMITH BITES (Debra), that means you! I’ll be contacting you shortly to get a mailing address to send you your Smart Pot. I’ll also be contacting you from time to [...]

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Funny Gopher “Abatement” Video

February 26, 2010

We watched this video in my master gardener class yesterday, when talking about what NOT to do to control gophers…

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Thumbnail image for Smart Pot Comparison – Choosing the Plants

Smart Pot Comparison – Choosing the Plants

February 26, 2010

Yesterday I posted about my plans to compare a fabric pot called “Smart Pot” to a regular plastic pot. You can win a Smart Pot to help me with my test by leaving a comment on that post. But now I need your help deciding what to plant in my Smart Pots. Please vote in [...]

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Thumbnail image for Are Smart Pots All That? Let’s Find Out Together!

Are Smart Pots All That? Let’s Find Out Together!

February 25, 2010

Have you ever heard of Smart Pots? They’re soft-sided, fabric containers that are rigid enough to hold their shape, but still allow air to flow freely through the root system of the plant, encouraging a healthier root structure. Or so they say. Someone from Smart Pot contacted me about their product and was confident enough [...]

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Thumbnail image for Do Leaf – A Great Way to Find More Interesting Plants

Do Leaf – A Great Way to Find More Interesting Plants

February 24, 2010

I recently became aware of a great new site called Do Leaf when they offered to send me some plants so that I could test out their site (it’s still in beta). Do Leaf is the brain child of Sarah, Ryan, and Micah who were fed up with the mediocre selection of plants at their [...]

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Thumbnail image for Can’t Grow Tulips? Try Poppies Instead

Can’t Grow Tulips? Try Poppies Instead

February 23, 2010

Everyone likes to think that you can grow anything in Southern California. And it is true that we have a wonderful climate that is great for growing plants. But there are some plants that just don’t do well here, at least not in the coastal zone. It just doesn’t get cold enough for plants that [...]

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Thumbnail image for Succulent Container Gardens – The Perfect Mix of Stunning Photos and Useful Information

Succulent Container Gardens – The Perfect Mix of Stunning Photos and Useful Information

February 22, 2010

As you all know, I have been waiting for Debra Lee Baldwin’s latest book to come out for some time. And I am here to tell you that Succulent Container Gardens lives up to all of my hopes and expectations for the book. So many gardening books skimp of good quality color photographs. This book [...]

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Tiny Balcony Bouquet Challenge

February 21, 2010

Yesterday Debra Baldwin spotted this great post in That Mini Gardener’s archives about making a bijou bouquet and I couldn’t wait to pop outside and put together a posy of my own. I used black New Zealand Flax leaves, variegated Plectranthus, and the white button flowers from a Chrysanthemum.

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Thumbnail image for Creating a Napping Zone on Your Balcony or Patio

Creating a Napping Zone on Your Balcony or Patio

February 19, 2010

Everyday at around 3 in the afternoon I wish I could crawl under my desk and take a nap. Maybe I lived in a Latin country in a previous life, because siestas sound fantastic to me! It may sound a bit crazy to think about napping out on your balcony or patio now–though Southern California [...]

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Live Tweeting My Master Gardener Class

February 18, 2010

If you’re interested in seeing some of the things I’m learning in my Master Gardener class, you can check out the tag #MGtips on Twitter from 9 am to 1:30 pm on Thursdays. You can view the tips anytime, but that’s when I’ll be in class adding new ones. To view the tidbits, simply search [...]

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Thumbnail image for Guest Post: EarthBox Review

Guest Post: EarthBox Review

February 18, 2010

I wish the Earth Box had been around when I first started to grow vegetables back in 1978. At the time, I lived in a row house in South Philadelphia that had no yard. I grew everything in containers – large, plastic basins I bought at the hardware store – on my back porch. I [...]

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