Author: xensenPage 1 of 21
The iconic Italian aperitif reconsidered.
This superb example of a Staghorn Fern at the UC Botanical Garden led me to look a little deeper at this remarkable plant.
The House Finch: A brief appreciation.
Bokashi (often confused with composting) uses fermentation to convert nutrients in kitchen and yard waste into fertilizer. The technique, developed by horticulture professor Dr. Teruo Higa, uses lactic acid bacteria to work its magic. Read how.
A fascinating glimpse or early 20th-century San Francisco.
What could be easier than quick pickling? In this post we show how to pickle some mild peppers.
Thank you to Feedspot Blogs for selecting Tom’s Garden as one of their Top California Gardening Blogs.
Our Western Hop Tree is about three years old now and is looking good, getting ready to produce its many fragrant cream-colored flowers. They will be set off…
The strange, spiky datura pod
Under “photography” over at rightreading.com I’ve posted nine recent photos from Point Pinole from the same shoot as the image below. Check it out.
The bossy call of the mighty little Oak Titmouse is often heard in the Northern California Oak woodlands.
Plants live their lives just as we do, surrounded by loved ones, competitors.and enemies; seeking to find harmony and health; and hoping to leave behind a legacy of…
Who doesn’t love pak choy (bok choy)? It’s a kind of Brassica rapa, a relative of turnip, mustard, cabbage, etc. In the past I’ve grown a variety called…
One pleasure of gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area is the ability to grow citrus. While we don’t get the heat that produces the bountiful harvests of…
The brugmansia is having one of its moments.
The genus Ribes includes currants and gooseberries (the name is derived from a Farsi word meaning “acid-tasting”). Gooseberries bear thorns but currants are thornless. Gooseberry fruits are larger…
These are a few of the infusions I’m preparing to be used in a new citrus amaro. I like the different colors. Left to right: Eureka Lemon, Satsuma…
We are fortunate in the Bay Area to be able to have decent-looking gardens in January. Using native plants as the bones of the garden helps. This January…
After several years in the garden, the plant is starting to flower. Stay tuned.
This wasp, which I believe is Prionyx thomae (P. parkeri and P. canadensis are similar), seemed very interested in a flowering sedum. It appeared to be collecting nectar,…
The beautiful California Cleome, one of the most drought-tolerant plants in the garden.
This is the pomegranates’ second summer here. They are growing in large containers. I think they were two years old when I purchased them. Now at last they…
Just a photo for now.