Get my book and be ready for Spring! It’s that time of year – time to start the Spring Garden. If you want to know what to grow in your own climate, how to start seed and how to make compost, be sure to get my e book. Under $5 and you get […]
Gardening Tips for Drought in your Edible Landscape
By Avis Licht On the west coast of the United States we’re experiencing the worst drought in over 150 years. With more people needing more water, food and goods it is important that all of us do our part to reduce our water use. Gardeners love their plants and don’t want them to die. I’ll […]
Ask Avis Your Gardening Questions!
by Avis Licht I’m starting a new feature on my blog as a result of popular demand. Whatever your reason, it’s going to be easy to send me your gardening questions and get a quick answer. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll direct you to a good source. ASK TODAY! Here’s chance for all […]
Worms – A Great Investment for your Edible Landscape!
by Avis Licht – I really love worms. Some people think I’m a little crazy about my worm love, but when you know more about them, you’ll love them too. It’s hard to believe such a small creature can do so much heavy lifting. Check out these facts: 1.When compared with soil, worm […]
Container Planting for the Edible Landscape
by Avis Licht – Growing food in containers is easy and straightforward. Here are some tips that will give you greater success. 1. Site your pots so they get enough sun for the type of plant you are growing. Lettuce doesn’t need to be in full sun, but most of your herbs prefer it sunny. […]
How to Start Vegetables from Seed for your Edible Landscape
by Avis Licht Yesterday I talked about seed starting medium and today I want to talk about light and heat. When starting seeds early in the season, it is usually too cold to start them outside. That means, they are either in the house, cold frame or greenhouse. It’s a rare house that has enough […]
Pineapple Guava – A great shrub for your Edible Landscape
by Avis Licht The Pineapple Guava is one of my favorite plants. It serves many purposes in the edible garden. It’s an easy care, evergreen shrub that has edible flowers, edible fruits and somehow, the deer DON’T eat it. How could you know? Where I live, deer eat almost all our plants, so having one […]
Of Lawns and God
by A. Non Y. Mous A good friend sent this little gem to me. I wanted to share it. Especially now that our governor, Jerry Brown, has declared war on lawns due to the extreme drought in California. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Then if you want to get rid […]
It’s the Spring Equinox and We’re Ready To Get Growing!
by Avis Licht I have many favorite times of the year in the garden. What’s looking beautiful, (Roses in late Spring) what smells great, (Lilacs and Jasmine in early Spring), what’s ripe (everything in every season!), how the ground smells after a rain. Almost every day brings something new to enjoy in the garden. BUT, […]
Edible Landscaping in Drought – Yes, you can do it!
by Avis Licht California is in its fourth year of devastating drought. All of us need to pay attention to our water use. But this does not mean that we have to give up growing some of our own food. Quite to the contrary, we can grow fruit and vegetables with much less water at […]
Community Supported Agriculture – Buy Your Food Directly from the Farmer
by Avis Licht Last winter I went to visit Live Power Community Farm, in Covelo, California. This farm is part of a movement called Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, for short. The idea for this model, is that the people who eat the food support the farmers by guaranteeing them a fee for the food every […]
Help! What Fertilizer Should I Use? – Organic guide to fertilizers for your edible landscape
by Avis Licht An organic gardener’s success is based on a few basic necessities. I think the health and quality of one’s soil is right at the top of the list. After that comes sufficient sunlight, appropriate water and healthy plants. Today I want to talk about some simple ways to fertilize your garden and […]
Best Tools for the Edible Landscape
by Avis Licht I was going to write about rose pruning, since it’s that time of year in many places. Coming out of winter dormancy and going into Spring is a good time to prune roses and many other deciduous trees and shrubs. But then I realized that before the pruning comes the tools. Right […]
How to Sow Seeds in 6 Easy Steps
by Avis Licht 1. Prepare your table for sowing: Potting mix, containers for sowing, seeds and labels. I use organic potting mix from my local nursery. I try to use either bioegradable pots, like these coconut fiber pots, or reuse the plastic ones over and over. I save my cans and plastic containers from the […]
5 Best Practices for the Low Water Use Garden
by Avis Licht The historic drought we are having in California has us thinking deeply about how to use less water in our daily lives, including, or maybe, especially in our gardens. My passion in the garden is growing food beautifully. Many of my clients and friends have said they won’t be putting in a […]
Some Great Information on Sowing Seeds
by Avis Licht Seeds, though small in size are a force of nature. They carry the future in their tiny form. All the information to grow a might oak is in that tiny acorn. In nature, every seed is slightly different and allows for the possibility of change: sometimes better, sometimes worse than it’s parent. […]
Reduce Global Warming Through Compost
by Avis Licht I never get tired of talking about compost. Those around me might become a little weary of my composting enthusiasm, but when it comes to alchemy and transformation, compost is right at the top of the chart. To the list of amazing contributions composting makes to the soil and plants, you can […]
Get Started on Your Spring Garden in the Edible Landscape
by Avis Licht If you’re in the winter doldrums, then now is a great time to start planning your Spring garden. From sowing seeds, to picking the right spot for each plant, composting, and getting your soil ready for planting, I’ve got it covered in this easy to read booklet, The Spring Garden Made Easy. Get […]
How to Start Seedlings with Grow Lights in 3 Easy Steps
by Avis Licht When starting seeds early in the season, it is usually too cold to start them outside. That means, they are either in the house, cold frame or greenhouse. It’s a rare house that has enough sunlight to start seedlings indoors and not have them get leggy. It’s an even rarer house […]
Sowing Seed for Your Edible Landscape – How to test your old seed for viability
by Avis Licht It’s January, and still feels like the middle of winter. Of course, it is the middle of winter in many places. But in Northern California, where I live, Spring is right around the corner, and it’s time to start not only thinking about what to plant, but to start sowing seeds now. […]
Hummingbirds in the Edible Landscaped Garden
by Avis Licht I love watching hummingbirds zoom, dive, drink and zip around my garden. Not only are they beautiful and fanciful, they are an integral part of the health of our gardens. While researching information on hummingbirds I came across a great article on the Las Pilitas website, which is a source of California […]
June in the Edible Landscaped Garden
by Avis Licht In California June is a busy time in the garden. Some plants are already in and growing, some need to be planted and some need to be sown. All the highlighted links will lead you to more information on that topic. There is lots of information here. So come back often. My […]