So you’ve built your raised beds, added your soil, planted your plants, and… now what? You’ve put so much love into these tender little plant babies and you want to do everything you can to help them grow. As you stand in front of your garden anxiously awaiting your first fruits, you wonder if there is anything else you can do to help your garden thrive beyond the obvious notions of watering and fertilizing. Well, there is one more thing you can add to your to-do list that wi

A common complaint in our area is the hard, compacted clay soil. While clay soil is actually one of the most nutrient dense soil types that you can have, it can be difficult to work with if it hasn’t been properly cared for over the years. A really simple and relatively hands-off way to break up that hard clay and prepare for an easier and more successful growing season is to utilize a soil preparation method called Lasagna Gardening or Sheet Composting. Lasagna gardening i

If you know me then you are already well aware that two of my most favorite things are coffee and plants, but you may not know that the two go together in more ways than just what I want to have with me when I walk in my backyard. Complementary by nature, coffee is the perfect vessel for integrating essential components into your compost and soil. Coffee and Composting Composting is a convenient way to handle old, wet coffee grounds (as opposed to leaving them in the trash bi

Having grown up in the Bay Area, one of my favorite memories of my childhood home was our massive orange tree in the backyard. With its beautiful deep green foliage, fragrant blooms, and large succulent winter fruits, orange trees hold a special place in my heart. There really isn't anything quite like a healthy citrus tree. They are particularly beautiful and produce tart fruits unlike anything else. How could anyone possibly say no to a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice