October is giving us the last drops of warm-season harvests, but it’s time to draw the curtain for winter. Juniper helped me pick the last of the ripe fruits and veggies. Her way of helping has more to do with eating than actually putting anything in the harvest basket, but I enjoy the company nevertheless. Our cupboard is already packed with tomatoes for winter –
Propagating Grapevines
Springtime means pruning and our grapevines were more than overdue for their annual haircut. We love the Glenora and Himrod grapes growing on old bed frames on either ends of our raised beds. But each year they grow so long that they get tangled into the nearby trees and shrubs. Pruning them back keeps their growth under control and also gives me the chance to
Road Trip: Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
Upon my arrival into Austin, Texas, I quickly made a beeline for the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. It is a place I have seen pictures of in my Landscape Architecture classes as a beautifully designed, sustainable landscape. If you are within 100 miles of Austin, it is worth the detour to see this spectacular place. I tend to flock to parks and gardens when I
Spring Break
I had a wonderful week of rest from graduate school wherein I was a recluse and spent most days inside writing. The sunshine looked nice from the window. But here are a few highlights of how I am enjoying spring. The hardy kiwi at my house in Portland is leafing out. I spent a morning there recently doing light pruning around the garden and training
Pruning Grapes
There are a handful of grapevines growing out at the Urban Farm and it’s pruning season! Some of them they let ramble, while others they focus on maintaining for good quality fruit. We went to work on the maintained vines and I learned a lot. Last year I attempted to prune my two grape vines and wasn’t really sure I did it right. With a
Plant a Teepee
Constructing a simple teepee in the garden is a very simple and fun way to work vertically. Living in the city, we are all space-challenged and I have found the teepee a welcome edition every year. You can use old tree branches or visit your nearest nursery for bamboo stalks. Tie your teepee at the top with some twine to hold them together. I also
Mysteries Solved
A couple weeks ago our temperatures in Portland were dropping to unusually freezing temperatures. I wrote about the mysterious happenings, describing how my China Blue vine started turning black on the areas of new growth. I also noticed my beautiful hardy kiwi vines were showing black leaves as well. I decided to write the folks over at One Green World to see if this was