Afternoon Macro Photos in the garden

15 Sep 2012 2 Comments

by nadiaqh in Flowers, Garden Design, organic gardening, Succulents Tags: , , , ,

My garden is overgrown, ripe, abundant and a blessing right now…. here are some photos this evening with my macro lens… from the landscaping to the vegetables… all good! My favorite this season were the Heirloom Black Cherry tomatoes and the Sunshine Blue Blueberries.

Gardens truly are miracles from the beginning of planting a seed to enjoying the benefits at the table! From flowering Cactus to pulling out carrots and beets from the soil, I am always amazed at the continual beauty and joyful benefits of taking the time to garden.

Enjoying the Summer

26 Aug 2012 2 Comments

by nadiaqh in Garden Fruits, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , , ,

Backyard gardening is the most rewarding in the summer when vine ripe tomatoes and everything else in the garden grows with ease.

Container Gardening with Plumerias in Full Bloom:

Growing extra to share with neighbors and friends is essential.

A gift that is always appreciated and well remembered.

Photo below: Desert King Figs (picked today) stuffed with Goat Cheese. 

From Garden to table:

Lemon, Anaheim Peppers, Banana Peppers, Beets, Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes and Apples all grown organically and picked ripe. 

* Thank you Jill for the gift of this new wire basket for my vegetable garden! 

HAPPY GARDENING

November Planting Guide: Southern California

03 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by nadiaqh in Books, Garden Design, Living Healthy, organic gardening Tags: , , , ,

What to plant in November:

BEETS – BROCCOLI – BRUSSEL SPROUTS – CABBAGE – CARROTS – CAULIFLOWER – CELERY – COLLARDS – ENDIVE – KALE – KOHL RABI – LETTUCE – LEEKS – ONIONS – PARLSEY – PARSNIP – PEAS – RADISH – RUTABAGA – SPINACH – SWISS CHARD – TURNIPS

Here are some Companion Planting Ideas for the fall: Mixing Vegetables with Herbs

Broccoli and Rosemary planted in a sunny area with good drainage.

Cabbage and Dill planted in fertile soil in cooler weather.

Celery with anything that enjoys being watered well!

Peas and Turnip are a great pair to grow together.

Brussels Sprouts and Thyme

Beet and Mint

turnip garden

Check this out → A fun and creative guide to companion planting: Companion Planting Guide: Soil Mates by Sara Alway

Sugar Baby Watermelon

11 Oct 2011 2 Comments

by nadiaqh in Garden Design, Garden Fruits, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , , , ,

 ♥  SUGAR BABY WATERMELON  ♥

Watermelon growing in-between planters

These melons were started as small plants vs. seeds in wine barrels with the vine trained to grow over the barrell and on to the ground. If your garden has space limitations then growing the vines on the ground and along pathways may give your vine plants that extra room needed for meandering growth.

Small sized watermelon almost ready to pick

* When a watermelon is ready to be picked  it should be ripe and ready for eating. Have you heard that watermelons do not continue to ripen off the vine? This was new information for me so I’m waited to harvest these beauties. Watermelon should have a dull colored rind and a brown dried stem when it is ready to be picked. Watermelon are heavy feeders meaning they need steady watering. The soil needs to be rich and fertile with a healthy amount of calcium in the mix. Trellising is also an option by using small fabric slings to support their weight as they are suspended in the air. Coastal San Diego gets a lot of overcast days with sunny and warm days leading into October creating a late growing season for my melons.

 Raised planter: watermelon, rosemary, eggplant, parsley and a few green onions.

Late growing season for watermelon in San Diego. The skin of the melon is a shiny green as it grows, then turns dull when it is ready to be picked.

Super Ripe !

Chula my Chihuahua with a Sugar Baby Watermelon. Watermelon = 7 pounds & Chula = 6.5 pounds

Raw and Green: Juicing from the Garden

07 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by nadiaqh in Garden Fruits, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , , , ,

Boost your immune system, help your bodies digestion, increase  your energy, help with weight loss, add more anti-oxidants to your diet… that’s the information I read on what a  juicer can do for us, so why did it take me so long to finally purchase one? Maybe it was the price tag, or another appliance fighting for space on the  counter. More likely it was the thought of having to clean out an appliance on a daily  basis and buy a cart-load of vegetables each week to maintain a new health habit. I have a back yard garden to grow seasonal fruits and vegetables, not a farm that produces high quantities of juicing fruits and greens. It took watching the documentary ” Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead ” to change my mind and give it a chance. I don’t have a weight problem, so the anti-oxidant and increased vitality health claims were the motivation that lead to a purchase.

Two very popular juicers are the Jack LaLanne and the Breville Elite: I chose the Breville.

Breville Die-Cast 800JEXL Fountain Elite Juicer: quoted straight from the website: “ It is called the most powerful centrifugal juicer that is available in the market today. It can juice any produce within seconds with 1000 watts motor and spinning rate 13,000.You can make any combination of juice with it. It has quite a wide chute and spares the need of cutting and dicing fruits. You can pour the juice in the plastic pitcher with skimmer to prevent foams in the citrus juice. The machine has a stainless-steel mesh basket that removes the pulp automatically into a juice container. The juicer has two kinds of speeds to juice soft and hard fruits. It is dishwasher safe.”

Great Recipe Book For Juicing: “The Big Book Of Juices“: more than 400 natural blends for health and vitality every day by Natalie Savona.

Breville Juicer

Juiced Carrots, Apples and Pink Grapefruit

* Organic Fruits and Vegetables are best*

I wanted a juicer that was easy to clean so that I would actually continue to use it. I give it a thumbs up for simple assembly and cleaning. The best part about the pulp leftovers is returning it to my compost bin and worm farm. Both compost bins are benefitting from the scraps. Another use for the pulp can be used for making soups by returning the pulp to the juice and simmering with herbs and spices. Not a bad way to juice up your nutrition and enjoy the benefits of adding more vitamins, minerals and micro nutrients to your day.

Fruit Scraps for the composter

Scraps (Pulp) for the compost bins

Encinitas Surfing Madonna- Day Trip

12 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment

by nadiaqh in Cactus, euphorbia, Flowers, Garden Design, organic gardening, Photography, Succulents, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , , , ,

The perfect day trip in Encinitas for art, organic coffee, water wise landscaping and a California burrito. I suggest you hurry though as the rogue art Surfing Madonna aka: Our Lady of Encinitas may be removed from this location soon.

♥ Start out your trip on foot by parking near the Lofty Bean Coffee Bar on Hwy 101 and Encinitas Blvd where organic coffee is their specialty. Pleasant employees and pastries (hey that rhymes) welcome you in this beach side retreat. Sit outside with your cup of joe and enjoy the ocean air and people watch as beach-goers head for the sand. Ask the barista for a bag of used coffee grounds (completely organic) to take home and blend into your garden soil. This is a great way to start composting and bring life to your azaleas and acid loving plants. Check out the positive reviews for The Lofty Bean on Yelp.

Park on Hwy 101 or on side streets

Recycle and Composting used coffee beans

♥ Walk only 1/2 a block South to the corner of Hwy 101 and Encinitas Blvd. and cross the street going East another short 1/2 block to check out the Surfing Madonna underneath the train overpass. This mosaic was placed by an un-kown artist in April with the purpose of bringing awareness to “Save the Ocean”. See related links for full story and controversies surrounding this art piece. Surfing Madonna.

Mosaic on Encinitas Blvd and Hwy 101

♥  After checking out “Our Lady of Encinitas” head directly West on foot to Moonlight Beach, one of Encinitas’ finest that offers a snack bar, volleyball courts, showers, children’s play area, bathrooms and benches under palm trees. Rent beach chairs, umbrellas and anything else you may need for the day available next to the snack stand. Directly North of the Volleyball courts is a flourishing water wise landscaping in a unique santa fe style home. This is a beautiful example of using cactus, aloes, euphorbia and succulents all blended together in various sizes and shapes. There are different flowers blooming all year-long here and I have enjoyed the beauty of this home for years!

Home has a view of volleyball courts at Moonlight Beach

Years of planting and grooming creates beautiful curb appeal

Blooming Aloe in sand

♥ Head back over to the Lofty Bean Coffee Bar to get your car and drive North of Hwy 101 to about a mile. Take a Left on Marchetta street at the Stop Sign. Try a California Burrito at Juanita’s Taco Shop. Don’t let the decor scare you, locals know this taco shop has a reputation for great tasting burritos after a day of sun and surf. Great tacos and breakfast burritos too.

On the Corner of Hwy 101 and Marchetta Street

Happy Travels! Enjoy.

http://www.nadiaknows.com

♥ organic gardening and healthy living ♥


Garden Pests: The Aphid and The Ant

03 Jun 2011 3 Comments

by nadiaqh in Garden Projects, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , , , ,

Once upon a time in a backyard  garden that knew only harmony and abundance came two unwelcomed pests, the Aphid and the Ant…

Now what? A garden that has been invaded by Aphids and Ants is not a happy garden. Instead of using pesticides to solve the problem how about trying some organic methods for defense? I switch up my arsenal depending on the garden location and plants being attacked and the organic way has worked well.

According to gardening book expert Barbara Damrosch in  The Garden Primer: “If you see a lot of ants in your rose blossoms, they are herding aphids- literally farming them so that they will secrete a honey-like substance the ants love to eat. Wipe out the ants by wiping out the aphids.”

* Spray Roses with strong blasts of water daily until the aphids are flushed out. Sometimes using the most simple method first will take care of the problem.

* Citrus fruit works as a natural pesticide to keep ants away by steeping a peel from 1 orange in 2 Cups of Hot Water. Let it steep for 24 hours, discard the peels and add a few drops of liquid dish detergent.  Use as a spray.

* Diatomaceous earth works great. Purchase at your local garden store or online. This also helps with other soil pests like snails and pill bugs.

* Household Vinegar poured down an anthill.

* Companion Planting: Plant Mint, Peppermint, Sage and Chives around the garden- ants are repelled by these plants. 

* Sprinkle Baking Soda around plants in a thin line

* Spray Bottle Mixture with Vinegar: 1 part Vinegar + 1 Part Water

* Coffee Grounds on an ant hill or around affected area

* Cornmeal sprinkles in a line or problem areas

* Spray Mixture with Soap : 2 Parts water to 1 Part Dish Soap

* Spray Mixture with Oil: 1 Cup Vegetable Oil + 1 1/2 Cup Water + 2 teaspoons of Dish Soap

* Use Garlic: Crush a garlic bulb and 1 minced onion and add to 1 Quart of water. Now add 1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper and let it sit for an hour. Strain into a sprayer. (Tip from Soil Mates)

* Ladybugs: Purchase in containers and release in the evening to affected area. This works very well for Rose Bushes.

* Worm castings and worm tea. Use often as a garden bed base.

Note: Use these methods continuously for best results.

Happy Gardening!

It’s a beautiful day in the garden today

03 May 2011 Leave a Comment

by nadiaqh in Flowers, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Photography Tags: , , , ,

Nasturtium- Edible Flowers

APRIL FLOWERS

10 Apr 2011 3 Comments

by nadiaqh in Flowers, Garden Design, Garden Projects, Living Healthy, organic gardening, Photography Tags: , , , ,

“The Earth Laughs in Flowers.”
-  Ralph Waldo Emerson

♥ Growing a garden is completely rewarding, but when you start to add flowers to the garden then you have paradise! I’ve had the best luck with Renee’s Flower Seeds and Botanical Interests Seeds, here’s a listing of the seeds that seem (for me) the simplest to sow and grow. ♥

Agrostemma-Purple Queen and Pink Contessa


→ For an exotic flower that dries well try NIGELLA: ‘Love in a Mist’  or “White Bridal Veil”

→ For a container of great color and beauty try: DAHLIA: ‘watercolors’ -

→ For a surprising old-fashioned amazing scent : CARNATIONS

Flowers can be started indoors and transplanted into the garden

→ This is the ‘garden fun’ summer flower : SUNFLOWER

Sunflowers growing in the vegetable garden

→ For keeping the pests away and adding color: MARIGOLD

Marigold planted near lettuce - an organic way to keep pests away

→ For feeding pet lizards and landscaping a large area with color: NASTURTIUM

→ A few more great flowers to plant: Forget Me Not, African Daisy, Zinnia, Passion Vine, and Lavendar.

Lavender- A 'year-round' plant in the garden

HAPPY PLANTING!

Planting Guide for April

04 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment

by nadiaqh in Living Healthy, organic gardening, Vegetable/ Herb Garden Tags: , , ,

APRIL PLANTING GUIDE: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

“A garden is a friend you can visit any time.”- anonymous

April is the beginning of spring and the perfect time to really get out in the garden and do some serious planting.  Seeds sprout more quickly with the night-time temperatures warming up and the sun is not too hot to scorch those new plants emerging. Try planting a combination of seeds and small plant starters from the nursery to keep an instant and continuous garden growing. Happy planting!

* PUMPKIN *


* CARROT *

* CORN *

* BUSH AND POLE BEANS *

* RADISH *

* BEETS *

* CANTALOUPE

* CUCUMBER *

* EGGPLANT *

* JICAMA * OKRA * PEPPERS *

* SUMMER AND WINTER SQUASH *

* SUNFLOWERS *

* TOMATO *

* WATERMELON *

Encinitas nursery online coupon: SUNSHINE GARDEN

♥ Plant – Grow – Enjoy ♥


 

Previous Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 139 other followers