ZesterDaily articles

http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/366-frugal-family-tradition

http://www.zesterdaily.com/planting/354-growing-gorgeous-greens

Bees are a buzzing in the Valley O!

A few weeks ago (Oct 4th to be exact) I got delivery of my bees from Kirk Anderson of The Backwards Bee group. They have settled in beautifully and are busy making new comb in the frames either side of the frames they arrived with. It is fascinating to observe them up close. Very clean creatures they defecate in flight and remove the dead bees with haste, unceremoniously dumping them off the edge of the landing area into the murky depths below. Its not easy to be a bee....

Shesez

Lovely healthy eating blog by my friend Linda Koones

http://www.shesez.com/

We had a little chat about how to ripen green tomatoes. One other tip I forgot to mention was: Pull entire plant up , shake off soil and hang upside down from the garage rafters. Tomatoes will ripen soon afterwards.

John

Writing for Zester Daily

I will be writing for this wonderful new site called ZesterDaily.com. Check it out at

http://www.zesterdaily.com/john-lyons-home-page

Enjoy!

John

The High Line Park- a new jewel in the Manhattan firmament

On a recent trip to New York I was determined to see the new High Line Park on the west side of Manhattan having just caught the end of a report on NPR About the park while stuck in traffic on the 405. My son and I had a lovely morning wandering Central Park and then jumped on the subway getting off at 23rd st for the trek west to 10th ave.

The park currently runs from 20th st to Gansvoort St in the meatpacking district. The Park is owned by the City of New York and is administered by the not for profit conservancy Friends of the High Line. The High Line is the name of an elevated train line that ran from the west village to 34th and carried dangerous freight 30ft above 10th ave. 25 years ago it was closed and stayed idle and abandoned until moves were afoot to demolish the railway. A few local community activists mobilized and led a campaign to keep the structure intact. In 2002 the city of New York formally backed the plan to develop a public park on the site and it opened in June.

The simplicity of the design is oddly beguiling. The train track is left intact in large sections with a walkway of concrete meandering down the center between an array of plantings (210 plant varieties in all). Simple slatted wooded benches line the walkways and in one section there are large wide sun chairs where New Yorkers relax, read the paper and catch some sunshine. Beautiful public restrooms and elevators make for a really pleasant visitor experience.

Grasses and native flowers intermingle with sage , heuchera and sedum. No mechanical irrigation is installed and the plant choices were chosen with drought tolerance in mind. New trees are currently hand watered by the gardening staff and perhaps in time they too will be able to survive with seasonal rainfall. Seeds were collected from the wild flowers and grasses that grew in the abandoned space before the restoration began. They were grown out at a Nursery and replanted . The overall effect is stunning. A wild tapestry of colour and texture that catches the slightest breeze.

I was so taken by the beauty of it all that I stopped various strangers telling them how wonderful it all was. They were quietly amused I dare say.

It will be fascinating to see how this new creation will grow and mature. Very attentive staff weed and water taking care to keep the wildness under check but not allowing the landscape to look too manicured, This new treasure is a thoroughly modern Park and a model of how one can transform a relatively mundane space into a magical natural and green elevated mini beltway.

Two recently completed gardens

Perennial beds and benificial insect attracting plants

Here are a few photos of a garden I designed with a perennial cutting flower bed that has lots of beneficial insect attracting flowers. These insects readily take care of most of the pests that attack the summer crops.

Raised Boxes at The Woven Garden

The Woven Garden is pleased to offer organic raised planting boxes  (made from handcrafted untreated redwood) in 2 sizes.  

4 x 4 x 11" $159.  With planting soil add $99

8 x 4x 11" $289. With planting soil add $149

Also a beautiful rollaway planting box ideal for apartment dwellers, seniors or gardeners with disabilities. 

2x 4 x 18"  $289.  With planting soil add $75

Also, please see the enclosed planting menu if you would like your raised box fully planted out.  All the plant offerings are interchangeable.  Prices vary from $75 - $100 per box.

Call 323 793 3139 for orders and more details.

-- 
John Lyons

www.thewovengarden.com

Virginia Robinson Tour

We had the Virginia Robinson 5 Estate Tour today.  Long day.  At least 300 people came through my vegetable garden during the day.  Time to relax.

Sunset Magazine Online Blog Covers my LA Garden Show Entry

http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2009/05/the-most-interesting-installation-at-the-recent-la-garden-show.html

More pics from the LA Garden Show

LA Garden Show opens tonight

The garden show opened tonight and it was a really beautiful evening.  Perfect cool weather and great food and company.  My design was well received , especially by other designers.  This was really gratifying as I have never done a garden show design in my life.  I had a great crew to help me realize the plan.  I also got to meet Rosalind Creasy.....one my my all time favourite gardening people.  I recommend her books all the time to my students. http://www.rosalindcreasy.com/

Started LA GArden Show design today

We got started on our LA Garden Show design today.  It was a little daunting as this is the first time I have ever done anything like this.  Some of the designers have already been working a full week and have large amounts of their designs finished.  So we need to get really cracking tomorrow!  The peacocks were strutting around and not amused  by our presence.  They are in immaculate health because they have 130 acres to roam and feed in.

Earth Matters Gardening School will open May 29th

I am opening a gardening school for urbanites in late May.  Check out the website.  http://www.earthmatters.biz

Daily News Article

I had a food journalist visit my garden last week to do some reporting on the edible landscape.  I am not sure she was quite prepared for the unusual way I garden but she did leave the place with a new way of looking at how to garden!

http://www.dailynews.com/lalife/ci_12192499

Today my foal turns 2

Two years ago I delivered my first foal.  He is an Irish Draught and is owned by my friend Lisa.  A big strapping lad almost 16h and while he has his "moments" he is a big ole softy pants.  Mama and son.

Design for Los Angels Garden Show May 1st-3rd 2009

My front yard as of this week

A few photos of my front yard this week.  It is really in full bloom and quite chaotic with plants bumping into one another vying for space and attention!

Glorious Imperfection, the pesticide free garden.

Whenever I begin a new project I put my gardening cards squarely on the potting table: I do not advocate using chemical pesticides under any circumstances in the domestic garden. They are the large, dangerous gorilla sitting on the pristine, chemically drenched, worm-free lawn.  There is a paradox in our odd relationship to how we garden.  We have a tendency to obsess about pests and even the use of raw manures in our compost heaps, yet we do not consider the considerable damage that toxic pesticides do to the food we grow, plant life, soil, water, insects, mammals, birds and the unseen eco system that is the average urban garden.

Why do we feel the need to be at war with our garden and its pests? Can we not live with the occasional imperfect plant or food crop, safe in the knowledge that is truly toxin free? We do have choices that are clean and safe, and will result in a domestic garden with strong, healthy plants. By letting the natural order prevail in our gardens, they will produce plants that can fend for themselves.  A multi faceted approach is best.

 

Soil

Successful gardening begins with good soil. Healthy soil results in healthy, vigorous, pest resistant plants. We are notoriously lax in the care of our soil here in Southern California.  We expect it to produce 365 days a year, expose it to intense heat and winds, we sometimes allow our gardeners to blow the soil away each week with polluting gasoline driven blowers. Yet we wonder why our plants struggle!  Get the soil balanced, well composted, not over watered and mulched to assist in plant root development, good drainage and development of microbial life as well as a healthy worm population.  This alone can result in preventing many pests from invading your patch.  Pests would rather attack weaker plants. 

To aid in the development of your soil, grow a cover crop of vetch, buckwheat, clover or Austrian field peas.  These plantings serve many purposes.  They act as a rotational crop which can rid the soil of in ground pests that attack specific crops.  They attract beneficial insects.  When dug into the soil they prove a rich diet of organic matter and nitrogen (especially the leguminous crops), and they enrich the soil with a healthy dose of microbial activity.

 

Companion planting

The next line of defense is companion planting.  This approach is very effective in attracting an array of beneficial insects that prey upon plant pests by eating them or using them parasitically to reproduce.  There are a host of lovely plants that attract the good bugs.  Members of the Umbelliferae family (Fennell, Carrots Dill, Cilantro, Parsley and Queen Anne’s’ lace) with small flowers are favored by wasps, lacewings, dragonflies, ladybugs, praying mantis, hoverflies and spiders, all good bugs. Unfortunately, these insects are routinely killed by broad spectrum insecticides, which ruin the natural balance in the garden.  The marigold is reputed to act as a great sensory foil for pests.  The strong odor it emanates confuses certain pests, keeping nearby crops free of infestation.

 

Hedgerows

Grow a hedgerow.  A large or small hedgerow can be a fine way to attract birds and wildlife that readily eat many harmful pests.  Use California natives such as Berberis, California Wild grape, salvias, California wild roses, boysenberries or raspberries.  You can allow the hedgerow to grow wild, space permitting, or keep it manageable in a smaller garden by growing it on a trellis and pruning twice a year.  It will provide a safe, home to birds, lizards, butterflies and many beneficial insects, adding a rich and unusual aesthetic feature to your garden.  Do not forget to have a bird bath and feeder nearby.

 

Organic Pesticides

Finally there are organic solutions.  I have left this until last because while I do not choose to use these either they are a much better alternative to synthetic products.  Just because a product is non-synthetic and labeled organic does not mean it is 100% safe or non-toxic.  Some of the choices are as follows.

 

Pyrethins

Derived from Chrysanthemum, this is a quick acting low toxic spray that kills all insects on contact.  Use only when you have a major pest attack.

 

BT (Bacillus thuringiensis)

Many strains of these bacteria are used in powder form to kill insects in the immature larval stage.  It is very effective against Cabbage White larvae that attack brassicas.

 

Rotenone

A powder made from the roots of a tropical legume.  Very powerful when dusted onto plants, but it is a broad spectrum and will kill honeybees.  Use sparingly and only when really needed.

 

Neem Oil

This is made from the seeds of the Neem tree.  Applied directly on the plant it impedes growth in immature pests.  It is a broad spectrum insecticide so only use when a heavy infestation is present.

 

Diatomaceous earth

Finely ground fossilized remains of diatoms, which were a hard shelled algae.  It is very effective in killing slugs and snails.  Remember to not over-water around plants that are attacked by slugs and snails.  They do not like dry soil.

 

Copper

A strip of copper can also be effective in stopping slugs and snails by delivering an electrical shock on contact.

 

Insecticidal Soaps

These are by far the safest pesticides, and kill on contact.  Some plants can be sensitive to soaps. Avoid using them in high temperatures and in direct sunlight.

There is no need to use chemical pesticides in your garden.  I would also suggest using organic methods sparingly and only in cases of really bad infestation.  Your healthy garden ecosystem will be its own best defense.

 

 

Blue day and green day...red letter day.

Had a close call yesterday with my son.  We were sitting at a light and two other vehicles decided to run into one another.  We got the secondary whack from one of the cars.    Both cars totaled and significant damage to my truck.  Woke up today feeling really blue and decided to take to the garden for a while to recover between idiot sessions on the phone with Insurance Co.  One question was "Do you think the car that struck you had damage to it before impact"?  Huh?  As it careened towards me at 50 miles an hour I had the sense of mind to note dents in the car before it ploughed into us!  

This was a first so I hope my quota of accidents is filled for a long time to come.

Weeding beckons....