http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1 Beauty, Safety, Sustainable, Organic Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:25:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This summer I decided to put more emphasis on annuals in the few open beds in the garden.  Annuals are a great choice if you are just starting out or want the most color for dollars spent.  All the flowers I mention here are being started as seeds in a ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2010/02/21/what-is-growing-this-year/ I sowed a crop of mixed greens and spinach in my new raised bed back at the beginning of December. The raised bed includes uprights at each corner to help support a floating row cover, so important in winter. The row cover keeps the tender seedlings protected from drying ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/12/29/a-crop-of-mixed-lettuce-and-spinach/ Cold nights can be hard on your tender plants, but there are ways to protect them from freezing that are easy to do. Plant are damaged when cold temps freeze the water in the stem and leaf cells. The cells swell as they freeze then burst.  Holding the air temperature around ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/12/12/frost-fighting-facts/ 30ft + 70Ft =100ft of defensible space! Lean, Clean and Green: the first 30 feet. Lean: *Create an open area near the house free of fuels, woodpiles, and clutter. *Ideally have a solid paved or clean, raked gravel walkway that allows room to walk the entire perimeter of the home. Clean: *Instead of decks ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/08/30/how-to-create-a-fire-safe-garden/ A few weeks back I posted the proposal for a garden on Dolores Street in Carmel. Today the garden was finished and I wanted to talk about the transformation. Originally, the garden, a 25 by 2o foot plot shaded by oaks and a massive pine, was spotted with a few ferns and ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/08/19/dolores-street-transformation/ I just took this photo in the East Border. It shows a great combo of fire safe plants for summer color. [caption id="attachment_355" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Gaillardia shines in the center of this fire safe combo"][/caption] The combo features Aloe x nobilis with red blooms, purple flowers from Teuchrium, Scarlet Flower Carpet rose, ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/07/29/fire-safe-favorites-fire-safe-summer-combo/ When the Spanish missionaries explored the landscape of California, they often named canyons or valleys for the plants that grew abundantly there.  Many features, even in Death Valley, are named for the native California Grape, Vitis californica.  This hardy, drought tolerant vine scrambled over rocky cliffs, or over trees along ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/06/30/fire-safe-favorites-california-grape/ The new garden I have been planting in Monterey has been moving forward. I created a small, fragrant, rose garden in one of the few spots that receives ample afternoon sun.  This spot is a centerpiece of the garden, the first bed seen when you arrive through  the  gates. I ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/06/20/roses-in-the-new-monterey-garden/ I remember when I was small having to sit outside the Salinas City Hall one afternoon while my mother dealt with some issue inside.  The lawn was bare except for a very strange small tree growing against the white concrete wall.  The tree had big puffs of pink fluff couched ... http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/06/14/fire-safe-favorites-cotinus/ The sustainable, fully recyclable, ultra modern chic, fire-safe tables and benches by Orange 22. [caption id="attachment_286" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Save 10% with Savings Code BOT_AF_DE when you click on the photo"][/caption] Epigram is the new series with quotes by Milton Glaser with proceeds benefitting the International Rescue Commitee http://firesafegarden.com/wpblog1/2009/06/12/fine-furniture-for-fire-safe-entertaining/