Now that fall is just around the corner I can honestly say this was the COOLEST summer (ever), well, that I can remember. From June-August there were only two or three “really hot” weeks. So Cal gardeners, how did the cool summer affect your garden? Did you find it an easier or harder growing season?
Amy enjoying the new fish pond
It’s been a rough week. Just as soon as we saw such a dramatic improvement in Amy (which made us so happy) there arose some complications – laying. Good news, bad news sort of whiplash. Good news she was looking and doing so much better but it’s been ages [...]
We are back! It was nice break but not really sure I can say I actually caught up or anything – but that’s life!
Another storm blew yesterday and dumped about 3/4″ of rain – what a tremendous blessings that was! The garden seems to have grown overnight. Everything is lush and beautiful.
Justin tallied up the [...]
Well, 2009 is now one for the books. With all the projects going on it took me awhile to get the final tally from Farmer J but now without further adieu our harvest weigh in for December and then for the year.
From our ~1/10 acre garden plot (less than 3900 sq. ft.) our December 2009 [...]
Looking to the right…..
To the left. The garden is all tucked in under covers
20, 26, 28 It’s not, um. shall we say “measurements” but what the thermometer’s read these past three nights. BRRRRR
Homesteading, urban homesteading for the matter, in the city – especially in Southern California– one really has it “easy” when it [...]
Arsenal of Tromboncino squash from FreedomSeeds.org
Rosa Bianca eggplant from FreedomSeeds.org
Red Marconi peppers from FreedomSeeds.org
Fall garden
Rouge D’Hiver Lettuce greens galore from FreedomSeeds.org
Dwarf Grey Sugar peas from FreedomSeeds.org
Cabbage and onions
The year is slowly coming to a close and with the cooler weather we enter a new growing season here on the urban homestead.
October was a busy [...]
Here on the urban homestead we are slowing saying goodbye to summer crops – though we are still harvesting beans, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes and a few squashes the garden is going thru a major transition to cooler weather crops – garlic, onions, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, greens and more.
We are enjoying cool morning, evenings and sunny, [...]
Sweater on, sweater off, sweater on, sweater off. No, it’s not me that can’t make up her mind. It’s good ol Mother Nature who’s having trouble figuring out if summer’s over and time for fall.
For a couple of days it’s in the triple digits, then we drop like 30 degrees and by the end of [...]
Thanks to the hotter weather our tomatoes (and peppers) dried in a jiffy. Though there may be a slight smoky flavor due to the unfortunate wildfires that are raging all around us.
A reader commented how much she LOVES her FOOD PANTRIE but had troubles with molding tomatoes.
Sun dried tomatoes and peppers (below)
Here’s a hint from our urban [...]
“I believe we would be happier to
have a personal revolution in our
individual lives and go back to simpler
living and more direct thinking.”
Laura Ingalls Wilder
These are the posts I just don’t know where to start when there’s much of the nitty gritty goings on of a urban homestead.
First off who stole summer? It’s like we skipped [...]
The weather is still cool for this time of year. I have to pinch myself – can’t believe it’s August!
I’ve noticed too that there’s not been many June bugs either. Spotted only two this week, last year we had a whole army of ‘em – it was like an invasion!
Well, we are just going to [...]
What’s with the weather? Today and yesterday morning it feels like fall? I know the coolness will burn off once the sun comes out but it really doesn’t feel like the August we are so used to.
Jordanne and I were commenting on the sound – it changed. Yeah, sounds funny but it’s not. We can [...]
Having so much flora here on the urban homestead one never really gets to figuring out all the ways one can go about using and preparing all the different parts of a plant- there’s the fruit, flowers, roots, shoots, leaves etc that are edible and even useful but overtime we’ve lost all that know how [...]
Keeps us busy here at the urban homestead kitchen. This low chill variety (Anna) does well here in the heat of Southern California and we have been pleased with its productivity.
Apple butter is one of the ways we preserve the apples. Also drying a few on the solar food pantrie – and with the hot [...]
Off with the wry winter coat!
Trading for a sleek, shiny summer one
Just about the time the goats were shedding their wry winter coats So Cal had an exceptionally cool/grey June. Normally the goats just shed down to a light summer coat but this year especially with Blackberry the shedding was more extreme. In fact it [...]
Justin alerted me to this article
Plant disease hits eastern US veggies early, hard
CONCORD, N.H. – Tomato plants have been removed from stores in half a dozen states as a destructive and infectious plant disease makes its earliest and most widespread appearance ever in the eastern United States.
Late blight — the same disease that caused the [...]
We’ve had dismal grey downright gloomy weather for over week now and it’s starting to get on everyone’s nerves. Yeah, sorry could never really live in Seattle. I like to see that brilliant bright yellow thing in the sky once in awhile, of course if the grey skies brought rain I’d be more akin to [...]
Now that we back to overcast and cooler “sweater” weather, we are still having to deal with the aftermath of the triple digits temps ( hot weather smashes 90 + year records.) that caused much of the cooler weather greens bolt.
The dramatic spike in temps really played havoc with the greens knocking our rotation planting [...]
After a week where summer and spring wrestled with each other over weather dominance, this weekend is turning out to be just spectacular. Happy to say we are back to our regularly schedule weather pattern…. for now.
On Saturday PTF and FG both had a table at Pasadena’s Greening the Earth Day in Memorial Park. After [...]
Glad everyone enjoyed the Oprah piece especially since all the footage she used was from our homemade production HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION.
Hey, did any of you catch that fake rooster crowing background noise?
After three recording breaking days of heat. Not only did we top the century mark we shattered century records. In just a [...]
In the day. We have one more busy week to go with Earth Week and then everything should (hopefully) go back to normal.
I have two weeks of meals sitting here on my desk (um that didn’t come out right – the menu list NOT the actual food), loads of photos from this weekend’s events and [...]
The weather is acting up again – it’s as if winter’s is fighting with her sibling summer. Hopefully the cooler temperatures will bring some rain. In fact, there is a chance of rain mid week. We are definitely praying for rain because we need all the heavens can give us before the long, hot and [...]
(please note post was written yesterday – Wednesday )
Amen and pass the pitchfork. It’s a clear and sunny day! Honestly, the rain was getting a little much – too wet all at once.
No more soggy clothes and mucking boots for awhile at least.
It’s been so dreary and wet that we had to rig up a [...]
These photos were taken yesterday and what a difference a day makes. Just as it was starting to get cold again with a frost danger, can you believe it’s raining again? It was only last weekend that we were under a deluge of rain – 4 plus inches to be exact. Pretty soon we are [...]
We’ve been busy! With upgrades at our sister site going awry and a local school tour of the urban homestead, to figuring out how to sell all these seeds (our FS site’s been delayed) leaves little time to write about all that’s going on.
So over the last few days….
It finally stopped raining. But only [...]
Wintr, that is. Yesterday, we were baking under a hot sun with temperatures in the 80’s and slightly dry Sana Anna wind. Towards evening, you could feel the shift in the wind (funny how you sense the smallest change). Waking up this morning, I found it cool and cloudy! By afternoon it was raining – pouring, [...]
Well, sadly, our laptop died so I am behind in bringing you all the latest happenings from the ’stead.
We did get some rain and temperatures are back to normal – cold. After the rain clouds left last night up went the row covers. Good thing because this morning there’s ice. Though the warm weather [...]
Yard work
Winter tomatoes
Farmer J shows off his heads of broccoli
And another beauty
Dining room turned seed business
Justin packing seeds for Sunday
With the prospects of of a dryer than normal season, thanks to La Nina, (our normal is between 14″ & 19″ — see rainfall totals for the past 130 years) it’s not hard to gander that [...]
Not only have the usual January rains been a no-show, it’s been downright summery. But some showers and cooler conditions are expected Wednesday through Monday, meteorologists say.
By Hector Becerra
January 19 2009, 10:30 PM PST
Another toasty day in downtown Los Angeles on Monday marked nine straight days of temperatures above 80 degrees, a record for January. [...]
Winter sunflowers. That’s right we have a huge patch of self sown sunflowers that are in full bloom in January no less!
Garden in winter – assorted greens, garlic, broccoli, peas and onions.
A gorgeous head of broccoli.
Kumquats almost ripe. Though semi ripe, I just can’t wait and have been nibbling on them already! Enjoying the [...]
Harvest (herbs, fruits, and vegs) 5,500 lbs (or there abouts)
Eggs: 2,155 (duck & chicken)
Honey: 25 lbs
If you have been following us this year, you know that the weather played havoc with our summer crops. Many such as cucumbers and tomatoes were lackluster and poundage considerably down than in previous years. From our records we “normally” [...]
Thanks to a generous donation (thank you DT!) we have been able to purchase 2 boxes of LOCAL and ORGANIC apples for the upcoming screening (award winning documentary BROKEN LIMBS) and potluck on December 28th (spaces are still available so RSVP)
Due to the weather the ENTIRE event (potluck & screening) will be held INDOORS. So no need [...]
Justin, who likes catching peoples unawares, snapped this photo of me early in the morning (just before sun was coming up) doing the watering and feeding of the animals. I tried to fend him off with a scowl and a scolding, but of course, that didn’t work cuz he couldn’t see even my mouth yet [...]
Clouds before the storm
it’s raining, it’s pouring!
The much anticipated winter storm finally arrived late last evening.
It’s been raining pretty steadily now for hours (rain gauge has us down at 1 inch already!) and it looks like the heavy downpours will continue throughout the day.
Last night Jordanne and I went to see our friends sing in [...]
Headlines like “So Cal braces for winter storm“ have been teasing us for the past few days leave us wondering where this phantom storm is. We haven’t had a lick of rain only dreary and cold temperatures instead.
A chance of rain was predicted Fri, Sat, Sun now they are changing the weather forecast to chance of rain [...]
“During World War II many consumer goods were rationed for civilians in order to supply more goods for both American and Allied troops. Among the items rationed were sugar, red meat, gas, oil, coffee, and rubber. In October 1942 fuel oil was rationed. During the especially cold winter of 1942-43 this brought numerous protests from [...]
Beautiful carpet of colorful greens
Lovely red lettuces
Beans. Yes still beans!
Climbing lima beans
Forest of “fall” tomatoes
RAIN
The rainy season has started off with a good drenching. Last night the first major storm blew in dropping over 2 1/2 inches here at the urban homestead. What a blessing!
TALLY HO
Last month’s harvest weighed in over 400 lbs for a [...]
It’s been an odd couple of days, shall I say why? Can you guess? It’s what’s been the single most talked about subject on this journal the whole year. If you guess “weather” you are correct.
We went from being hot, to overcast and damp to cool and windy in a matter of days. But as [...]
Greens and broccoli
Fall tomatoes
Potatoes growing among the submerged ollas or clay pots
Peas growing among the ollas or clay pots
Towering fall tomatoes
Garden in transition
Fall peppers
Tomatoes!
In the garden
Over the weekend, we experienced cooler weather and even some measurable showers. Definitely a blessing for the winter garden that’s shaping up.
The cooler weather has brought the peas and other [...]
Keeping It Real
Sure we have a lot of goings on beyond our urban homestead lifestyle (websites, events, film, etc) and it’s good to keep things real where our readers can see and read first hand about what’s happening here on the ’stead.
The ground was certainly wet this morning, but nothing in the way of any substantial [...]
It’s crazy! Everyone’s busier than a bee on a blue basil – well, our ’stead bees. Anyhow, we are just plum out busy.
Skuttlebut has it that the long overdue and anticipated upgrades to Freedom Gardens is close, really close! We’ve waited – and waited, biting our nails over delay after delay after delay. Hopefully this [...]
October shaping up as L.A.’s lost summer
With eight days over 90, this could be the hottest October since 1965, forecasters say.
Summer turned out to be a cooler than normal dud this year.
With eight scorchers over 90 degrees this month, Los Angeles has been in the midst of the second-hottest October since 1877, according to climate [...]
We’ve been getting mysterious packages in the mail recently and I’ve spotted some unusual looking gadgets in Justin’s room. Yeah, I’m a nosy nelly.
Since our produce business is almost none existent at the moment ( no surplus no business – no thanks to the batty weather), Justin has a little bit of free time on his hands [...]
Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, October 2008
A Landscape Good Enough to Eat
Save your money, improve your cooking and help save the planet by transforming your lawn into an edible landscape.
By Cindy Heroux
No, we’re not suggesting you chow down on that boxwood hedge or dine on dracenas, but there’s a growing movement called “urban farming” that [...]
Well, the summer garden’s slowing crawling to a close here on the urban homestead. Though, I am not quite looking forward to cooler weather, I am, however, ready for a change and perhaps a new chapter.
Thanks for everyone’s positive comments, they are greatly appreciated. We are blessed that you find inspiration and hope in our everyday [...]
