Moving to TastyLandscape.com

I have been thinking about ways to better present the material here and discovered that creating a website is the way to go.

Therefore, I have begun the process of moving the information in this blog to my new website:

TastyLandscape.com... aka... http://tastylandscape.com/

My main goal is to make the material more organized and easier to find. 

Please check it out and let me know what you think.

Thanks, 

Tom

Sicily in Northern San Diego

San Diego has some great farmers markets.  There lots of wonderful people at these markets, but one of my favorite couples is Sharon and Sebastian.  They are among the nicest people you will ever meet.  

Sharon and Sebastian have been sharing their homegrown (certified organic) produce and stories with the local community for over 16 years.  Their families are both from Sicily and their crops are a reflection of that rich heritage.  Sebastian was raised as a farmer in Sicily and has a wealth of traditional farming knowledge.  Sharon is charismatic and loves to share engaging stories about her Italian roots.

You can find Sharon and Sebastian (and many others) at the Vista Farmers Market every Saturday from 8am to noon.  

Vista Farmers Market: homepage

Yelp: Vista Farmers Market

Gophers also eat Loquat Trees and Bay Laurel Trees

Yes they do even though I was told and read otherwise.

Because I had read that gophers don’t eat Loquat trees I decided against caging the roots of the tree when I planted it.  Well, that was a mistake.  Gophers definitely do eat Loquat trees.  The one in the pictures was eaten to the stump as if it was gopher chocolate.  It almost looks like a beaver got to it. 

As a side:

I was also told by a grower/seller of Bay Laurel trees that gophers won’t eat them because of their strong smell.  Well, wrong again.  I had a gopher eat a Bay Laurel tree too.

Lesson here:

• If you are not sure if a gopher will eat a plant, then cage it.
• It you are pretty sure gophers won’t eat it, cage it anyways.

The only things that I have found that gophers steer away from is lavender, rosemary and euphorbia species.  

Learn how to propagate Rosemary, or go to my my June 12th post.

Click here for how to make a gopher cage or go to my Sep 1st post. 

Bunny dilemma

My wife found a nest of bunnies in my vegetable garden yesterday.  I know this may be sacrilege to many a farmer, but they are just too cute to… uhh ...permanently remove.