Find Articles on Specific Gardening Topics Here
View our latest posts on various gardening topics below.
Kale Pesto Pasta with Edible Flower Garnish
by Kristen Smeal, Master Gardener This recipe was created by Sarah Ortega of Alameda, teacher, chef, and mom of three. She created this recipe for a garden to table cooking class so the students could experience harvesting the kale, lemon, garlic, and edible flowers from the garden and incorporate them into a dish in the...Continue reading→
Succession Planting to Maximize Your Garden Yield
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener I have a friend who lives outside of Toronto. Like me, she grows and puts up a great deal of food from a smallish garden. She, however, has a two week window in which to plant her entire summer garden if she wants to harvest before...Continue reading→
Gardening 101 – Soil Preparation
by Margie Siegal In order to have happy, healthy plants, you need to start with healthy soil. Think of your garden as a welcoming home for your seeds and plants. You want to give them the best possible start, so they will grow big and tall for you, and produce great vegetables. Plants absorb nutrients...Continue reading→
Beginner’s Guide to Planting Victory Gardens
Alameda Sun, Thursday, April 9, 2020 by Birgitt Evans In March 2010, Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) held its first meeting. Formed in response to the financial crisis in 2008, we created educational programming and set up Project Pick to help our community grow and donate food. Exactly 10 years later, we are pleased to be...Continue reading→
Permaculture in Backyard Gardens
Our 1st Zoom Meeting Was a Great Success! Thank you to our presenters (bios below) who introduced the concept of permaculture, and how to apply permaculture principles into regenerative backyard design and local food production. We had a wonderful dialogue about these topics in the context of COVID-19 and the climate crisis. The presenters covered...Continue reading→
Growing Vegetables from Seeds in April
by Birgitt Evans, ABG Board member and Master Gardener What a wild ride March was! Lives were turned upside down. We traded security for uncertainty. While many people ran for toilet paper, the rest of us surveyed our options and decided that we preferred home food security. And then we discovered that that too was...Continue reading→
Three Tips for Tomato Seedlings in Alameda
by Linda Carloni, ABG Board member and Master Gardener Tomatoes are one of most popular plants for home gardens. Alameda’s climate and soil are not optimal for all varieties of tomatoes, but with some knowledge of Alameda’s eccentricities, you can enjoy home grown tomatoes. Using tomato seedlings rather than seeds requires less gardening time and...Continue reading→
Alameda’s Secret Growing Season
Alameda Sun, Thursday, February 13, 2020 by Dena Andersen People move to the Bay Area for many reasons, among them: work, its unique social life and the fantastic natural beauty of California. But for gardeners who find themselves living here a greater secret awaits, for Alameda has not two, but three growing seasons. In addition...Continue reading→
Fight Climate Change, Focus on What’s Beneath
Alameda Sun, Thursday, January 9, 2020 by Marla Koss Communities all over the world have love and pride for where they live and Californians are no different. There are places here for everyone: mountains and coastlines, grasslands and forests, even a backyard garden or a city park. No matter the landscape one connects with, we...Continue reading→
Growing Your Own Vegetables from Seed
February 18, 2020 from 7 to 8:30 pm Rhythmix Cultural Works 2513 Blanding Avenue, Alameda Join Alameda Backyard Growers speaker Birgitt Evans for an informative and hands-on seed starting workshop. About this Event Starting vegetables from seed can save money and will give you access to thousands of vegetable varieties not available as transplants. We...Continue reading→