Garden Tour: San Francisco's Dogpatch Neighborhood

Time for another garden tour!  This time, we're visiting the Dogpatch district of San Francisco - a little known, up-and-coming artistic neighborhood. Its a blend of historic industry and artsy start ups, where green space is a luxury and gardens are humble and resourceful.

Water Patio Plants Less Often with this Surprising Tip!

This spring while planting the garden, I wanted to try out new ways to help keep my container flowers blooming throughout the heat of the summer.  That is, without me standing over them and watering them every day!

A high school chemistry teacher waaay back in the day had beakers of gel around the classroom with flowers growing out of them.  She explained to us that it was the same water-retaining material found in diapers...and period pads.  That little bit of trivia stayed with me and this spring it's found its way into my coir-lined hanging planters.  Here's more on this unexpected repurposing...feminine pads in the garden!

How to grow onions in containers

Until recently, I'd never been able to make onions grow.  I'd have one start sprouting in the kitchen...oops...and it would rot out as soon as I tried to do make it grow.  I finally figured out how to grow them using kitchen scraps (check out my article How to Grow Onions from Kitchen Scraps in 3 Easy Steps to learn how!)

Onions are fun to grow, make neat vertical stems and tall blooms, and are surprisingly versatile.  I also love that they can be grown in pots and garden containers, which make them ideal for apartment and balcony gardeners.

In order to grow thriving onions in containers, keep these helpful tips in mind:

Use cork pads to protect floors from potted plants!

We installed brand new laminate floors this summer, and although they are very resistant to damage, I can't bring myself to put my potted plants directly onto them.  What if they scratch?  What if water seeps through?

How to grow beets in containers

Beets, with their juicy red roots and edible leafy greens, are the best.  And they're super easy to grow in containers, so perfect for "farming" on a balcony or porch.

Growing Beets from Kitchen Scraps

I used to be notorious for buying beets, with grand intentions of beet and goat cheese salads...and forgetting about them in the veggie drawer.  Yep, my husband loves it.  Ahem.