tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64167837974125128352012-05-27T20:22:06.227-07:00<br> <br><strong>GROWING FOOD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA</strong> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <strong>Corn from my garden, 2009 </strong>David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-78674949258742249382012-03-24T18:19:00.002-07:002012-03-24T18:19:25.034-07:00

The Learning Garden in conjunction with the Seed Library of Los Angeles offer Seed Saving 101 Learning Gardenmaster and SLOLA Chair, David King will teach this introduction to saving seeds from your garden this coming May. Held on Wednesday evenings, participants will learn how to grow heirloom plants and save their own seeds for next year. A truly important step for

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-32880173409075561152012-03-24T08:44:00.002-07:002012-03-24T18:23:49.272-07:00

Offered by The Learning Garden under the auspices of the University of California Extension: Four classes to really give you the dirt on gardening! Expand your skill level and appreciate the world of plants so much better; introducing a new series of more advanced gardening classes! The four session class will cover the following topics:  May 20 – Crop rotation; perennial food plants;

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-74268181142731762922012-03-12T10:59:00.001-07:002012-03-12T11:01:41.621-07:00

CONTACT:   Bruce Smith                                              FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                         Public Information Officer                       DATE: March 12, 2012                         (310) 434-4209                                          www.smc.edu “SEEDS: LOCAL & GLOBAL” AT SMC MARCH 27          Santa Monica College is pleased to present a free

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-74163202870292024062012-03-05T23:22:00.001-08:002012-03-05T23:22:37.444-08:00

March. Baseball teams are in Spring Training in Florida and Arizona. Tomatoes are growing in a protected location with 'bottom heat' so they can be set out in the garden close to the end of April. We've all heard the old saying about March coming in like a lamb and going out like a lion, or is it coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb? Whatever the exact saying, it

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-21013406479889152012012-02-13T23:22:00.000-08:002012-02-13T23:22:29.774-08:00

Summer's harvest from last year include these gorgeous peppers (what did I plant last year?) and San Marzano tomatoes. Both were prolific and delicious. When summer is over, I don't want to touch another tomato, but by February, I'm gearing up for a fresh BLT! The short days of winter are getting perceptibly longer. We are half way to the Spring Equinox, which is half way to

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-74478807714861930732012-01-06T20:55:00.000-08:002012-01-06T20:55:46.999-08:00

Rain on a broccoli, the photographer and his camera. We are grateful for the rain - even this so-called 'negligible precipitation.' A drought is predicted, but since when have 'they' been right? One of the wonderful things of living in Southern California, this close to the Pacific Ocean is the delightful mild weather we enjoy.

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-62461048799685437162011-10-07T23:53:00.000-07:002011-10-07T23:53:35.815-07:00

(NB This is an essay from a few years ago I have dug out and rewritten.  I guess, having finished the first major rewrite of my first book has left me with a yen to do more re-writing.  I stumbled upon this while trying to find something else tonight and repost it with the sense that gardens matter more than just food or beauty.  There is a healing that comes to us from gardens and we need a

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-57116208889223440992011-09-29T11:46:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:46:22.065-07:00

"The number of hungry people has soared to nearly 1 billion, despite strong global harvests. And for even more people, sustenance has become a health hazard—with the US diet implicated in four out of our top ten deadly diseases. Power over soil, seeds and food sales is ever more tightly held, and farmland in the global South is being snatched away from indigenous people by speculators

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-36519935631963783112011-09-03T20:21:00.000-07:002011-09-03T20:25:46.424-07:00

Lettuce is one of our winter crops in Los Angeles – this red lettuce, Merville des Quatres Saissons (Marvel of the Four Seasons) is more like Marvel of the Two Seasons here – our summers are way too hot to grow this lovely French belle, but in cooler months this is a true delight that is as tasty as it is beautiful – and it's really beautiful! Alongside it, not as gorgeous, but still a very good

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-14175470642095861942011-09-02T11:05:00.000-07:002011-09-02T11:05:59.783-07:00

David King Teaches Gardening To Everyone! This Saturday, September 3rd, The Learning Garden presents:  Growing food In Southern California with David King. This 9 to 12 workshop centers on what to do in the coming months as Southern California heads into our 'other Spring' and one of our best, and least understood, growing seasons! You'll learn what to plant and how to plant it, what

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-32070023229921250012011-08-23T18:12:00.000-07:002011-08-23T18:12:16.831-07:00

A pair of hands sifts through the harvest of Cannellini beans; 12 feet of row netted just shy of 10 pounds. I am thinking a family of four would use about 50 pounds in a year. But this is just one of the many things we are harvesting from the garden this month I used to think of August as nap time and in the heat of Southern California's summer, it sure is inviting! Grab a cool drink, a

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-61960460671359954592011-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:002011-07-03T09:26:20.675-07:00

...and the corn is as high as an elephants eye?  Maybe not that high, but still stands tall in the garden promises good eating right around the corner. As a boy in Kansas, I knew my grandfather's goal every year was to harvest sweet ears by July 4th. He and his neighbors might bet hard earned money on who would harvest their crop first.  Most years he was the surely the winner! Since corn takes

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-25703125369318484642011-07-02T20:51:00.000-07:002011-07-02T20:51:07.781-07:00

Dear Amazon, I think you goofed badly. I don't know of any business model that suggests you terminate your very large sales force that worked hard for you for practically nothing and give them over to your competitors to work against you. And it's a sad thing because many of us were not wanting to switch, we wanted to keep working for you for next to nothing. But you forced our hands.

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-22383032856641532592011-06-19T20:56:00.000-07:002011-06-19T20:56:28.008-07:00

Starting Seed School Belle Star (the cute one on the left) and Bill McDorman, lead instructor, take our class through some thought provoking exercises for the evening. Late this afternoon, 20 some students met our instructors, in the Native Seed/SEARCH facility in north Tucson to meet and set our intention for the coming week.  It was an interesting day in Tucson.  First of all, the high

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-55127040214088291432011-05-23T11:37:00.000-07:002011-06-29T21:58:07.258-07:00

In considering the recent spate of exploding watermelons in China, I realized that one of the challenges of the future, especially in first world countries, is the lack of farmers who understand the ramifications of farming in a way that is not currently framed in conventional farming education.  We need to grow more farmers!  Farmers who can farm organically and sustainably, to use modern catch

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-33099344179004067622011-04-10T16:43:00.000-07:002011-04-10T16:43:24.948-07:00

(This is a reprint of an article that first appeared in LA Yoga magazine, June, 2009.  It is still applicable.) NOTHING COMPARES WITH THE TASTE of freshly picked, vine-ripened, home-grown tomatoes. Sweet, juicy, delicious, colorful, bursting, it’s something special. Even the most organically grown, farm fresh produce isn’t quite the same as the loving care we take with growing our own food.

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-76548612990312519042011-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:002011-04-04T08:01:27.454-07:00

The summer garden's plants are in their little starter pots right now (vaguely reminiscent of training wheels on a bicycle) really begging to be transplanted into the earth. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, the stalwarts of our summer garden are almost ready to hit the big time. In some years, it's too cool until after your taxes are done, but in many others, heed their pleas and put them out

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-37645825609748716982011-03-31T12:53:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:53:49.062-07:00

The Seed Library of Los Angeles meeting of a few months ago, David King presides.  The Seed Library of Los Angeles has monthly meetings.  The membership has control over how we spend our money and makes all major decisions.  In addition to tending to this business, the Best Practices Committee presents a 15 minute lecture on saving seeds and answers questions on saving and storing seed for

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-43595300609397080492011-03-31T12:30:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:30:20.721-07:00

Thank you for your interest in the Victory Garden Classes at The Learning Garden. Below you will find the answers to most your questions. Please feel free to email me with questions if I failed to cover something of concern to you. Don't delay registering! We need a deposit for each person. Spaces are not considered occupied until we have a deposit. If you don't use PayPal, email me and we'll

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-9341857061113393712011-03-08T19:27:00.000-08:002011-03-08T19:27:34.100-08:00

March. Baseball teams are in Spring Training in Florida and Arizona. Tomatoes are growing in a protected location with 'bottom heat' so they can be set out in the garden close to the end of April. We've all heard the old saying about March coming in like a lamb and going out like a lion, or is it coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb? Whatever the exact saying, it correctly alludes

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-41281263921827837552011-02-05T06:36:00.000-08:002011-02-05T06:36:31.385-08:00

Summer's harvest from last year include these gorgeous peppers (what did I plant last year?) and San Marzano tomatoes. Both were prolific and delicious. When summer is over, I don't want to touch another tomato, but by February, I'm getting geared up for the first fresh BLT! The short days of winter are getting perceptibly longer. From the Winter Equinox, we are half way to the Spring Equinox

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-74376858144321723812011-01-28T21:58:00.000-08:002011-01-28T21:58:21.152-08:00

Who knew?  This blog is now three years old having started the 29th of January 2008.  To celebrate, I'm posting the bibliography and other things from the Essentials of Vegetable Seed Saving lecture at The Learning Garden, 10-3 on the 29th.   A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners and Farmers, Organic Seed Alliance © 2010 OSA This publication is a free download from the Organic Seed

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-48991282568689419592010-12-14T22:32:00.000-08:002010-12-15T17:30:13.112-08:00

David King's Most Delicious Rhubarb Pie The shot of the rhubarb pie shows a green filling rather than the accepted red of rhubarb.  The green rhubarb comes from our typical lack of frost.  Rhubarb, in cold climates, is revered as the first fresh thing a person can eat in those very early days of spring.  Rhubarb shoots rise from the base of the plant a brilliant red after being frozen for the

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-43594167704068021712010-12-13T19:33:00.000-08:002010-12-13T19:35:06.318-08:00

The initial stock of Felco pruners and Swiss Army Knives are in stock now!  I have F-6's, 8's and 11's as well as the new composite handle pruners, 160S (for small hands) and 160L (for large hands - that's it in the photo).  I have a couple of sharpeners, holsters (like the one I use) and a few Swiss Army knives for grafting.  Contact me via my email address, or by phone to arrange a pick up time

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6416783797412512835.post-78370262835860900612010-11-22T22:19:00.000-08:002010-11-22T22:19:20.090-08:00

A Venice High School student is proud of the cauliflower she grew in her garden class.  Educating the coming generations about where food really comes from and showing them how to grow good, healthy food without pesticides, fertilizers and Monsanto will hold them in good stead as this world changes. I have been to a number of panels or seminars on “Urban Agriculture” lately and I'm impressed by

David Kinghttps://profiles.google.com/104468920418606442699noreply@blogger.com0