Most of you know Pat Welsh for her incredibly well-written garden books, and the fact that she is a writer, speaker, and garden guru. Did you know, however, she is also a very gifted and talented painter. Her painting is a passion. My husband and I absolutely adore Pat, and adore her painting style.

A few years back we approached Pat about painting "our little hamlet" here at Domaine de Manion, our home and backyard vineyard. Fortunately, she was very interested in our proposed subject, and soon Pat's painting of our home and vineyard took on a life of its own. Pat did on site visits, sketches, and borrowed photos we had taken to begin her vision of the painting. Despite her very busy schedule, she persevered and enjoyed time for painting.

Her proposed composition was exactly what we were hoping for, a beautiful, yet simple depiction of our first grape harvest in 2008. Pat focused her painting of our vineyard from our lower south west corner of our property. Her painting sweeps upward over our beautiful syrah vineyard to our home on top of the hill.  She was able to capture our enthusiastic friends helping in the harvest, J.Lo our beloved chicken and chicken coop, and the whole essence and excitement of our first harvest. My husband, John, and I, are depicted center-front, holding on to this moment.

We wanted something very special to remember and commemorate our first harvest, and all of our hard work which brought us to this point in time. We feel so fortunate and honored to have Pat Welsh's beautiful painting to capture our memories. Many thanks Pat, your painting is incredible.

Please comment on little celebrations in your life that have big meaning. Please share  if you have had a chance to delve into Pat Welsh's new book.

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San Diego Horticultural Society announces its Spring Garden Tour, Saturday March 13, 2010. Tickets are $15/members, $20/non-members. To purchase tickets and more detailed information, please go to www.SanDiegoHorticulturalSociety.org

If you are as passionate about growing your own sustainable organic food as I am, you must buy the newly released book,  Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food by Jean Ann Van Krevelen, with co-authors Amanda Thomsen, Robin Ripley, and Teresa O'Connor. Grocery Gardening is paperback, lists for $19.95, and is published by Cool Springs Press.

I have been looking for this type of book for a long time. One that takes me from vegetable garden to kitchen to cellar pantry. It is a little bit garden-growing guide, a little bit "fab" cookbook, and and a little bit good ol' homestead manual all rolled into one.

Grocery Gardening acquaints you with a nice detailed selection of herbs, fruit, and vegetable edibles. For each edible, you are given key steps for planting and growing, different varieties available, proper harvest time, and preserving methods for extra bounty. In addition, there are focused chapters on the basics of gardening, how to buy quality produce, preserving methods, and organic pest management.

Each colorful edible is presented in a unique Grocery Gardening format, simple yet comprehensive with added nutritional tidbits, edible trivia, accompanying mouth-watering recipes, specific pests to watch out for, and preferential preserving methods. If you need more reasons to buy Grocery Gardening, how about these recipes. Rhubarb Cake with Citrus Glaze. Rock Star Salsa. Fig and Arugula Composed Salad. Shepherd's Pie with Carrot and Sweet Potato Topping.

It is evident that author Jean Ann Van Krevelen, and co-authors Amanda Thomsen, Robin Ripley, and Teresa O'Connor of Grocery Gardening are quite talented and gifted in their own garden expertise and garden communications. In fact, I call them pioneers in "garden social media." You might be interested to know that they all met on Twitter, have never met each other in person, and their garden passion fueled them to write this book together in sixty days.

Whether you are a veteran or a "newbie" vegetable gardener, you will want to have Grocery Gardening: Planting, Preparing and Preserving Fresh Food by your side.

Please share if you plan on growing edibles this year. Please comment on your experience eating edibles straight out of your garden. Is it the satisfaction of connecting with the land? The incredible difference in taste? The convenience of walking to your garden, rather than hopping in your car?

Thank You for Visiting VGG Sponsors!

San Diego Horticultural Society announces its Spring Garden Tour, Saturday March 13, 2010. Tickets are $15/members, $20/non-members. To purchase tickets and more detailed information, please go to www.SanDiegoHorticulturalSociety.org

There are certain pockets of my garden which ground me with normalcy and the beckoning of spring, despite our ongoing home remodel. With all of the mess, upheaval, and chaos, my "Gravetye Giant" have managed to come up and bloom in dainty spring glory, reassuring me that all is well, and everything will once again be fine in the garden.

Maybe our persistent intervals of somewhat light rains, have stoked the feverish blooming of these beauties this year. I had half forgotten about them until their dainty white bells caught my eye one day. I can almost imagine "Tinkerbell" from Peter Pan, magically dancing amongst these blooms. Perhaps, that is why my favorite gnome is not too far away.

A sure sign of spring, Leucojum aestivum Gravetye Giant, also known as Giant Snowflake and Summer Snowflake, is a winter-to-spring blooming bulb. When blooming, Gravetye Giant can reach 2' -3' tall. They have a clump-forming habit, with vivid green foliage and delicate pendulous white bell flowers punctuated with an emerald green dot at the tip of each petal.

It is best to plant Gravetye Giant bulbs initially in the fall, in a part-shade to sunny location. Gravetye Giant are ideal for flower beds, borders, naturalizing, woodland shade gardens, and even water features. They are extremely showy and elegant in mass plantings. You can enjoy them inside as beautiful cutting flowers.

Gravetye Giant is a very forgiving bulb, with the ability to tolerate extremes like frost, and excess moisture. They require little maintenance by dead-heading blooms when finished, and cutting back foliage only when it yellows. Clumps can be divided, if necessary. They are relatively pest free, even rodent and deer resistant.

Gravetye Giant bulbs can be found through most bulb companies. My friends at Easy To Grow Bulbs offer reasonable Gravetye Giant 25, 50, and 100 bulk bulb pricing, shipping these bulbs August through December.

Please share if you have Gravetye Giant in your garden? Please comment on what in your garden is first to bloom, and suggests your spring is here.

Thank You for Visiting VGG Sponsors!

San Diego Horticultural Society announces its Spring Garden Tour, Saturday March 13, 2010. Tickets are $15/members, $20/non-members. To purchase tickets and more detailed information, please go to www.SanDiegoHorticulturalSociety.org

Meet Charley, short for Charlotte, she is a White-Crested Blue Polish hen, one of three new bantam hens I have added to my blended flock at "Coop de Manion" recently. More on this to follow.

Isn't Charley beautiful. She is as soft and fluffy to the touch as she looks. Her floppy white crest exaggerates her movement and personality. Honestly, I have had my beloved hens for about eight years, and Charley is special, she doesn't even act like a chicken. If I am crouching near the ground, she practically jumps in my lap, like a giddy teenager. With that said, she loves to be out in our garden, and loves to burrow in our soft sandy soil and create a dirt bath for herself.

In the above photo, Charley is demonstrating the fine art of a chicken "dirt bath." Don't ask me how they know how to do it, or where they learn it, they just know. Maybe they learn from their elders. If you have a prize-winning garden, this is about the most destructive a chicken will be. Chickens pride themselves in burrowing in the soil, making an indentation, and flicking dirt over themselves. If you have an exposed vegetable garden, this is another story because chickens love to help themselves to the latest gourmet treat emerging in your garden.

Charley is demonstrating her "dirt bath," in this sunny, sandy corridor where I have planted herbs along this pathway. All of my hens love to gravitate to this area, and wallow deep in the sandy soil. It is their favorite spot in the garden.

I have mentioned before when speaking of chickens in the garden, chickens love dirt baths to cleanse their feathers, cool themselves, and for general relaxation. It is sometimes hard to move a relaxed hen from her sunny dirt bath spot.

Now that you know the finer points of the chicken "dirt bath," I hope to put your mind at ease, and not be too concerned if you see your chickens doing the same in your garden. Rest assured, it is one of their little life pleasures.

Please share if your chickens like "dirt baths." Please share with us a little about your favorite chickens and their personalities.

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I generally plant fava beans in my potager every year. I think it is because they remind me of Europe. Fava beans were a staple in northern Europe before the introduction and popularity of the potato. When I'm in Europe, I see fava beans for sale at outdoor markets, and mentioned often on restaurant menus. While fava beans have been cultivated in Europe for centuries, fava beans are relatively new to the American farm, market, and garden.

I absolutely adore their catchy black and white flowers which remind me of black-eyed peas. Oh yes, and I love their slightly nutty buttery taste, too. Fava beans are also known by the names; Broad beans, Windsor beans, English beans, and a few others. (Please note, in some cases, a few people can be allergic to, or have an enzyme deficiency to fava beans. I have never experienced this or heard of this personally before, but have seen it in my reading).

In mild climates such as Southern California, I sow my fava beans in the fall, and patiently wait 150-180 days later, for harvest in spring. Fava beans are a legume, and require a long, cool growing season. Fava beans are also considered a beneficial cover crop, because they are high in nitrogen, and return nitrogen back, enriching the soil where they are grown.

I plant my fava bean seeds in a large full sun plot in my potager, where their height won't affect my other growing vegetables. Seeds need to be planted about 2" deep, and 6" apart. Allow for about 24" between your rows. Mature fava bean plants, do not require staking or support, and can reach 4' to 5' high yielding apple green pods, 6" to 8" inches long, with 5 to 7 beans in each pod.

The best reason for growing fresh fava beans is their wonderful taste and versatility. You can utilize young tender fava bean pods whole, or shelled when mature. Fava beans can be used in light spring pastas, hearty soups, pureed as a dip, sauteed as a vegetable, or used as a substitute for lima beans. It seems like every year, I see yet another creative way to use fava beans in spring recipes.

If you are not familiar with fava beans, I whole-heartedly recommend growing them sometime. Fava bean seeds are easy to find through your favorite seed catalogs. Territorial Seed and Botanical Interests both carry fava beans. In the garden, fava beans are quite striking in appearance, easy to grow and cultivate, add nitrogen back to your soil, and reap a tasty spring legume.

Please share if you  are familiar with, and grow fava beans in your garden? Please comment on your favorite way to enjoy fava beans.

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What once was basically unusable space in our home is emerging as "the heart of our home" and our new kitchen, thanks to our remodel. Custom-made shaker style cabinets in a warm, livable gray color echo the simple and rustic kitchen. A 30" white farmhouse sink, made by Whitehaus, waits to be installed. We are planning on white counters, and white top for the kitchen island, material to be determined.

I found our farmhouse sink and faucet at Vintage Tub and Bath. Vintage Tub and Bath is a mail order company back east, with a wonderful selection of new, but vintage-looking pieces for your kitchen and bath. Prices are reasonable, and there are no sales tax or shipping charges.

Our kitchen has two wall sides and two open sides. The north side, you can see in the above photo, is cabinets and kitchen sink.The east and adjoining side will be the appliance wall where our refrigerator, ovens, microwave, and pantry will be located. A large kitchen island 5' x 8', will be strategically situated across from our farmhouse sink, and where our cook top will be situated.

Our two opens sides of our kitchen face south and west. Our kitchen is on an elevated level above, by a height of 5 steps, and overlooks a huge great room facing south. This is where our dining and living room will be situated. Looking west from the kitchen, will be an adjoining cozy breakfast nook, and views of our garden and vineyard beyond.

For those that are in the throes of remodeling now, too, a great website to have at your fingertips is Remodelista. It is full of inspiring ideas, incredible resources, and overall "over the top" tips to get your through your remodel.

Please share if you are remodeling your home or kitchen now. Please share what prompted you to remodel.

With Easter in early April this year, you have time to create a special spring bulb arrangement in a great vintage container for your front door or patio. In the photo to the left, I created my spring bulb arrangement in a vintage wooden bucket. A simple container that lets its contents have the attention.

You can either start with various dormant bulbs, or if pressed for time you can purchase from nurseries ready-to-bloom spring tulips, daffodils, hyacinth, freesias, amaryllis, lilies, and more. Try mixing in ferns for softness, or perhaps some dainty violas. Remember, spring is just around the corner.

A few tips to help you plant a fabulous spring bulb arrangement: 1) Select your container, preferably one with a nice wide mouth or planting area. Let your container size, color, and shape dictate what bulbs and plants would look best.

2) Be aware of your "plant-to-bloom" time frame, so that you coincide your arrangement in full bloom to your time frame needed. Perhaps, you might even want to stagger different bulbs to bloom at various times, for a longer lasting arrangement.

3) Dormant bulbs are awakened by the sun. Once your arrangement is planted, keep your arrangement in a sunny spot. Bulbs like to be on the dry side or moist, but not wet. Plant your bulbs root-side down. Arrange your bulbs in a good all-purpose potting soil, and allow for proper drainage. If you do not have drainage holes, line your container with heavy black plastic, and water sparingly. Save your spent bulbs from your arrangement, and plant in your garden.

4) Forced branches from your garden or market are beautiful this time of year, too, and are excellent companions to spring bulbs. Have fun with these beautiful pliable branches by shaping them, creating forms for support, and using them as structure.

Please share how you announce and herald spring at your home? Please comment on your favorite spring bulbs? Is it daffodils? hyacinth?

VintageGardenGal Notable: Last month I mentioned getting a jump start on purchasing your heirloom tomato seeds, and starting them for spring. I'm not the only one with tomatoes on my mind.

In the March 2010, "Special Gardening Issue" of Martha Stewart Living magazine, Martha features an article on "Winners From Our Tomato Tasting". Martha and a panel of "Heirloom Tomato Experts" weigh in on their heirloom tomato favorites from last summer.

VintageGardenGal's heirloom tomato seed sponsor, TomatoFest, happens to carry three favorites: Big Rainbow, Black Cherry Tomato, and Green Zebra, mentioned from Martha's article, and about 600 more varieties to choose from.

If you want to have beautiful mouth-watering delicious tomatoes this summer, and maybe your own "tomato tasting party", click on TomatoFest, or their ad on the right-hand side bar and order your heirloom tomatoes seeds for this year. You're in for a treat.

Please share an heirloom tomato story with us. Please comment if you grow heirloom tomatoes every year.