Tag Archive for 'garden'

Part II of the Veggie Garden

Published on August 24, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Thanks to everyone who watched the video about the setup of my raised garden bed and vegetable garden! I started out using the bamboo hooks with the intention of using wire to string the tomato plants for support.  But some friends who grow veggies thought that could be cumbersome and a lot of extra work. While they were still small enough, I switched out to tomato cages.  I’m so glad I did because WOW, did these tomato plants grow big!

Frame-It-All 8 x 8 Rectangle Polyethylene/Wood Fiber Raised Garden

I live in Nebraska, which means unpredictable weather.  A couple of weeks ago we had quite the thunderstorm with super high winds. I was at my step-mom’s house when a storm struck (we were making a pesto pasta dish out of fresh basil from the garden). After the storm passed I called home to Jason to see if our power was still on and if everything was okay. The words I was dreading came out: “Your garden looks destroyed.”

I came home after the storm had passed and ran out to the garden to see all of the tomato plants blown over. Thank goodness for the tomato cages; none of the plants broke! The winds did break a metal tomato cage, but I was able to wire it together. I have to tell you, these plants are pretty resilient.

Vegetable Garden

For my first garden I’m feeling pretty lucky to have so much success.  I really think the compost soil mix helped to get the young plants what they needed to grow.

I’m excited to tell you that I got my first tomatoes from the vegetable garden about 2 weeks ago! I never really appreciated the fresh taste of a tomato until now. I can’t stop eating them. The first day when we got the tomatoes I’m pretty sure I ate about 10. Rather than hogging all of the tomatoes, I brought some in to work to share. I’m pretty sure you eventually could get a stomachache from eating too many tomatoes, but I’m taking my chances.

Now that I’ve grown some amazing vegetables I’m going to try my hand at canning. Stay tuned!

-Cayden

Into the Pool! – by Eduardo Xol

Published on June 29, 2010 in HAYNEEDLE and PATIO & GARDEN. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Into the Pool!

The summer holiday season is officially underway, and the 4th is right around the corner.  To celebrate the season, I continue to host dinners in my garden on a regular basis.  While my guests are sitting in my garden,  they seem to forget that I live right in the middle of Hollywood, just a few blocks from the famous Melrose Place.  The best compliment I get is when friends say they feel like they’re “somewhere else” or “on vacation”.  That’s what a backyard should feel like!

Nothing feels more like summer than going to pool parties or parties by the beach, which is why my next webisode focuses on poolside living.  We shot the webisode at the beautiful home of a friend of mine, a successful director and producer, and the fortunate owner of a picture-perfect pool in the Hollywood Hills. Here I am with my cameraman, Nick Oberlander, scoping out a shot of the pool from the second level of the house.

It was a spectacular day to shoot webisode #4, and I was forced to get into the pool!  I say that sarcastically, of course!

We’ve recently completed the rest of the webisodes for our summer series- with a total of four more to be released, so be on the lookout.  The response from all of you via e-mail has been amazing!

Speaking of which… many of you have asked questions about the pavers used in the last webisode “Utilizing an Uncommon Space,” so I wanted to respond to some of the most common questions here:

  • The space I finished is approximately 96 square feet.
  • The pea gravel was already there, but had it not been, I would have purchased 4-5 bags at a cost of approximately $5 per bag.
  • I used 81 pavers at approximately $1 per paver.
  • Approximate total cost was $150.

Note:  Depending on the soil/surface underneath, a layer of sand may be needed before laying the pavers and gravel.

This is an easy, economical way to create a patio, and anyone can do it themselves.  It also looks great and is a steady surface for furniture and appliances.  If you haven’t already seen the webisode, check it out!

I hope you are all enjoying your summer. Stay cool!

Salud!

Eduardo