Vegetables

Either due to habit or fear of failure, many gardeners practice only one kind of horticulture. Given enough time and space, the adventuresome will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness? Vegetables are easy to grow, cost less than store-bought, and will never be fresher than picked from the vine. Homegrown vegetables can and should be enjoyed literally within seconds of harvest.

THE GARDEN FANATIC "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." -- ANTHELME BRILLATSAVARIN " Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship." -- ELSA SCHIAPARELLI Many of us practice only one kind of gardening and cannot be persuaded to try any other. Given enough time and space, I will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness?

Many of us practice only one kind of gardening and cannot be persuaded to try any other. Given enough time and space, I will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness? Vegetables are easy to grow in your own garden, cost less than store-bought, and will never be fresher than picked from the vine. Homegrown vegetables can and should be literally enjoyed within moments of harvest.

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." -- Anthelme Brillatsavarin "Eating well gives a spectacular joy to life and contributes immensely to goodwill and happy companionship." -- Elsa Schiaparelli Given enough time and space, I will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness? Vegetables are easy to grow in your own garden, but before you ready your gardening implements, make a list of vegetables you really like and call your favorite nursery for their availability.

STEVE KAWARATANI "To get the best results you must talk to your vegetables." --Charles, prince of Wales "Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat." --Fran Lebowitz Many of us practice only one kind of gardening and cannot be persuaded to try any other. Given enough time and space, I will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness?

A combination of recession economics, a rising awareness of the healthy benefits of organic produce and a growing appreciation for the taste of the freshest fruits and vegetables locally grown has spurred a mass movement of home vegetable gardening, similar to the victory gardens of World War II. Last year, a record number of Americans experimented with growing vegetables to offset rising food prices. The Burpee seed company did a study that confirmed that there is a cost-saving ratio of 1:25 for growing your own vegetables rather than buying them at the supermarket.

The onset of the New Year has found me traveling down south, to loiter and unwind and kayak. Solutions to problems are found there, irrational thoughts exposed, and new challenges invented. My occasional bouts with incivility dissolve to make room for calmer introspection. "What is consuming you?" an interested party might ask. And in reply, I readily admit that I am facing the peculiar dilemma of dealing with New Year's gardening resolutions. I will strive to be more creative yet show restraint in my new gardening year.

"W aiter, we'll begin with the Petrossian tsar imperial transmountainus American caviar followed by the veal Oscar chop with tempura sweet breads, sunchoke fritter, braised salsify and peppered-wasabi sauce. Then for dessert, we have chosen the éclair, religieuse and cream puff with satsuma cream, Michel Cluizel 1st cru de plantation mangaro milk chocolate and caramel". We did not make these items up. These are taken directly from menus where we have eaten recently. For those of you who are ultra-sophisticated foodies, read no further, this article will be superfluous.

Steve Kawaratani "No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the garden." -- Thomas Jefferson "Do not go gentle into the good night." -- Dylan Thomas "You won't be able to join us this time," Uncle Sam told me gently, "but we'll go together next time." My uncle had driven down from Costa Mesa to comfort me -- the planned trip to the opening of Disneyland with my cousins had been postponed, at least for me, due to an upset stomach.

Megan Hartshorne had a captive audience on the blacktop at Top of the World Elementary School Tuesday. Students could get a fruit pick-me-up during their mid-morning break from a bowlful of chopped Comice pears Hartshorne, a registered dietitian and Laguna Beach Unified School District nutrition consultant, set up on a cart. The Harvest of the Month is a once-per-month opportunity for kids to sample a seasonal fruit or vegetable. The California Department of Public Health developed the program as part of its Network for a Healthy California initiative, which emphasizes the importance of eating fruits and vegetables and regular exercise.

Fire control in Laguna was a hot topic at the June 4 meeting of the City Council. The City Council directed department staff to develop a priority list of "hot spots" in the city that might need more defensible space — the reduction or elimination of vegetation around structures to reduce the fire danger. The council also directed the city planning staff to explore a defensible space ordinance. "The No. 1 job of the city is safety," said Councilman Robert Whalen. "It has been 20 years since the (October 1993)

Completion of a new view ordinance is in sight. Larry Nokes, chairman of the mayor's committee to revise the existing View Equity Ordinance, reported Tuesday that the committee is moving forward but still has issues to be resolved before a draft will be proposed to the council. "It is very much a work in progress, but the issues are beginning to form up," Nokes said. Still to be debated: the distance that blockage can be remediated — 100 feet, 1,000 feet or unlimited. "Some people say any blockage must be removed.

Woe betide property owners or city staff who tear up native vegetation without the approval of the Design Review Board. The City Council voted unanimously May 1 to add an ordinance to the municipal code related to the protection of native vegetation, its restoration if removed without authorization and penalties. Fuel modification zones, brush that is a hazard and cleared by the Fire Department for public safety, were exempted. "This was an outcome of the Disaster Preparedness Committee, and I would like to thank them for their good work," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson, who sponsored the committee.

Fire Chief Kris Head is proposing a project to protect local canyons from events like the firestorm that hit Laguna Beach in 1993. During Thursday's Design Review Board meeting, Head received approval to modify Oro Canyon's vegetation to make it less susceptible to fire. The amount of vegetation combined with the lack of fire history and fuel modification efforts makes the neighborhood worrisome, he said. Head, project planner Kathy Lottes and biologist Tony Bomkamp propose removing 50% of the vegetation in the 150-foot area south of Del Mar Avenue and above Arch Beach Heights.

Exotic might not be the word most people would use to describe artichoke thistle, but that's what plants that threaten native vegetation are called and the city wants to get rid of it. The Fire Department Weed Abatement Coordinator is preparing to work with private property owners to eradicate the thistle, pampas grass, fountain grass and arundo on their land. The four plants are listed among the most invasive wild land vegetation by the California Exotic Pest Plant Council. "Exotics are plants that multiple on their own indiscriminately, without care and naturalize where they are not native," said landscape architect Bob Borthwick Borthwick has donated time to the city to identify the key areas that need to be cleared in Laguna and Bluebird canyons.

Either due to habit or fear of failure, many gardeners practice only one kind of horticulture. Given enough time and space, the adventuresome will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness? Vegetables are easy to grow, cost less than store-bought, and will never be fresher than picked from the vine. Homegrown vegetables can and should be enjoyed literally within seconds of harvest.

“At least you’ll never be a vegetable — even artichokes have hearts.” ” Without much of a hint of nostalgia, I pulled out the last of the tomatoes, peppers and zucchini last month. They were great while they lasted during the spring and summer, but like almost everything eventually, when they’re done, they’re done. Fortunately, the best is yet to come. While those who live in less perfect climes than Laguna are putting their gardens to bed, we have a brand new season to enjoy.

A combination of recession economics, a rising awareness of the healthy benefits of organic produce and a growing appreciation for the taste of the freshest fruits and vegetables locally grown has spurred a mass movement of home vegetable gardening, similar to the victory gardens of World War II. Last year, a record number of Americans experimented with growing vegetables to offset rising food prices. The Burpee seed company did a study that confirmed that there is a cost-saving ratio of 1:25 for growing your own vegetables rather than buying them at the supermarket.

Many of us practice only one kind of gardening and cannot be persuaded to try any other. Given enough time and space, I will try to grow anything and everything. Although the color from flowers is indeed rewarding, why eat frozen vegetables or market produce three days removed from real freshness? Vegetables are easy to grow in your own garden, cost less than store-bought, and will never be fresher than picked from the vine. Homegrown vegetables can and should be literally enjoyed within moments of harvest.