If you're a woman, then you should be.  The Royal Horticulture Society in the UK conducted a month-long study and found that women's voices caused plants to grow up to 2 inches taller than those that heard a man's.  According to the study, "some men were so bad that their plants actually grew less than a plant that was left completely alone."  The RHK doesn't know why this is the case.  What's your theory?  (Thanks to Frances Anderton for passing along the story.)

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Asparagus

Asparagus is so tasty, but also a little intimidating... that is, if you're trying to grow it.  We asked gardener and guest blogger Christy Wilhelmi, founder of Gardenerd.com, to share the secrets behind growing asparagus (commitment-phobes beware!):

Mature asparagus

When people visit my garden, I point to the overgrown patch of fern-like fronds in the back. The question is always the same.  “That’s asparagus?”  The truth is - that used to be asparagus.  Asparagus appears out of the ground in the form we’re used to seeing on our plates – a spear. If they don’t get harvested, they grow taller and the tips open up, sending out fern-like fronds.  Some of those fronds (the females) develop red berries. At the end of the season, the fronds get cut down and the process starts over again.  
Many people are intimidated by the 3-year wait between planting and first harvest.  Some can’t commit to a permanent location for this 20-year crop.  If I’d known how easy it really is, I’d have planted asparagus 16 years ago when I started gardening.  Delay no further, my friends.  Follow this simple 3-step process and begin your journey to home-grown asparagus today:

1)  Choose a sunny location where you don’t think you’ll want to grow anything else for about 15 – 20 years.  Just do it.  If you don’t think you’ll be in one place for 15-20 years, either resign yourself to the fact that someday someone else will be enjoying your asparagus (hey – it could add value to your property), or plant the crowns (crowns

New asparagus

2) Dig a trench 12 inches deep.  Throw in a couple inches of good quality compost and a little organic vegetable fertilizer.  Make a mound in the center of the trench, and drape the asparagus crowns over the mound.  Cover the tops of the crowns with 2 inches of soil.  Add more soil as the asparagus grows until the trench level is even with the soil surface.

3) Water but don’t harvest in your first year.  Be strong.  Cut back the tall, frond-like foliage early next spring and watch spears poke their little heads up for the second time.  Harvest only for 2 weeks in the second year – patience is a virtue - and let the rest go.  Cut back again the following spring and start enjoying your home-grown asparagus as they grow.  Harvest spears 1½ inches below the soil surface with pruning shears or a sharp knife.
Olive oil, salt, pepper, knife, fork – yum!

Tall asparagus

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Gardens of Gratitude hopes to reach their goal of 100 edible gardens across the Westside of L.A.  If you need a kick-start on your herb garden, kitchen garden, or even help converting your entire lawn into an edible oasis, check out the Gardens of Gratitude event on May 16 & 17.  Register your location, get the materials and a crew will help you reach your goal.  If you're a gardener, grab your spade and help out.  More information here.

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Mar Vista Garden Showcase

To help combat L.A.'s water shortage, the Mar Vista Community Council is hosting a walking tour showcasing 44 drought resistant, permaculture and organic edible gardens.  Find out more about the tour and get a map here.

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The owners of Beekman 1802, a 19th Century farmin upstate NY, emailed us about a celebration they are hosting to honor D. Landreth Seed Company, a 225-year old corporation.  Yes, that's right, 225-years old.  They are the 4th oldest corporation in the U.S.  Join the party:

Radish

The “party” is an online social network that hopes to inspire backyard gardeners and get them to share their gardening tips with one another.  Each month there will be prizes for the best tips submitted.  Winning submissions will be chosen by a panel of some of the most noted gardeners in America:  Amy Goldman, Margaret Roach, Jerry Baker, Rebecca Kolls, Annie Bond, Suzy Bales, and Alice Waters.

The party began in March and takes a true “seed to table” approach.  The first topics include getting seeds started, then getting plants in the ground, controlling pests and weeds…all the way to the harvest and recipes.

In addition to reading gardening tips and sharing recipes, participants can also place the location of their garden on an interactive map and by doing so have the chance to win an entire set of gardening tools from Fiskars).  Users will be able to look for tips specific to the type of plant or crop they are going.  (You may be growing tomatoes and need urgent help but not care at all for eggplant!)  There will also be interesting health and historical information about each type of crop.

Selfishly, we want to learn more gardening tips.  We also want to highlight that America was built as a self-sustaining country, and we don’t want those skills or that heritage to be forever lost.

Find out more here.

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Master Gardeners

Coming up on this week's show, Yvonne Savio of the UC Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program talks to us about how gardening can transform your life and make a difference in your community.

Applications for the spring session are only available until January 15, so get moving!  Find out more here.

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