Time to Celebrate Mother’s Day!

by Bonnie Manion on May 1, 2012

VintageGardenGal and her mom, Isabelle

Sunset has many exciting projects happening this spring, Sunset’s News This Spring. One of them is their brand new Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook. Sunset Food Editor, Margo True, has done a phenomenal job with her new cookbook. I read it in an afternoon like a novel. Beautiful photography adds “mouth-watering” appeal. I found the recipes relatively simple to make, with special emphasis on letting the edible home-grown flavors shine.

This softcover cookbook covers vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a flowing, organized way. Tantalizing recipes cover each edible, along with sections on basic ways to cook, why grow them, when to harvest, how to keep, and how to preserve the harvest, if applicable. Sometimes there is an “extra reward” section featuring more tips.

Please comment below for an opportunity to win a Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook. Please comment below on your favorite mother-daughter garden memory. Participants must be U.S. Residents. Deadline to post a comment is Sunday, May 6, 2012.

Congratulations to the winners, Elaine Lewis (CA), Sara Sweatman (PA), Karlin DiMarcello (SC), Kelsy Dean (TX), and Leon Flint (CA).  Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!

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Cooking Up a Vintage Container

by Bonnie Manion on April 23, 2012

Vintage Cooking Pot Transformed Into a Neat Container

Take one vintage cooking pot with handle. Add small rocks in the bottom of the pot for drainage, or optionally drill five-spaced small holes. Add rich, organic potting soil. Select interesting plants such as a dramatic pink-spiked foxglove, and lacy “spring to fall” blooming alyssum. Add dark green reindeer moss around the plants to cover your soil and soften your container look. In no time, you have a spring blooming vintage container design.

That is the beauty of vintage container design. Re-purposed and planted with vibrant flowering plants, now this cooking pot has been magically transformed into something so much more. Train your eye to look for potential containers that might be a little of out of the ordinary, and you certainly will be rewarded with eye-catching results.

Please share some of your unusual containers you have had fun planting. Please comment on what stands out for you in a good container design.

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Sharing Sunset’s News this Spring

March 27, 2012

In the midst of last week’s San Francisco Flower and Garden Show 2012, Sunset’s garden editors and magazine warmly welcomed an intimate group of garden bloggers to their headquarters, test kitchen, and gardens. Sunset’s  headquarters is located on a historical property which was originally part of an old spanish land grant. The subtle fawn-colored building [...]

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Cluck for “The Chicken Encyclopedia”

March 3, 2012

VintageGardenGal is proud to be Day 2 of the fifteen-day Blog Book Tour celebrating Gail Damerow’s “The Chicken Encyclopedia.”  See below for a complete listing of the dates and chicken blogs participating. You may also visit, Storey’s Blog for more information. I’d like to share with you, Julia, one of my favorite poultry breeds, an Ameraucana [...]

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A Gorgeous Head of Cauliflower

February 22, 2012

“A cauliflower is a cabbage with a college education.”– Mark Twain.  My first attempt growing cauliflower has been very surprising and rewarding. Last November I started a winter vegetable garden and ventured into the unknown. I had never grown many of the winter vegetables, including cauliflower. Cauliflower seedlings can be found at local nurseries. Look [...]

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Hooray for Chickens!

January 27, 2012

My hens are so excited to share with you a new exciting book just released, Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom. I met Jessi last July in Seattle at a national garden bloggers conference, Seattle Fling, when Jessi was just completing this book. Jessi Bloom has written a terrific book on chickens, and the many [...]

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Organize Your Garden Shed

January 10, 2012

Now is a great time to get organized in the New Year.  Besides the usual closets, pantry, and garage, don’t forget about organizing your garden shed, too. A neat and organized garden shed will help ensure you have a healthy, productive, and thriving garden. Take a look at this garden shed, from a client of [...]

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Hello world!

January 4, 2012

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

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Elegant Roses Create an Elegant Holiday Table

December 28, 2011

For those of you with limited dining table space who need a floral arrangement which is not too overwhelming in stature and height, try this floral arrangement which compacts rose heads. I’ve seen this type of floral arrangement in flower shops in Europe, and sometimes in dazzling floral demonstrations. It can be done for any [...]

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Alice Waters at Chino’s Farm

December 12, 2011

We all came to get a glimpse of pioneer, visionary, advocate, and chef Alice Waters, and join in the celebration of her new book, 40 Years of Chez Panisse. It was held at the Chino Farm in Rancho Santa Fe on Sunday, December 11, 2011. Chino Farm is owned and still farmed by the Japanese [...]

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