Fifi Leigh
Friday, 4.26.19, at the Spring Garden Show
I parked at South Coast Plaza at 10:10 am. I browsed inside the Spring Garden Show section, and I decided to take some snapshots of the outdoor living space models with ribbons. Then, I ate my snacks that I brought with me from home.
The 11:00 am seminar was about adding water features to your back and front yards for décor purposes. But, first, decide on what style you want to create for you yard in order to be consistent with the items you buy.
Water landscaping features include creating a pond/water garden. A list of items for your pond/water garden might include lily, koi, waterfall reflection, water wall, fountains, urns, sculptures, 3-tier fountain, rock, and pool/spa.
Reasons for adding such features might include adding an accent, ambient sound, bringing in certain colors, decorative accents, aesthetics, calming effect, and functional. Certain decorative features might even solve certain annoying issues, such as privacy, terrains, view, and drowning out traffic with a soothing sound. You might want to add certain features for entertainment and/or exercising purposes, such as swimming pools, massage jets in spas, and evening parties. Other reasons might include adding sculptural structures for artistic effects.
At 11:30 am, I just played around with my Pictar camera and iPhone for an hour, trying to get used to it and its features. It was a struggle at times because it is still a new toy for me. I took some snapshots at the event.
At 12:30 pm, I attended a Culinary Herbs seminar. Since I have been hunting for vegan recipes on Youtube, I have been interested in vegan cooking and adding all kinds of spices in order to turn my veggie and fruit dish into a gourmet meal.
The best place to find herbs is at your local farmer’s market. Herbs are plants that add flavor, which includes greens, spices, plant savory, and sweet plants. Herbs are herbaceous from woody plants. They are leafy, and they grow in temperate climates. Spices are seeds, bark, roots, flowers, and tropical plants. Examples of herbs include thyme, sage, oregano, and parsley.
Depending on the season, grow your herbs in different areas. Some herbs grow in warm weather, while other herbs need partial shade. And, some herbs are cool annuals, which grow in warm weather. Perennial herbs grow all the time. Dill and cilantro tend to be difficult to grow in the OC area. But they will grow better in the OC winter months, probably because they need cool temperature. Edible plants need the sun.
Ideal compatibility for herbs is a hot sun with well-drained soil. Lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, and thyme need the hot sun and well-drained soil to thrive. Other herbs include basil, chives, parsley, and cilantro. Growing herbs can be grown in your kitchen, indoors, as well as in pots, in the ground, and interplanting with flowers and other plants. Just add mulch and water.
It starts out with seeds. Then, you are likely to transplant plant it into a bigger pot or in the ground. Then, it grows and propagates. Put seeds into a wide hole, but not deep. Add mulch and water.
Fertilizer is important, especially for potted plants, because potted plants need more nutrients than ground plants. But if plants are growing too fast, has growths or it is attracting insects, then it is toxic to the environment. It is better to use organic fertilizer.
IPM—is used on pests. But I think it is animal abuse. It kills wildlife with chemicals. Some wildlifes are actually beneficial. So, I think it is best to either grow your herbs indoor, or place inside a greenhouse. Sometimes, raised beds might be a good idea.
Growing your own herbs tend to be fresh, has more flavor, and adds great texture to your meals.
To preserve herb, start by drying it out from the sun, and in warm and dry area. Place inside a jar. Then, place in the microwave for 1-3 minutes, but don’t burn. Put the leaves on a tray, freeze and then store in airtight bag. Place in liquid for cooking, such as melted butter, stock, oil, or water.
Basil needs full sun and good soil. It is annual and perennial. Bay leaves needs warm climate and soil with low to average moisture. It will grow big. Chives are perennial. Bees will pollinate chives. It needs full sun and moist soil. It will die in the wintertime. Cilantro is very delicate. It needs full sun and part shade area. Dill, oregano, and marjoram don’t need much water. Mint could be grown in pots. Stays forever. (not with me because I kill that too). Parsley is flat and curly. It is biennial, and it grows 1-foot tall. It is slow to germinate, and it needs a deep pot or garden bed. Rosemary is a tropical and perennial bush. Bees grow to it and spiders like it. The perfect herb if you want to create a wildlife habitat and add some beneficial insects. It is a pest-resistance/tolerant plant. Sage is a short-lived perennial plant. It needs good drainage, full sun, and not much water. It has a strong flavor, which is often used in stuffing, soups, and sauces. Savory can be grown in summer and winter. It likes heat, moderate water and full sun. Tarragon is also easy to grow, and it has needle-like leaves. Thyme is a perennial. It needs full sun and good drainage. Borage is also a good plant to grow.
At 1:30 pm, I went to Macy’s Home Store to sample some green tea, caprese sandwich, and two small cookies. I noticed my iPhone battery is already very low. I think the Pictar uses up a lot of battery. I decided to plug in my iPhone to the Miniso power bank. It appears to be very slow.
At 3 pm, 2 Italian chefs demonstrated 3 recipes. Samples were passed out to the audience. They were good, although I didn’t eat the shrimp. I saved it for Gumby. I plan to do these recipes but I want to veganize them. (I will post the recipes later, on a different post).
At 4 pm, I decided to check out to more seminars for today. At 5 pm, I checked out a drought-tolerant plants seminar, which is about using plants that need low water. Such plants bloom at different times of the year. They can remain green, but it also important to provide them with a wildlife habitat, filled with native insects, birds and bees that help these plants thrive all year long.
At 6 pm, I watched a bonsai demonstration, where the person selected a bonsai tree, prepared the proper soil mixture, potting, and displayed the bonsai. You can add accents to the bonsai tree for decorative purposes. Use different items, such as seashells and walnut shells as well as other small items. Saiki is a Japanese landscape. It involves more rules than traditional gardening. It is organized in harmony. It involves creating a small landscape by using multiple small trees. Create hillsides and rock stream. Use muck and muck butter to glue stuff together, which is similar to molding clay and mud-pies.
