Do you take your home brewing seriously? REALLY seriously? Then why buy your hops in a bag when you can pick them fresh off the vine? The hop plant (Humulus lupulus) is a climbing vine that can reach up to 20 feet tall in a single growing season. Its cone-like flowers...
Grapes are among the oldest cultivated plants in human history. Farming dates back over 8,000 years to the regions around modern-day Armenia and Georgia. Cultivation boomed when humans discovered the fermentation process (surprise, surprise!). Ancient Egyptians,...
Gardening in Southern California is a year-round endeavor, with no forced off-season like winter in Milwaukee. Still, knowing what to plant and when can make the difference between a bountiful garden and one that produces little or nothing. This guide outlines a...
Back in the day, Southern California was a massive orange grove punctuated by an occasional movie studio. The region’s soil, temperature, and sunshine were a citrus grower’s dream. Grateful Californians named a city and later an entire county after the...
Do you love oranges but hate peeling them? Do you favor limes but hate juicing them? Then maybe the kumquat is for you. The kumquat’s edible skin is surprisingly sweet and fragrant, contrasting with the tart, tangy juice of the flesh. It’s a citrus...
Behold the lime — a key ingredient in guacamole, margaritas, and refreshing sparkling water. Where would we be without it? We would live in a world of bland guacamole toast. The lime, most closely associated in the USA with Mexican cuisine, came to the West from...
