Should you pee on your compost pile?
I began pondering this question after a call from friend and fellow freelance writer Leslie Smith. While interviewing me for an article on compost, Leslie mentioned that Ellen Page, star of Juno and Inception, had created a bit of a stir on The Tonight Show. In an unusual example of pottymouth, Ellen talked about using her urine in a Canadian compost pile. Urine contains nitrogen, a key component in compost, the nutrient-rich mix of decomposed material that turns ho-hum garden dirt into award-winning soil.
Leslie asked where I stood (squatted?) on the matter.
I admit that recycling urine is a new concept for me. My two gardening bibles– The Sunset Western Garden Book and The California Master Gardener Handbook– are strangely silent on the issue. So I turned to the Internet, where I found a YouTube video that began with a close-up of a large plastic jug full of yellow liquid sitting on the bathroom counter. Then it segued to a shot of the toilet. Then back to the jug.
Okay, I get it.
Advocates say that pee not only adds nitrogen but also saves water and speeds decomposition. Foes suggest that medications can pass from your urine into your garden. In my book, that makes urine-enhanced compost in your vegetable garden a big no-no. Keep it strictly for ornamentals.
Actually, I should focus less on what Ellen does with her pee and more on the fact that she talked about composting on national television.
Composting is a dirt-cheap way to get great soil while using up material that would otherwise wind up in a landfill. It’s a mix of brown (leaves and straw) and green (vegetable peels, grass clippings). Brown provides carbon; green provides nitrogen. For compost to decompose quickly, the optimum chemical mix is a 30-to-1 ratio of carbon to nitrogen. In terms of volume, it’s easy to figure out– half brown, half green.
Add water till it feels like a wrung-out sponge. Turn the mixture with a pitchfork or compost aerator to bring in air; this makes the stuff heat up, which gets rid of pathogens and breaks it down. When you can no longer recognize individual pieces of leaves, peels, or whatever– generally, in four to six weeks– you’ve got compost. Use as a mulch or mix with soil to improve drainage.
Find out how to compost at one of the great free classes offered by the City of Long Beach. Last time I was there, the instructor did not mention pee but did offer great deals on composters. To find out about classes and composters, go to longbeach-recycles.org.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

Last night, I was awakened by the faint but unmistakable odor of skunk– probably the same one my neighbor saw walking boldly down the street, strutting like Pepé Le Pew. A few weeks earlier, we heard the shrieks and chitters of happy raccoons as they discovered the fish emulsion-soaked soil in my backyard raised bed. All this in an urban garden in one of the most populated cities in the country.
Aside from the occasional odd nocturnal smell or sound, however, I’ve had little garden trouble from critters. I attribute much of this to the vigilance of Snap and Crackle.
Alert readers will remember Snap, my feline gardening companion, from my last column. His sister, the petite Crackle, assists in gardening duties but prefers to sun herself spread-eagled on the grass or driveway– a position that has often prompted my husband and me to comment that we were glad we didn’t have a daughter. Before you ask, I’ll mention that yes, we did have Pop as well– but he went off to live with a neighbor when the sound and fury of a remodeling project became too much for a sensitive kitty to bear.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that my cats are a match for the wild critters. But I do believe their continuous patrol helps deter some interlopers. Once I explained their guard duties to Snap and Crackle, they delivered three mice in quick succession.
From the beginning of civilization, cats and dogs have offered protection for home and hearth. Modern gardens, however, hold dangers for our pets that can cause illness or death. Cocoa mulch, for example, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or neurological symptoms if ingested. Many baits contain metaldehyde, a crystalline compound that poisons snails and slugs and harms pets as well. If your pet drools or has tremors and seizures, this may be the culprit. Pesticides of all kinds require conscientious handling. Remove pet dishes and toys before treating your lawn or garden with pesticides. In his “Ask the Vet” column (cheyboygannews.com), Dr. Ray Cahill suggests keeping pets away from treated areas for 24 to 48 hours. If they’re exposed, bathe them in cool water.
Want to know which plants and bulbs are toxic to pets? Check out aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/. For pets and plants to coexist peacefully, plan in advance. Even some favorites, such as tomatoes or other nightshades, can cause problems. Consider planting in high-sided raised beds to keep your both your pets and plants safe.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

A few weeks back, I wrote about my struggle to appreciate native landscapes. The column was inspired by our home’s inclusion in the Lawn-to-Garden Incentive Program (lblawntogarden.com) sponsored by the Long Beach Water Department, which will pay $2.50 per square foot to replace thirsty lawns with select drought-tolerant plants. Evidently there is a lot of interest, because many readers responded.
Of particular interest was an email from friend Jim Wilkie, a science teacher at Gompers K-8 School in Lakewood. Jim suggested that I take a look at the native gardens at Prisk Elementary and Hill Middle schools to get an idea of how beautiful and intriguing these landscapes could be. I visited and was captivated by the wild, untamed shapes, bright and soothing colors, hum of happy bees, and fresh, spicy-sweet scents.
Aside from being located on Long Beach school campuses, these gardens had something else in common: Mike Letteriello. Mike designed and maintains both gardens with help from students and teachers. Long before native plants became popular, Mike was collecting and experimenting with specimens he discovered on trips to the Mojave Desert. His hands-on knowledge of how these plants behave makes him, in my book, a top-notch source of information.
I asked Mike for a few suggestions to achieve what I think we really want from natives in our home landscapes: controlled wildness. An oxymoron, yes– but necessary to keep these exuberant growers from taking over.
Ground cover: For a sunny area, try yarrow. You can trim it with a weed whacker.
Perennial beds (full sun): Coral bells, especially “Wendy” and “Rosada.” These need a little more moisture and some afternoon shade to look good. Monkey flower, including regular orange and different colored hybrids such as “Salsa,” “Eleanor,” and “Soquel.”
Accent plants: up to 4 feet: Agaves; dudleyas; “Hot Lips” salvia gregii. Up to 5–6 feet: ‘Howard McMinn’ manzanita, one of the easiest manzanitas for a beginner gardener; 6 feet plus: “Ray Hartmann” ceanothus, which can be trimmed into small tree
Grasses: Deer grass, a good complement to many gardens; fescues, especially effective when massed. 
Annuals: These are great for extra color: Poppies, lupines, Chinese houses, baby blue eyes, meadowfoam, Mojave bluebells, clarkia, tidy tips.

Want to go native and need a guide through the wild? Mike offers consulting services. Reach him at letteriello@charter.net.
If you design or install native landscapes, drop me a line at Jennifer.E.Beaver@gmail.com and I’ll include your contact info in an upcoming column.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

Ever get something stuck in your head? In my case, it’s a lemon cucumber.
It all started with the cuke photo in my latest book, “Edible Gardening for California” (shameless self promotion– let’s get it out of the way). It’s a cute cuke– oval, pale yellow with stripes, about three inches long. An heirloom variety dating back to 1894, lemon cukes don’t taste like citrus, but they do look a lot like lemons. Renee’s Garden (reneesgarden.com) describes them like this: “They have a mild, sweet flavor, crisp texture and non-bitter, thin skins. Cool and refreshing, very young lemon cukes are delicious eaten right from the garden like a fresh, crispy apple.” You can see why I want the plant.
But then there was the problem of a trellis. Cukes and other vining plants like beans, melons, gourds and squash give better yields raised up off the dirt. They stay cleaner, healthier, avoid some insect problems and are easier to pick. Vertical growing also saves precious gardening space.
All good! But my carpentry skills and budget are limited, and I’m reluctant to invest a lot of time or money. I searched the Internet for vegetable trellises and found some at Territorial Seed Company (territorialseed.com; two 48-inchers for about $40 without shipping) that looked surprising like…stepladders.
For me, this is a good thing. We have six stepladders in our backyard. Really. Several years ago, contractors working on an investment property came and went, leaving their ladders behind.
One will soon be reborn as a cuke trellis. I’ll dig four holes 6 inches deep and position the ladder’s legs for stability. Then I’ll drape a net or coated wire mesh over the rungs and secure with zip ties. Cucumber tendrils wrap around narrow supports with a little encouragement.
Look around for other “found” objects to make a trellis. In her excellent daily blog, Dirt du jour (dirtdujour.com), Cindy McNutt shows a castoff patio umbrella repurposed as a support for beans. Attached at the joints with eyehooks, string runs down to the ground, where it’s secured by garden stakes. Beans (or other plants) will climb up the string.
Stay tuned for more about drought-tolerant landscapes in my next column. I’ll introduce you to some designers who understand this special type of landscape and also talk about some outstanding native gardens at schools.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

Ceanothus

Too often, drought-tolerant gardens feature Dr. Seuss-on-steroids shapes popping up randomly. Many are huge plants that look great in the wild but out of place on a lawn. After a full-court press in spring, they go grey and dormant the rest of the year. My challenge– create a plan for a beautiful, low-water four-season landscape in 45 days so I can move on to the next stage of the city program.
Which is how I find myself in the Dana Branch Library sniffing a bunch of grey-green leaves. “That was the scent of southern California,” explains native plant enthusiast John Royce of the spicy-sweet odor of Artemisia (sagebrush), a once common plant that covered our region. President of the California Heights Association, Royce landscaped his home with natives. His pictures make me cautiously optimistic that an attractive low-water landscape is possible.
Royce explains the differences between natives and other drought-tolerant plants. As the name suggests, natives are indigenous. They need no water following winter rain and go dormant during the dry season. In fact, too much water will shorten their lifespan. Non-native drought-tolerant plants include those from the Mediterranean, Africa and Australia. Non-natives look better with summer water.
We come to a picture of the poster child for native plants: Ceanothus. Any day, I expect Stephen King to write a novel about a ceanothus that creeps into the house and smothers its occupants. This huge, brooding plant could easily take over my yard and keep on going. Royce, like many others, feels differently and admires its blue flowers and the way the leaves glisten in the sun. Fortunately for me, Sunset has introduced a smaller, less threatening variety.
Outside, as cars whiz by on Atlantic, we stroll through the library’s native plant garden. Royce tends the space and laments the loss of several plants due to an overactive drip watering system. He points out a dwarf coyote bush, which stays green year round; red-berried toyon, also known as Hollywood; spiky, swaying deer grass; and many others.
Please drop by gardenink.com, my soon-to-be-launched blog, as I visit nurseries, talk to designers, and search for the ultimate low-water landscape.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

Gardeners, position your wheelbarrows. The spring plant sale season is about to begin.
Make a list, get there early, wear your fast shoes and tote a bottle of water. And don’t be shy about politely elbowing your way toward the object of your desire. Think I’m kidding? Show up on opening day (March 31) of the Long Beach City College (LBCC) Plant Sale and you’ll see what I mean. Here’s your checklist:

Make your (garden) bed
Use up winter vegetables. Dig in at least 2 inches of fresh compost.

Clean your containers
Scrub them inside and out with a 1-to-9 solution of bleach and water. This gets rid of viruses and other diseases.

Plan your garden
Sketch it on the back of a napkin or use a more formal approach, but doodle some kind of diagram. Why? Your garden will look better and you’ll get more flowers and vegetables.

Make a list
Lusting after an heirloom tomato? Write down the name. I guarantee you won’t remember it in the midst of all the dazzling possibilities at the sale.

Avoid common plants
Marigolds, for example, are wonderful, but you can buy them anywhere. Look for something more unusual.

Be spontaneous
Sometimes you see something and fall in love. That happened last year when I was smitten by a cobalt-blue flower in a small pot. By the time I got it in the ground several weeks later (remember, dear readers, to do as I say and not as I do), I had forgotten what kind of plant it was and what care it needed. Since it’s now 4 feet tall and wide with 3-inch pods, I assume it’s happy.

Ask questions
See above, and write down the answers.

Support your local bees and butterflies
These pollinators help your garden. Help them by planting nectar-rich plants like lavender and sage.

Take my book with you
My latest book, Edible Gardening for California, is now available on Amazon. It’s just the right size (5”x8”) to throw in your cloth bag and tote along. It’s the perfect companion for choosing and planting fruits, vegetables, herbs and trees. And the pictures are pretty great, too.

The LBCC Plant Sale runs March 31–April 3 from 9am to 6pm at 1305 E. Pacific Coast Highway. Got a plant sale you’d like mentioned? Email me at jennifer.e.beaver@gmail.com.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.

OK, no excuses.
No matter where you live, you can grow fresh vegetables. Maybe not enough to continually refill the salad bowl at Soup Plantation, but enough to enjoy a sprinkle of tangy parsley or a few tasty, bud-popping tomatoes. Go for quality, not quantity.
Container gardens deliver edibles to those in condos, apartments and other dwellings without a patch of dirt for an in-ground garden. They’re perfect for seniors, kids, and those who simply want some crisp lettuce leaves at the ready.
Even though I’ve got plenty of land (well…by Long Beach standards), I’ve always grown vegetables in pots. And I finally figured out why. You know the phrase, “Her creativity knows no bounds”? Well, mine does. My creativity has a 24-inch diameter. I can design a Project Runway-worthy container garden of merrily bobbing tomatoes, lacy parsley, colorful (and edible) nasturtium flowers and trailing alyssum…but only if I keep it in a 2-feet wide pot.
To grow vegetables, you’ll need these basics: a plastic or terra cotta pot 8 to 24 inches wide with drainage holes; potting soil; fertilizer; and vegetable plants. Keep in mind that plastic is lighter and therefore easier to move, and that any 24-inch container full of dirt will be very heavy. My favorite potting soil of the moment is Kellogg’s Patio Plus. For fertilizer, try Osmocote. Simply sprinkle the dry pellets in the planting hole.
The best vegetables for containers, according to Ohio State University, are salad greens, spinach, eggplant, Swiss chard, beets, radish, carrots, peppers, bush beans, determinate tomatoes, bush varieties of summer squash and cucumbers, green onions, and herbs. I mostly agree, but I’ve also had good luck with indeterminate tomatoes– the kind that ripen progressively. Just use a large pot.
Here’s a handy chart from Gardening Life magazine (www.gardeninglife.ca). Remember that smaller pots will dry out quicker. All vegetables need consistent moisture for good flavor and performance.

Pot size: 8”
Veggies: lettuce (2-3 plants), spinach (2-3 plants), radishes (1 dozen plants), green onions (1 dozen plants)

10″
dwarf tomato (1 plant), bell pepper (1 plant), Swiss chard (1 plant), bush beans (1-2 plants)

12″
carrots (12 plants), broccoli (1-3 plants)

24″
cabbage (3 plants), cucumbers (3 plants)
, tomatoes (3 plants)

Most vegetables prefer six hours of sun a day. Got a shady balcony? Position your pots where they will receive reflected heat and light, or grow crops like parsley or lettuce that require less sun.
For more container inspiration, check out the book Bountiful Container (McGee & Stuckey) and lifeonthebalcony.com, a website/blog by a smart, innovative and entertaining local gardener.

Though it’s only February and technically more than a month till spring, fresh garden ideas are singing their siren songs. They trill from seed catalogs, beckoning you to grow some oddball lettuce. They waft hypnotically from nurseries and big-box stores and you suddenly find yourself contemplating some frilly six-pack or a five-gallon citrus.
Okay, stop a sec and stick in the earplugs. Don’t buy another plant or seed pack until you read this. Unless your garden is producing near-perfect produce and show-stopping blooms, it’s time to think about your soil. Why? Unless you know what your soil needs, you’ll never get the garden results you crave.
It pains me to say this, it really does. When it comes to gardening, no one is a bigger sucker for immediate gratification than yours truly. I really don’t want to stop and figure out my soil needs, which is why I have Lilliputian beets and lackluster roses. And the supplement part? That potentially involves chemistry, which is so not my favorite subject. I thought I had left that all behind in my junior year of high school when smitten lab partner Dave Lubar kindly walked me through a jungle of test tubes and Bunsen burners. I owe my passing grade more to miniskirts than to an understanding of the subject matter.
Soil analysis and supplementation is a long and complex story, but we’re going for the Cliff’s Notes version here. There are two relatively simple ways to go about it.
Don’t want to analyze? Go straight to compost, a nutrient-rich mix of decayed organic matter that also improves drainage. It’s impossible to use too much of the stuff, but it may be hard to get as much as you’d like. Long Beach offers free composting workshops and discounted bins every third Saturday (longbeach-recycles.org). Homemade is superior to store-bought, which may be moldy, ineffective and lacking in nutrition.
The second alternative is a soil test kit like the highly rated 1601 Rapidtest Soil Test Kit from Luster Leaf ($13.48 on Amazon). This one is simple and has enough stuff to let you test your entire yard for levels of ph (alkalinity/acidity) and NPK, those mysterious letters listed on fertilizer bags. NPK stands for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (the K stands for kalium, Medieval Latin for potash). Nitrogen greens leaves and helps them grow. Phosphorous nurtures roots, blooms and fruit while promoting disease resistance. Potassium adds strength, color and flavor. The kit includes instructions for amending your soil.

Jennifer E. Beaver, a Wrigley resident, is a master gardener and author of Container Gardening for California.