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Elephant Garlic

Elephant Garlic flower

Elephant Garlic is not a true garlic; it’s actually a perennial member of the leek family. It produces a large beautiful allium head. Above ground, its bluish-green leaves resemble grass, and can grow up to 3 feet (1 metre) tall. The bulbs can grow up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide, and weigh up to a pound (450g), or more. …

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Apricot Preserves

apricot preserves

Cut apricots in half. Cook in syrup. Can in hot bath. Details to follow. Because fruit has low acidity, it is very important to sterilize everything and to follow the times in the boiling bath. Made with apricots

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Chile – Pequin

Pequin chile has a smokiness to it that’s quite tasty, mixed with levels of heat and fruitiness. These chilies tend to find their way into more dishes and products than you may expect! When young (green in color) they are sold fresh and used quite often in fresh salsas. As they ripen (turning red and then brown), the pequin is …

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Turn Your Swimming Pool into a Backyard

backyard before and after a pool conversion

We used to have a pool in the backyard of our Bahl Patio home. In fact, the pool was the yard. There was about 2 feet of concrete and coping between the pool and the walls. We decided to fill in the pool. For cost reasons, we did not remove the coping Get the permits clear the side yard Drain …

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Vegetable Planting Guide

planting chart

Use these warm and cool season vegetable charts at www.mastergarderners.org to decide when to plant your vegetables in Santa Clara County for best results, whether you are seeding into pots, transplanting as seedlings from pots into the ground, or seeding directly into the ground. Y stands for Yes, should work. N stands for No, not recommended. P stands for Possible, …

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Basil Pesto

basil pesto

Pesto is so versatile, you’ll never run out of ways to enjoy it. Toss spoonfuls of this no-cook sauce with hot pasta or steamed vegetables, use it as a spread on sandwiches and wraps, or serve as a dip with raw veggies or pita chips. You can easily adapt pesto to your budget by substituting sale-priced nuts, herbs/greens and cheese, …

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Heavenly Bamboo

Though not a true Bamboo, Nandina is equally important to Asian-inspired landscapes with its tall, thin growth of lacy green leaves on upright cane-like stems that turn red in autumn and creamy flowers followed by clusters of red berries. It makes a perfect accent in foliage-heavy gardens. Perfect plant for very narrow places, tight entries or beside gateways. Indispensable for courtyards, …

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