About the Author
I’m Steve, the author of Puttering in the Garden. When I was about 10 years old, my parents turned an old sandbox in the backyard into a vegetable garden. For years after that, taking care of that garden was my favorite summertime activity. I also looked forward to harvesting apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears, and cherries from our small backyard fruit orchard every year. Gardening has been my favorite hobby ever since.
After years of living in apartments and being limited to growing plants in pots, I moved into my own house in 2002. Since then, I have been enjoying spending my weekends transforming the yard into my idea of an ideal garden. I’m a lawyer, and I find that gardening is a great way to relax and relieve stress.
I consider myself a gardening enthusiast, although I do not have any formal education in horticulture. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area in USDA zone 9, Sunset zone 15.
July 08 2008 01:10 pm
mary on 01 Feb 2009 at 3:10 pm #
I also live in the bay area in zone 14. It was very interesting for me to read some of your blog. we have been pruning fruit trees and roses today and trying to get rid of the oxalis (sp). We have lived in our house for over 30 years. It was bare dirt and now we have the problem of too many trees that have grown taller that we wish. Our lot is 1/3 of a acre with a hillside and one of the big problems is that the oak trees proliferate. Anyway thanks for the help.
Jane on 10 Apr 2009 at 2:30 am #
Steve,
We love your blog and featured it on our website! Please check it out:
http://www.sevenof.com/?p=1550
Best,
Jane
admin on 10 Apr 2009 at 9:16 am #
Thanks Jane!
Steve
campbellca on 28 Dec 2009 at 11:09 pm #
Hello,
Enjoy your blog greatly. Very curious about how big your yard is
admin on 29 Dec 2009 at 12:25 am #
My lot size is just over 8000 square feet. Thanks for reading.
Tuyen on 29 Apr 2010 at 6:49 pm #
Hi Steve,
You have such a pretty touch to your garden. I just bought a bing cherry and will plant. Thanks to your sight, i have a bit more insight how to do it. I’m looking forward to see how it will grow in Ohio.
I will come back to your blog often to read on other notes as well.
Thanks.
-Tuyen.
plantfreek on 11 Sep 2010 at 8:24 am #
How could I send you an email? Have questions etc that are too long for comment section. I’m a midwest Master Gardener, canner(800+jars a season), love to grow stuff. Have entire orchard, veg and herb garden, multiple types of berries, grapes etc all on a 1/4 acre-) Would like to ask you some questions about your pears, pesticide management etc.Thanks
Chris in Indiana
Lisa Marie on 17 Feb 2011 at 10:19 pm #
Hi Steve, I landed on your blog while searching for successful lilacs in SF. I am a professional arborist and design consultant and have seen lilacs that produce flowers in sunny parts of SF, low-chill varieties of course. Just wondering what neighborhood you are in. Yours are lovely! Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm for gardening- I feel the same way you do about it:o)
the rare trees in China on 24 Feb 2011 at 9:31 am #
a gardener in China and his blog:http://bjgardener.blog.sohu.com/
Kathy on 17 Apr 2011 at 12:48 pm #
Hi Steve, I’m impressed with your beautiful, colorful carrots. Where did you get the seeds? Locally? or online? Thanks, Kathy
Steve on 29 Apr 2011 at 11:03 pm #
This is where I bought mine. http://www.seedrack.com/carrots.html
Pushpa Naresh on 02 Jun 2011 at 2:50 pm #
Steve, you have the greenest of the greenest thumbs. We have a 8000 sq ft of backyard and its getting full of all kinds of plants. I really admire your enthusiasm. Thank you.
Kathy on 15 Jun 2011 at 7:32 pm #
I love your blog. Beautiful!! Thank you for the pictures and posts. I was researching a few questions on eggplants and stumbled across it. What terrific reading….I live on the East coast and only have a small city (backyard) garden, but we enjoy it. It has become one of my favorites sites and I will return to read more! Thank you !!
leandra on 30 Jun 2011 at 9:33 am #
Steve, Wow! I stumbled upon your site when looking a veggie blogs. Your pictures are just beautiful…I started my first raised beds this year in sunny New Mexico (Albuquerque). In years past, I’ve only managed to grow a couple of potted cherry tomatoes, which I eventually killed! I have also managed to destroy rosemary and basil every year…I’ll be visiting your website for inspiration!
Phyllis on 07 Jul 2011 at 3:07 pm #
I live in Ashland OR, Sunset zone 7. I have not given up entirely, but will try once more to grow Blenheim apricot. I’m jealous! Yours looks wonderful. I grew up in an apricot orchard in Hayward a long time ago.
ROSMI BINTI ABU BAKAR on 28 Jul 2011 at 12:51 am #
love reading about your plants…
Mangala on 04 Aug 2011 at 3:35 pm #
HI Steve,
I am a real novice to gardening. I have around 400 ft empty space in my back yard and I really want to grow some vegetables and fruits..Your garden is very impressible and I may post a question or two if I need any advice
Rosa on 03 Dec 2011 at 11:22 pm #
Hello Steve,
I love your site, very inspiring reading about your garden you have lots of good ideas. Can hardly wait to try the pizza sauce recipe with the last of the tomatoes we we harvest this year. I am from the bayarea too My father has a big garden and i have inherited his green thumb too.
Have you ever considered have beehives in your garden?
Honey would be one more thing that you would be able to harvest. But i guess that would totally be another hobby.
Thanks again for sharing your site.
Merry on 11 Mar 2012 at 5:37 pm #
thanks a bunch Steve!! I am so pleased to stumble upon all this incredible information as I was researching a Snow Beauty peach tree for my diminutive orchard heading into my 2nd summer.
While I am a ruthesss pruner I did so enjoy seeing how you do it & really apreciated your spraying notes since I tend to be a tad anxious over what organic chemicals to combat garden foes with.
I could have read several more years worth!
soooo your ever so lovely Snow Beauty…..
does that peach taste as good as it rates in Dave Wilson’s taste trials????
Steve on 11 Mar 2012 at 10:00 pm #
I like the flavor of Snow Beauty. The fruit I’ve grown is sweet-tart. I think it needs more summer heat than we’ve been getting in recent years to be really sweet.