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My Benicia Vegetable Garden – Day 18

May 16th, 2011 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

It’s been about 2-1/2 weeks since I planted my tomatoes, peppers and other summer garden veggies and so far, with one or two exceptions, things are going well.

If you read the earlier posts about my garden, you know that between myself, Richard Bortolazzo and a few other friends in Benicia, we nurtured and gave away over 400 tomato, pepper and cucumber plants, all of which we started from seeds earlier this spring.

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We put our seeds in the starter kits on President’s Day back in February, transplanted them into individual peat pots in mid-March and started distributing them to friends and co-workers in late April.

I planted mine in Earthboxes on April 28 — 10 different varieties of tomatoes, five varieties of peppers, and a few straggly cucumber plants.  I also planted some nursery-bought seedlngs: Japanese eggplant, bunching onions, a tomatilla plant and a backup 6-pack of pickling cukes. Plus I refreshed my herb garden with new basil, cilantro, Italian parsley, sage, fennel epazote, and dill.IMAG0043

So it’s now 18 days since I planted and most everything is going well.  Nine of my 10 tomato plants are very robust and pushing skyward. The 10th Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: 2 Comments »

My Benicia Vegetable Garden – Day 11

May 9th, 2011 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

It’s been 11 days since I planted this year’s tomato crop and so far all’s well on the veggie front. All 10 home-grown heirloom tomato seedlings seem to be doing well — they’ve each grown about 6-8 inches in about a week and a half. All but one variety are now about a foot tall.

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More importantly, they’ve seen just about all nature can throw at them — a few blistering hot days last week followed by a little rain and cold, gusty winds.

Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

It’s Official…NOW Spring Has Arrived

April 28th, 2011 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

The calendar may say that spring arrived a month ago, but I say it’s not officially Spring until the Benicia Farmer’s Market opens.

And today was opening day for the 2011 market, which means that at long last, Spring is finally here. At least that’s the way I see it.

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There’s something extra special about Opening Day — whether it’s a sporting event, a theatrical production or the Farmer’s Market. Everyone has a little extra bounce in their step and a little broader smile on their face. And that’s how it was today as farmers, merchants and shoppers all welcomed each other to the 2011 market season. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

My Benicia Vegetable Garden – Season II

April 28th, 2011 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

Want A Few Free Tomato Seedlings? Read On…IMG_4553

About a year ago, I posted pictures of my just-planted tomato garden and had every intention of posting periodic photos so you could watch my Benicia vegetable garden grow.

Well, the garden grew and grew and grew and we enjoyed tomatoes and peppers well into October.

But despite those “best laid plans,” aside from a few early-season posts, my garden’s progress never made it all the way to blog.

Well this year, I’m making the same pledge, only this time, I plan to post my garden photo updates with a lot more regularity.

This year’s garden just got off the “ground” today. Well I use “today” loosely.

If you really want to know the truth, it really got off the ground about 10 weeks ago, when I purchased about a dozen and half heirloom seed packets from a place called the Seed Bank in Petaluma.

A week later, on President’s Day, Richard Bortolazzo (who owns our Coldwell Banker franchise) & I spent the morning filling up three 72-cell seedling trays. We put 2-3 seeds in each cell, as the directions said, figuring that only a small portion of the seeds would “take.”

Well, boy were we wrong! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

A GIANT Celebration Tuesday In Vallejo

February 17th, 2011 categories: Fun Stuff, Local Stuff, Solano, Vallejo

Trophy Tour LogoSpring Training has already started in Arizona, but if you’re like me and are still basking in the afterglow of the San Francisco Giants’ World Series title, you’ll have one last opportunity to soak up some of last year’s magical mojo this coming Tuesday (Feb. 22) in Vallejo.

Throughout the past month, the Giants have taken the World Series Trophy all over Northern California.  Tuesday afternoon, it comes to Vallejo — its only stop in Solano County — where local Giants fans can see the trophy up close and personal and even have their picture taken with it.

The particulars:

  • Tuesday, Feb. 22
  • 2:30 to 4:30 pm.
  • Dan Foley Cultural Center, 1461 N. Camino Alto, Vallejo

Take Tuolumne to North Camino Alto and keep going — it’s at the back of the park, just across the water from Six Flags.

I actually saw the trophy a few weeks ago, when it was in Walnut Creek. We got there about 30-45 minutes before the doors were supposed to open Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

Benicia Going Green…But Not For Much Longer

May 8th, 2010 categories: Buying, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

Benicia is very green these days, but that’s all about to change…and probably well before the end of May.

No, I’m not talking about the city’s environmental efforts. I’m talking about Benicia’s gorgeous green hills.Hastings Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

Spring FINALLY Arrived In Benicia Today

April 29th, 2010 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

IMG_1614In my book, Spring doesn’t really officially begin in Benicia until the Farmer’s Market opens. So that means today was the first day of Spring, at least here in Benicia that is.

And it wouldn’t be opening day of the Benicia’s Farmer’s Market without a few April showers.

So right on cue, about 10 minutes before the market was scheduled to open for the season, the skies suddenly darkened and rain started to fall.

Fortunately, though, it was just a brief shower and by the time I got down there around 4:30, there were just scattered clouds.

For me, opening day at the Farmer’s Market is always a special day. Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

Beautiful Day, Beautiful Cars In Benicia

April 25th, 2010 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

Benicia’s annual Classic Car Show was held today on the First Street Green and at the foot of First St.  It was a picture-perfect spring day.

The sunny skies, 70 degree weather and scenic Carquinez strait provided the perfect backdrop for the hundreds of classic automobiles that descended on our town today.IMG_1536

There were plenty of classic Fords, Chevys, Pontiacs, and even a few Studebakers. Roadsters, muscle cars and old jalopies — they were all there, glistening in bright Benicia sunshine.

If you missed today’s show, which benefited the Benicia High Band, enjoy the photos below.

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Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

Get Your Bags Ready — Benicia Farmer’s Market Season Opener This Thursday!

April 25th, 2010 categories: Benicia, Local Stuff

IMG_0060One of the true rites of spring in Benicia is opening day of the Farmer’s Market. It’s a vivid reminder that summer is just around the corner.

And opening day is just a few days away. The season begins this Thursday (Apr. 29).

Over the years, the Benicia Farmer’s Market has become a wonderfully popular Thursday night gathering place.

It wasn’t too many years ago, that you could usually find a parking place within a block of the market.

In recent years, however, that’s all changed. Now you have to get there early or be prepared to walk a few extra blocks. But nobody’s complaining! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »

Trailer Park Coming To Benicia This Friday

April 12th, 2010 categories: Benicia, Fun Stuff, Local Stuff

Trailer GraphicBefore you charge down to City Hall to find out just what in the heck Benicia’s planning department or city council was thinking, relax.

Benicia’s not really getting a new trailer park of the Airstream / Winnebago variety.

No, the trailer park I was referring to in today’s headline is the Benicia Old Town Theater Group’s spring production: The Great American Trailer Park Musical, which debuts Friday for a one-month run in downtown Benicia.

According to the BOTTG web site, ‘Trailer Park’ is “a comic fable about women in a Florida trailer park and Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Rod Herman | Discussion: No Comments »