vegetable gardening

In one month, give or take a day or two, I'll be out in the garden planting peas. I know it doesn't seem possible that it will be warm enough to sow peas in a month, given today's high temp of around 7F and the snow that blankets the ground right now. But it is always this way. No one will believe me when I tell them in mid February I'll be out planting pea seeds in a month, right on St. Patrick's Day. I believe me, of course, because I grew up with a father who gardened, who knew when to … [Read more...] about In one month…

Gather round, new gardeners, for I am about to spill the beans on some principles of vegetable gardening that will help you in your own first attempts at growing a little food for yourself. Principles? I know, the word "principles" sounds highfalutin and uppity-do-da-day. But bear with and you'll see that these principles are pretty simple, pretty easy, and pretty much intended to help guide any gardener to a life of happiness and good vegetables. Yes, a life of happiness and good … [Read more...] about Five principles of vegetable gardening

I couldn't pull this sweet alyssum when I weeded today. As visions of Julia Child danced through my head, I planted shallots and garlic in the vegetable garden today. This was the perfect day for it. We finally got our first frost and our first freeze on Saturday morning. Hallelujah and glory-be. I was ready for it. I'm used to the first frost coming around October 10th and that's the signal to start garden clean up. Forget that I don't ever really start garden clean up in earnest until … [Read more...] about Bon Jardinage! – Garlic and shallots

I believe 'German Johnson' is one of the finest heirloom tomatoes you can grow in your garden. It has a pinkish skin, pinker than this picture shows, and the classic dimples one generally finds on most of the larger, beefier tomatoes. The vines are indeterminate and should continue to grow and set fruit all the way until the first frost knocks them down. The fruit of 'German Johnson' is very meaty and the taste is as good as you can imagine. Many of the 'German Johnson' tomatoes are so big, … [Read more...] about ‘German Johnson’ Tomato

Garden Fairie Selfie #9 I've been sowing peas or helping to sow peas in the early spring in the garden for as long as I can remember.  Fifty years, at least. How early I've planted has varied and I'll admit there was a time when I actually waited too long in the spring to sow peas and as a result, I didn't get a good harvest. I figured out what my problem was several years ago when I found an old packet of pea seeds in a box of seeds my Dad had from the last spring he planted a … [Read more...] about Familiar beginnings