Gardening Tasks To Do in August
Garden-fresh food on every plate! August’s garden bounty is upon us with corn, beans, and tomatoes. Here are reminders and recommendations for your garden in late summer. These are some of the things we’re working on this month. (Pssst…if you’re not having an abundant season, don’t feel bad. I’ve been there…check out ##4 below for…
Read MoreFour Ways a Fall Garden Can Give You a Fresh Start
It was summer, and we felt like failures. The tomatoes were blighted, the beans were riddled by beetles, the cabbage split, and the pumpkins were hidden in a jungle of weeds. Our garden was NOT a place of beauty or serenity. One of us had a newborn baby and the other had a hernia. And…
Read MoreThree Quick and Easy Tomato Dishes for Summertime
Between work and kids and life in general, it can be hard to make time for gardening. You have to sneak it in the edges. My favorite time to get a few minutes in the garden is just before dusk. A little weeding and mulching. And of course, picking the fruits and veggies that are…
Read More5 Facts to Help You Grow the Best Tomatoes Yet
As Lewis Grizzard said, “It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” If you’re aiming to grow your own tomatoes this year, here are five facts about botany, pollinators, and pests you can put to use in your own garden to increase your harvest of homegrown tomatoes. Now that the…
Read MoreChoosing the Best Location for Your Garden
Your garden’s location is key to your success or failure with growing fruits and vegetables. In this video, I walk you through a simple exercise to evaluate your yard to determine the “ideal” spot for your veggie garden. This exercise is especially good for new gardeners, but is also handy for not-so-new gardeners looking to…
Read MoreGardening Tasks To Do in December
Cold days and long nights mark early winter. Most plants and animals are resting or dormant. And so are many gardeners. 😉 Our early winter checklist is intentionally short as this is the perfect time of year to pause, reflect, and rest.
Read MoreThe Mind-Blowing Miracle of Butterflies with Farmer Kim Bailey
I witnessed a miracle in Kim Bailey’s kitchen. On the day I visited, dozens prepared for the miracle by eating Kim’s specialty: milkweed. The eaters? Monarch caterpillars. The miracle? Metamorphosis!
Read MoreDo Peas Need a Trellis?
Fresh, delicious peas! These cool weather beauties will definitely grow best with a trellis. Here are 3 reasons why. Peas are a crop that you can grow in cool weather, which means early spring and again fall. (If you’re reading this in the summer, consider planting some peas for fall in mid to late August.…
Read MoreGet a Preview of Spring by Forcing Blooms Indoors
Tired of winter? Bring in cuttings from your favorite spring-blooming shrubs and trees and enjoy watching the flowers unfurl. Here’s how to get an exclusive preview of the coming season. (Prefer to read? Scroll down for the “how to” and list of plants you can try.) Just a few days ago, these beautiful forsythia blooms…
Read MoreHow to Start an Easy Potato Bed
When we see the yellow of dandelions and daffodils, it’s time to plant potatoes. (That’s about St. Patrick’s Day in Western North Carolina’s Zone 7.) *We are waiting a bit longer this year…update below!* We needed a quick way to plant that was easy enough for kids to help.
Read MoreHow to Decide Where to Put Your Garden
If you’re starting to grow vegetables or adding another growing area to you yard, you want to find the best location for your garden. Maybe you’ve looked at the possibilities and wondered…
Read More7 Favorites for Spring Planting (and Eating!)
“Plant as soon as the soil can be worked.” Reading instructions on a seed packet, these words make me smile in late winter and early spring. When we get sunny weekends, IÂ can hardly wait to get out into the garden. If you’ve still got frosts ahead, but you have the same itch to plant something…
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