In the winter, the garden becomes quiet. Everything nestles under the snow: a layer of leaves, sleepy bugs, and soil. But the gardeners are still busy. Inside their houses, they pore over seed catalogues, searching for the perfect tomato as the winter grows colder. By spring, they will have made their selections and ordered their seeds. It seems so simple, this winter ritual of choosing what will grow in the garden next spring, summer, and fall. How can you choose wholesome seeds that will grow into hearty plants that work with your local environment? This week, I’ll explore your seed … Continue reading →

It’s been a wild spring here, with hail and pouring rain and temperatures that are near freezing. However, the garden is calling and so is the soil. Soil is the foundation of the health of your garden. In your vegetable garden, you likely have a whole lot of soil at the moment. If you live somewhere that is a little warmer, you may also have perennials or annual food crops growing. If you live somewhere quite cold, your garden might be just stretching its tendrils and waking up. In the winter, adding a cover crop like those fava beans or … Continue reading →

Oh, spring around here has been cold. Some of you who live in cooler climates than I do might laugh at the fact that we’ve hit winter clothing temperatures repeatedly into May, but I’m not. My garden isn’t laughing too hard either. What can you do to salvage a cold spring in your garden? Take your cues from the weather. If it’s really, really cold, you don’t need to plant, even if it is officially spring. It’s better to plant when the garden is ready instead of by the clock. Get a head start, but hedge your bets. I’ve learned … Continue reading →

The pea: it’s a staple in soups, where it has the tendency to form a thick sludge on the bottom of your pot when you’re not looking. But oh, the taste of the fresh-picked pea in the summer. There’s really nothing better. How can you get that taste for yourself? Grow your own, of course! Luckily, the pea is quite simple to grow. It’s somewhat shade tolerant. Peas love my partial shade garden, which is a good thing because most other fruits and vegetables really don’t like it very much. If you have full sun, plant early. It grows early … Continue reading →

Starting vegetables indoors is a rewarding experience. The vegetables get a solid and early start to their lives, and gardeners are able to reap the produce much faster than if they planted the tomato seeds directly into the ground. Tomatoes love heat and light, so in a shadier or cooler garden it is important to get a head start on growth by starting seedlings indoors when the ground is still too cold to plant tomato seeds. However, care needs to be taken to keep these tomato plants seedlings safe as they transition into the outdoors. Plants naturally reach for the … Continue reading →

It’s the season that gardeners love and loathe. We loathe it because in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the season of dark, cold, wet, and snow. Gardeners have to stay indoors, out of the garden. However, it is also the season of planning and organizing and buying and swapping seeds, and that is a good thing. If you plan to eat out of your garden this year, are you ready? I’m not entirely ready, but over the last few years I’ve developed a better understanding of what our family needs from our garden. Granted, we can’t eat entirely from our … Continue reading →