Read more about the article Field Trip: Quebec City Community Gardens

Field Trip: Quebec City Community Gardens

Continue ReadingField Trip: Quebec City Community Gardens

Community gardens are glorious to me. The diversity of each member, the variety of aesthetic design choices, and the ingenuity of cramming as much as possible into one plot is inspiring. During my trip to Quebec City, we visited one such garden that keeps flooding my memory. Here's a tour: The garden was established in 1982, which makes it Quebec City's oldest and largest community garden. The residents came together to create an organic garden where they could grow healthy…

Read more about the article Field Trip: Quebec City Gardens – Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens
A different kind of butterfly garden

Field Trip: Quebec City Gardens – Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens

Continue ReadingField Trip: Quebec City Gardens – Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens

You are about to be transported to a place of lush beauty, where rainfall is abundant but the growing season is short (only 4 months). Given these circumstances, the Roger Van den Hende Botanical Gardens in Quebec City celebrate every moment with color, fragrance and texture. At first glance you wouldn't know it was a garden. The entrance presents a metal and glass building that looks more like a laboratory than a botanical garden. Indeed, inside were rows of plants…

Read more about the article Field Trip: Apricot Lane Farms

Field Trip: Apricot Lane Farms

Continue ReadingField Trip: Apricot Lane Farms

I had the pleasure of not only visiting Apricot Lane Farms in Moorpark, CA last week, I spent 2 hours working in their amazing vegetable garden. It was the kind of experience that gives one hope for a brighter future. Apricot Lane Farms is 130 acres of glorious symbiosis. Established in 2011, this new biodynamic farm is taking sustainability to the highest level. And <<inner child squealing with glee>> they have Hairy Coos (Scottish Highland long-haired cows--AKA walking teddy bears…

Read more about the article Saving Poppy Seeds

Saving Poppy Seeds

Continue ReadingSaving Poppy Seeds

If you've ever considered saving seeds, but have been too afraid to try, start by saving ornamental poppy seeds. Why? Saving poppy seeds is practically labor-free, is incredibly easy, and can be done in about a minute. We grew a beautiful variety this year that came unannounced in the mail from Botanical Interests Seeds. It's called Lauren's Grape. I'm never one to turn down a gift, especially if it's purple or burgundy. This poppy inspires instant happiness. Now the flowers…

Read more about the article Brewing Compost Tea
Air tubes run along the metal frame

Brewing Compost Tea

Continue ReadingBrewing Compost Tea

Last week we got up close and personal with compost, or more specifically the microbes in compost. Now that we've determined that our compost is biologically active and suitable for brewing compost tea, we took the plunge. Earlier this year we received a compost tea brewer as a gift (and a great one at that - thanks Mom and Dad!). The brewer pumps air bubbles into the water to keep it oxygenated and promote the growth of the right kind…

Read more about the article Recipe: Eggplant Stir-fry with Green Beans and Cashews
Colors pop and flavors explode when combining green beans, eggplant and the garlic/onion/ginger mixture

Recipe: Eggplant Stir-fry with Green Beans and Cashews

Continue ReadingRecipe: Eggplant Stir-fry with Green Beans and Cashews

It's eggplant time, so it's time to decide which side you're on: love it or hate it. If you're at all squeamish about the texture of eggplant (like yours truly) you'll want to try this recipe that does an excellent job of masking the vegetable's inherent sliminess. It appeared recently in Vegetarian Times magazine and it is proving to be a reputation-building recipe for dear old eggplant. We happened to have harvested several Japanese eggplant and a handful of green…

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