Re-Use that Cardboard
Learn new ways to use garbage in your garden. Don't throw that box away - turn it into soil amendment!
Winter Harvest Recipe
In the middle of writing this month's newsletter, I was struck with hunger and a craving for soup. Could it be that I've been subsisting on gingerbread cookies all morning (made fresh last night)? They are a complete protein, aren't they?
Anywho - the need to eat right away was overshadowed by the idea of having something really nice to eat that could be assembled with minimal time. I cracked open my handy dandy binder of torn out recipes from magazines and leafed through to find something that used chickpeas and diced tomatoes - because that's what's in the fridge. I fell upon a ...
Eco-Gift Festival
There's been a bit of a lapse on blog entries in the past week. Reason being, I was at the Eco-Gift Festival for 4 days, and the workload leading up to it was tremendous. Now that it's over, and after a little much-needed rest, blogging can resume as regularly scheduled.
For those who couldn't attend, here is a little taste of what it was like at the Festival. First of all, we had a great location - the first booth you saw upon entering the tent. You couldn't possibly miss our banner, which was wonderfully designed by Lenore ...
Collecting Water
Utilize nature's gift of rain to your advantage. Learn more about rain barrels and other ways to collect water.
Recipes for your Harvest
When you are looking for new ways to use your harvest from the garden, this week's Tip of the Week helps you find the perfect solution.
Soup’s On
When the weather cools down, thoughts turn to warm soups. Here's a new resource for great heirloom legumes both for cooking and growing.
Easy Plants for Pots
"Love your podcast and website. I am new to gardening. Browsed your site and enjoyed the blog on veggies in a pot. As I start thinking about the spring, I began to ponder the possibility of additional veggies and herbs in "pots." What do you think are the easiest veggies and herbs to plant in pots. Right now I grow watermelon, tomatoes and strawberries in my tiny garden. Any advice? I live in New Mexico in a dry climate. Thanks---David"
Thanks so much for writing in, David. There are some great veggies that will grow in pots, ...
Garden on the Rocks
A gardenerd wrote in this week:
"We have very rocky soil in No. Calif. What do I need to start a garden in a small area with bad soil. Thanks, Margo."
Well, Margo, first of all let me say that you've got every gardenerd's sympathy right now, but there is hope. There are many things you can do to work with (or not work with) rocky soil. Here are a couple of previous blog entries that might help your situation.
This one addresses how you can condition the soil:
http://blog.gardenerd.com/2008/02/29/a-rocky-start-in-paso-robles.aspx
This one gives you details about another great option - raised beds. I ...
An Adventure with Parsnip Thinnings
I was out in the garden the other day and noticed that my parsnips, which I had planted from seeds that I had saved last year, were sprouted and very happy. In fact, they were in need of thinning. See, I had planted several seeds on each hole because I didn't know if my saved seeds would actually be viable. Turns out, they are extremely potent.
So instead of following my own advice to snip off the extra sprouts with scissors, I opted to gently pull them out and put them to use in the kitchen. I was already ...
Thanksgiving Weekend To-Do List
Begin your holiday season with a ritual of planting something now for the spring that is to come. Bulbs will bring you color and cheer before most plants recover from winter.