What’s Growin’ On

In our last newsletter, we announced the brand new Gardenerd Organic Gardening Series.  In case you missed the newsletter, here is a reprint of that announcement.  Be sure to click on the link at the end of the article to get your name on the V.I.P. list for the most up to date information about the classes being offered: 

Attention all Gardenerds!  Are you a beginning to intermediate level gardener longing for a basic Organic Gardening 101 class?  Maybe you are a veteran gardener who wants to brush up on organic gardening ...

I just spent two hours pulling weeds in the front yard. At least I think it was two hours.  It could have been 20 hours and I wouldn't have noticed the difference; my mind was elsewhere.  There's something very therapeutic about the act of doing repetitive physical movement that let's the mind go off into the space where it can solve the problems of the world. 
...

Today, December 22nd, is Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere.  The shortest day and longest night of the year.  From here on out, the days get longer until Summer Solstice in June.  What a glorious thing to look forward to.

In celebration of the solstices and equinoxes, I try to spend time out in nature, and today was no exception.  I spent the morning in my garden at Ocean View Farms.  Since the last few days included heavy rain and wind, I was wondering what I'd find when I got there.  To my surprise, everything was still in ...

Butternut squash is a winter squash, which means that unlike zucchini and yellow
crookneck squash, it will last in your cellar or pantry all winter long. Other
winter squashes include pumpkin, acorn, Hubbard (the squash that get so large,
it is supposed to cure world hunger), spaghetti and the
heirloom Delicata.   

Harvesting butternut squash in the
fall is one of most satisfying experiences in the garden.  You've waited
all summer long for the skin's color to change from pale green to creamy
beige.  You've watched as the leaves start to turn brown and whither ...

Right about this time of year, I start to chuckle as I walk through my garden.  As I look down at the happy, perky, green leaves of my lettuce, arugula, mustard greens and cilantro, I think of how lucky we are to be able to enjoy vegetable gardening in cooler weather.  Just yesterday I was looking out over the clear blue sky towards the ocean and, as I often do, said to myself with a smile, "God, we're spoiled."Admittedly, this is…