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The End of a Garden

Summer comes to an end each year, as does the warm season vegetable garden, but gardening magazines rarely, if ever, show what that looks like. Why don’t we celebrate the end as much as we do the
bountiful beginning and mid-season garden? There is beauty in it as much as any garden when it is flourishing.

We took a walk through the end-of-summer garden to snap a few pictures to showcase the beauty of death and decay. It sounds corny, but there really is much to rejoice about the end of a …

Fall Garden Planning with Gardenerd

Planning out your garden each season is more than just fun – it gives you the chance to plant new varieties and experiment each year. What are you going to grow this fall?

In warm winter climates, fall gardens thrive. In cooler climates, you can still plant a fall garden with protection. Using cold frames, insulated floating row cover, and greenhouses, you can grow
cool weather crops all winter long. Here’s what to grow:

Root crops, broccoli (Italian broccoli shown left), kohlrabi, peas, chard and …

Growing Watermelons and Melons

I’ve never had much luck growing watermelons in our coastal climate. The plants usually succumb to powdery mildew before they really get going and the result is little melons or no fruit at all.
This year I tried something different and have seen great results. Apparently, it’s all about timing.

Watermelons like hot weather to mature, in fact according to the University of Ohio, they need daytime temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees, and nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees.
(While we’re at it, soil pH is preferred between 6.0 …

Black Coco Beans – An Heirloom Surprise

The Three Sisters garden is a Native American planting technique that consists of beans, corn and squash. The corn is planted first, and when it reaches 2 feet tall, pole beans are planted around the
corn. The beans use the corn as a trellis to climb. Then squash (usually pumpkins) are planted around the base of the corn and beans to provide shade so the sun won’t dry out the soil. It’s been done
for centuries… let’s see how I can screw it up.

The corn part went well. It’s the beans that …

Tomato Tasting Party – Everybody Wins!

We have a tradition with a longtime friend in which we gather together, bringing our best tomatoes each season, to share in the bounty of the summer harvest. We slice them with care and taste each
variety to determine our favorites. There is olive oil and salt, a little basil, and very good bread on hand. Each time we’ve done a tasting we have come away with a new favorite. This year was no
exception.

We gathered in the garden with our contributions and began with show and tell. My husband and …

Mid-Summer Task List

From tomatoes to blackberries, you're probably experiencing peak summer growth. Now is the time to give your garden a little extra TLC to ensure the same (or better) harvest next…

Cucumbers Become Mom Jo’s Dill Pickles

Last week’s Tip of the Week podcast introduced you to my mother’s delicious dill pickle
recipe. This week we tried our hands at making them with home grown Lemon Cucumbers. Tension mounted at the thought of doing it for the first time without Mom there to guide, but a few phone
calls along the way made it easy.

We started with freshly picked Lemon Cucumbers (and an Early Russian straggler). We soaked them over night in cold water.
…

Garlic Braiding

One of the best ways to store your garlic and onions is to braid the harvest and hang it up in the kitchen.