When I first started gardening, as a total greenhorn, I thought that there was only one harvest opportunity a year. The pre-determined vegetable calendar, to…
Those of us who live in areas of early frost, dread to see our gardens destroyed by it. Often, tomatoes are at the peak of…
My husband loves olives, so it was no surprise to me that he did not leave empty-handed when he saw some olive trees for sale…
Once the last blazing maple leaf has floated to the ground and before the first blossoms of spring burst forth with their renewing life, what's…
The rest of the country is catching on to what homesteaders have known for generations. Knowing where your food comes from is not just trendy,…
A garden is both a thing of beauty and a labor of love. There is something almost reverent about planting and working the land. Being…
The garlic is all dug and on bread racks for the drying process. In just a few days it will be ready to head to…
I always feel a strange sense of forlorn relief at this time of year, as I glance over the garden-in-twilight. The tomato vines worked so…
A bright and beautiful summer is something that the plants in your garden love. But a heatwave is a different thing altogether. Prolonged intense heat…
In May, my husband Donnie planted 31 tomato plants, everything from Bush to Rutgers, from stalk to vine, in cages, on espaliers, and just trailing…
Summer is here at last and I have charcoal on my brain. Not for summertime grilling, though… for the plants! In the quest to encourage…
The harvest season will soon be upon us. Our summer produce will slow down and the canning and food-preservation process will be in full swing…