Playing in the Dirt
The start of spring planting
April was rough. It started out with a brief warm spell that lifted the hopes of a productive spring; those feelings were quickly dashed with bouts of snow and cold. But this past weekend was warm, albeit very windy, and it was time to catch up on spring chores. I finished adding dirt to my … Continue reading
Serious case of spring fever
The winter wasn’t horrible, but it always is much too long. After months of being cooped up indoors, it’s nice to bask in the warm weather. Over the past week we’ve cut down the raspberries; the boys torn down the sunflowers; created a few new gardens; weeded and cleaned up the flower beds; continued to … Continue reading
The great cold frame experiment
Last winter I reveled in the ability to harvest fresh greens throughout the winter using the heated cold frame my husband built for me. I even wrote an article ,”Cold Frame of Mind” in the November/December 2012 issue of Hobby Farm Home, describing how Grant put it together and how it worked for me during the … Continue reading
Starting the New Year right
After an eventful night dealing with a couple of boys who think a runny nose is a valid reason for incessant (well, at least until 2:30 a.m.) whining and crying, I looked forward to a relaxing New Year’s Day. It was everything I hoped. We Skyped my brother and sister-in-law in Lithuania, and were able … Continue reading
Gardening through the snowstorm
You know you’re in trouble when the local weatherman delights in giving updates of the impending doom descending from the north. We knew a doozy of a storm was heading straight for us with arctic temperatures and a bizarre swirl of the jet stream that spelled nothing but trouble. I wasted no time in preparing … Continue reading
Final harvest
October 1 was the last hurrah for the garden. Snow was in the forecast for October 2 along with plummeting temperatures bound to end the season whether I was ready or not. The day before, I harvested the basil and made pesto, plus I picked the celery, which I blanched and froze. We also picked … Continue reading
My precious
Growing up in Ohio I have a thing for apples. There are so many fabulous varieties back there that it’s easy to take them for granted… until you live somewhere where coaxing a fruit tree to live, let alone bear fruit, is a heroic act. Last year I told you about the “Triple Play” tree I purchased … Continue reading
The tomatoes are starting
I know I’ve probably said this repeatedly, but it’s been an odd year. The heat was welcomed early on since we typically have cool summers that make ripening heat-loving veggies difficult, but this year was too much of a good thing. July temperatures were 10 to 15 degrees warmer than average pushing most days well into … Continue reading
Harvesting garlic and how the garden is progressing
I seriously have no idea where the summer has gone this year. It’s been hot and very dry so a fair amount of time went to watering… and we’re not finished, yet. I’ve already pulled up some cabbage beds and, of course, the peas are long gone. Tomatoes are starting to come on at a … Continue reading
The quest to grow enough strawberries
Last year I planted roughly 100 strawberry plants in my 4×8 Square Foot Garden bed. I think I put them in a little tight. The plants are doing well, but they’re just not providing a copious amount of berries. It’s sufficient to have enough for a small bowl at meals or to snack on when … Continue reading
