Our Red Sparkle apple tree is a giant riot of white. It makes me happy, many times a day. From afar it looks like a kleenex box exploded all over it. If number of blossoms correlates to number of fruits, we’re in for a crazy yield this year again – last year was 100kg+. Now all we need is those … Read More
Extreme Gardening
The scope of my ambitious gardening project that has been tackled head on in the past week is taking its toll on my body. No, really – it’s fantastic in theory and I have really nice drawings from a winter of planning. Really. But what I didn’t plan so much on is that moving trees, shoveling gravel and soil, digging … Read More
Seedling Tray 1
My February of revising seed catalogs seems to quickly have passed. And now, here we are, mid-March. Some of my online orders have been making appearances at my door. Time to seed stuff? Already? Wasn’t it -30 with 3 feet of snow two days ago? These little trays of jiffys are quick and easy, although I’m resolved to settle on … Read More
My Edible Garden Taking Shape
Garden planning is at the bottom of the list of things I thought I’d ever get hardcore about. But it has consumed me. We bought a very average city lot in this area, which is 115 x 48 feet or so, and although I knew I’d have more room to garden, I didn’t realize how much. So I’ve been engulfed … Read More
Biggest blog break…ever?
Thanks for the prod, Des – and yes, everything’s good. Barring perhaps the January lull of food inspiration. But it’s February now, and that lack of inspiration is changing like the weather and the length of day. It’s time to get my seed catalog orders in. Which means it’s time to do some extensive garden planning – something I was … Read More
Chard, My Way
There’s a soft spot in my heart for chard. So under-rated. So under-appreciated. Among its many attributes: it’s healthy for you; it’s easy to grow from seed; it’s super-prolific – a few plants growing more than most people need; it’s hardy; you can harvest it from early spring to late fall. It’s an easy go-to green that makes you feel … Read More
Ah, my very own horseradish monster
There are pros and cons to inheriting someone else’s gardens when you move. A pro for me? This gigantic horseradish patch behind my garage. It’s large enough to eat my small child, so we have to be careful. I eat a lot of game, as you know, and my favorite condiment with game is easily prepared horseradish. Needless to say, … Read More
4 Garden-Inspired-Courses and a Guest
garden lettuce w belle farms olive oil and riesling vinegar vinaigrette soup: garden beets, lovage, chard, carrot, red onion, parsley herbes de provence roast chicken with garden kennebec, norland and yukon gold quickie moelleux with quickie garden raspberry jam The Wines:2007 Chateau de Lancyre Rose, Luberon France [88-91 pts]2003 Chateau de Carles, Fronsac, France [91-93 pts]
My NEW Garden Salad [uh…salad from my NEW garden]
As promised, a salad. A pretty notable salad as it’s the first produce out of my new garden – baby spinach, lettuces, dill, mint, lovage, and wild chive. Added a few pecans and a boiled egg, and MAN. I don’t eat enough salads. I’ve missed my garden. So much.
Merry Herb Season!!
Is this what you thought thyme would look like having emerged from 3 feet of snow, after a winter with -30C temperatures? Not I. There’s still lots of snow, but the thyme is against a south facing wall, and gets exposed in February. Last year, I couldn’t believe that it looked essentially as good as new. This year, I was … Read More