|
|
Projects
Subscribe to RSS feed
You Can Grow a Lot of Hot Weather Plants Down Here in the Ozarks
I'm still here in the Ozarks after teaching summer folk school classes last week. This gardening season, the gardeners planted lots of plants here with the upcoming Herb Harvest Fall Festival in mind. This year the featured countries are Central America, the Caribbean basin and Mexico, so plants from those regions are growing here. Those regions of the world are hot and tropical and those plants seem to be doing well here in the Ozarks where the hot temperatures have been extreme.
view details
Be a Blue Ribbon Vegetable Winner
It’s county fair time and your chance to get some recognition for a season of vegetable growing. Here's how you can win ribbons and prizes for your vegetable growing efforts.
view details
How to “Grow” Black Garlic
1 commentIf you saw a head of black garlic would you think it was garlic gone bad or would you eat it up?
view details
P_sqs.jpg)
Botanical Waters (Aguas Frescas): Celebrate the Season with Flavorful Healthy Beverages
We are having hot weather, which means we should be hydrating a lot. I'm harvesting the mints and monardas and lemon balm and these herbs are wonderfully refreshing when infused in water. Add a little fresh seasonal fruit--and you have a fiesta in a glass--full of vitamins and minerals and delicious! I call these herb-and-fruit-infusions botanical waters or flavored waters.
view details
_sqs.jpg)
Visit Your Local Botanic Garden
Last weekend was the You Can Grow It! Festival at the U.S. Botanic Garden. There was a good turnout and visitors got to pot up an herb plant and a carnivorous plant, view a beehive and taste honey, observe insect activity in the Butterfly Garden, smell the roses in the Rose Garden, enjoy the native blooms in the Regional Garden and then cool of in the Conservatory while enjoying the many plant collections from tropicals and medicinals to rare & endangered. There is always something going on at your local Botanic Garden or Arboretum--and an everchanging seasonal landscape--so find one near you and go visit!
view details
Harvest Nettle Seeds to Make a Tasty Condiment: Gomasio with Nettle Seeds & Sea Vegetables
With the onset of warm weather, I allow the nettle patch to flower and make seed. Since the seeds are edible, I like to harvest and dry them, which is a bit labor intensive, however well worth the effort. The way that I like to use them best is to combine them with sesame seeds and sea salt and sometimes, seaweed, to make an incredibly tasty and nutritive version of gomasio.
view details
Nettles: Last Harvest until Fall
Once nettles flower and set seed, most sources say they are too bitter to eat and that the leaves become stringy and gritty with calcium oxalate. Right now I am after the seeds so I can make gomasio and also I want to cut them back so that I will have a fall crop.
view details
Growing Tomatoes and Peppers in the Garden using Black Plastic Mulch
Oh boy did I open a can of worms when I started to do research on the pros and cons of using black plastic mulch! Yes, it does warm the soil, extend crops growing time, hold moisture in the soil and keep down a plethora of weeds. No, black plastic is not organic. Most black plastic eventually goes into the landfill in a season or two—unless you use one of the newer biodegradable or photo-degradable black plastic mulches.
view details
Basic Vinaigrette & Variations
Vinaigrettes are so easy to make and are far better than store-bought bottled dressings. This is my "little black dress" dressing--my family's favorite--simple and tasteful.
view details
Cilantro Recipe: Mango Habanero Salsa with Cilantro
In my blog on Cilantro & Coriander, Herb of the Year 2017, I promised to post a recipe. Here is a bright and flavorful salsa that is great with chips, on a taco salad or quesadilla, and with anything from the grill!
view details
_sqs.jpg)
Just Released: Cilantro & Coriander, Herb of the Year 2017
Every year the International Herb Association chooses an herb of the year to feature, as well as publishes a book on the selected herb so we can all get to know the particular herb up close and personal. This year we celebrate cilantro & coriander (one is the herb leaf and the other is the herb seed--both from the same plant--so we get two for one this year!)
view details
Vegetable Seeds for Easter Baskets
Let the Easter bunny plant the seeds of gardening by adding a few vegetable seed packets to the basket this year.
view details
Insect Pest Warning System for Vegetable Gardeners
Wouldn't it be nice to know when to expect an invasion of insect pests to your vegetable garden? Then The Big Bug Hunt needs you!
view details
_sqs.JPG)
Strawberry Shrub
In my travels down South lately, I've been doing programs on capturing the essence of herbs. One easy, seasonal recipe that I have been preparing with an enthusiastic response is strawberry shrub with lemon balm. It is simple, mouthwatering and a perfect blend of seasonal flavors.
view details
The Foodscape Revolution
If you’ve been relegating your fruits, vegetables and herbs to the backyard garden, it’s time to rethink that vegetable gardening approach. Foodscaping is the vegetable gardening trend that encourages gardeners to mix edible plants with ornamentals throughout the landscape.
view details
Sponges Make Seed Sprouting Seem Like Magic
2 commentsSeeds can sprout just about anywhere, even on colorful sponges. This easy indoor gardening project is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and other spring holidays.
view details
Shed Stress with a Beautiful Backyard Escape
Erika Kotite’s new book, She Sheds: A Room of Your Own, will help you imagine a beautiful retreat in your own backyard. The 23 featured sheds will inspire you to turn an ordinary shed into a small sanctuary.
view details
Hudson Valley Starts Center for Seed Stewardship
1 commentAfter 12 years as Hudson Valley Seed Library, the company has a new name, new logo and a new nonprofit dedicated to protecting our seed resources.
view details
Homemade Kombucha Know-how
1 commentWhether you’ve been enjoying kombucha for years or you’re new to the idea of drinking fermented sweet tea, The Big Book of Kombucha is your complete guide to the art of brewing and enjoying this healthful beverage.
view details
All Hail Kale for 2017
The National Garden Bureau has spoken and named 2017 the Year of the Brassica. Now’s the time to start planning how to celebrate all the delicious nutritious cole crops in your vegetable garden this spring.
view details
|
|
|
|
_sqm.jpg)
_sqm.jpg)
_sqm.jpg)
|
|
