Greetings! I am coming to you today with another book review. I recently purchased Homegrown Pantry by Barbara Pleasant. This book was published in 2017 and the subtitle tells us exactly what to expect: A Gardener’s Guide to Selecting the Best Varieties & Planting the Perfect Amounts for What You Want to Eat Year-Round. Does it live up to that big promise? Let’s take a look. The table of contents is very descriptive, easily allowing us to jump to what…
a new year filled with peace and happiness
January 1, 2022That’s my wish for all of us. Greetings and Happy New Year. Is your new year off to a good start? I’m spending some time this weekend enjoying a walk through the garden, and that almost always brings me peace and happiness. And since this is January, it also gets me fired up with ideas. Being the planner that I am, New Years Day is becoming my favorite holiday. I love using this time to think about the plans and…
plant spotlight: lively italian sweet yellow pepper
October 3, 2021Greetings! As fall is kicking into gear, we are heavy in the midst of garden cleanup over here at the woodland garden, like every other gardener in the northern hemisphere probably is at this time of year. While many of the veggies have died back or stopped producing, the peppers are still going like gangbusters. This has definitely not always been the case; in fact, I am very happy to say that this year was very different, our best pepper…
book review: epic tomatoes
May 24, 2021Hey there, all my tomato-growing friends! I have a book review for you on what is likely the definitive book on growing tomatoes, for all of us home gardeners at least. As I’m getting my tomato plants in the ground (finally! after a long, drawn-out period of cold spring nights), I am reading the book “Epic Tomatoes” by Craig LeHoullier. I’d heard of this book a long time ago as I’ve listened to interviews with Craig. He has been a featured…
plant spotlight – matt’s wild cherry tomatoes
February 19, 2021Greetings fellow gardeners! While many of us have gardens that are covered under a thick blanket of snow at the moment, it’s seed starting time for some vegetables. If you grow tomatoes from seed, maybe you will find this post interesting. I grow several varieties of tomatoes each year and I must say that the award for Best Production last year went to….Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomatoes! If you read my last post, I touched on this briefly. Today, I’d like…
gardening for the birds
January 25, 2019Did you know that the way you garden can directly impact the behavior and even the survival of bird populations? I’ve been trying to get some good photos of the birds around here, but the camera is never ready when the birds are! Here are some easy things we gardeners can do to make a difference: make good use of bird feeders. My fave right now is this one from Brome. plant native plants in our gardens and landscape. I…
a piece of land
February 27, 2017Planning this year’s garden, I came across a great article from Mother Earth News on asparagus and strawberries as companion plants, here. It’s an oldie, written by John Vivian in 1995, but it still holds up. It’s a fairly lengthy piece, very comprehensive. He opens with a bit of his personal history. I love this: “It is mighty fine to sink your roots and psyche into a piece of land, even if it’s no more than an acre or two…
twists and turns
August 24, 2016Like most of us, I have worn a number of hats in my life…I’ve flipped burgers (never again!), helped heal many dogs and cats as a vet assistant years ago, and performed laboratory tests to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS patients. I did a brief stint testing used motor oil and diesel fuel for abnormalities indicative of problems with the heavy equipment they were used in. I’ve cut many a yard of fabric while working part time…
