If you are smack dab in the middle of winter right now (looking at you, my northern hemisphere friends), maybe you are in a bit of a relaxing lull. January is a slow month in regard to the garden. The biggest thing on the radar this month for me is finalizing the layout for the this year’s veggie garden. Are you spending these colder months choosing veggie seeds? I’m excited to try the new seeds I ordered. I really practiced…
why i feed the birds
January 6, 2020Greetings, my gardening friends! Hope your new year is off to a great start. I took a long, much needed break over the holidays. How about you? This winter is not shaping up to be much of a typical winter in our neck of the woods. We are having temperatures in the 50F-60F range on some days. I’m a confirmed heat lover, so this is not a hardship for me by any means. That said, I’m wondering how it will…
gardening in january (no time off!)
December 30, 2019Happy Monday! As we enter into a new year and new decade this week, I’ll be gardening in January. While it might not be the most active month (in fact, January always has my shortest task list!), there’s always something I’m doing to stay connected to my garden and the outdoors. We are in southwestern Ohio, USDA Zone 6, so while my list may look a bit different than yours, some of these same activities might be on your radar.…
book review: the family garden plan
December 18, 2019Hi all! I’ve been MIA for a bit, that’s because (1) Christmas season (aren’t we all so wrapped up in it? Fantastic time of year!), (2) I’ve been taking a course to help me become a better writer (please say some prayers for me because I might just need them, it’s tough work), and (3) my fitness instructor has started cracking the whip (as someone dealing with MS, gotta stay healthy!). But (!) I have a book review for you.…
tao 21
December 5, 2019Despite the lack of gardening posts, I’m back with the latest Tao te Ching post; namely chapter 21. This is one of those iconic Tao chapters. I like that it tells us we only need to look inside and we will see (ie understand the Tao). Simple, not easy though. I think meditation is called for. Speaking of meditation, one of my personal goals for 2020 is to begin and maintain a meditation practice. I went ahead and started early (today)…
my go-to smoothie recipe
November 26, 2019Greetings! Are you still harvesting spinach or kale? If so (or even if you’re not!), I’d like to share my favorite green smoothie with you. I’ve been making this one for what seems like a couple of years now. I don’t have one every day, but at least a few times per week. This one is loaded with superfoods and it’s just plain “health in a shake”. I generally make enough for two shakes and will keep them refrigerated, drinking…
december in the garden
November 25, 2019As we enter into winter next month, my mind is still on my garden. That is just how we gardeners roll. I’m looking ahead to my plan for December and here are a few of the things I’ll be working on for my Zone 6 garden. Looking back at last December’s list, it seems as if I am getting off easy this year. I won’t really have to send for seed catalogs- they’ve already started rolling in. Once your name…
cayenne peppers, revisited
November 22, 2019This week I am digging my little cayenne peppers, all over again. I had a really big harvest of them this fall, all from one plant. Here are some of them. I processed some of them at the time, for immediate consumption, and hung the others to dry. Then I forgot all about them because they are hanging in the far window of the dining room where I don’t tend to be, very frequently. Hmm… Luckily for me, the man…
tao 19
November 21, 2019Greetings! This week we are covering chapter 19 of the Tao te Ching. If you’d like some background on this little project of mine, please take a look at this page. Then come back here and join in the conversation. All are welcome! In fact, I would love to read some comments, it’s getting lonely over here! This chapter is another very short one. I feel like it is geared towards leaders and those in positions of authority; however, I think…
book review: the old farmer’s almanac
November 19, 2019For the first time ever, I bought the farmer’s almanac. You know the one, that famed book of gardening, weather, and folklore that has been around forever. Or at least since 1792, when it was founded. I’ve heard many opinions about the almanac over the years, from those who swear by it to those who feel it’s full of hogwash. I like to keep an open mind. Anything that may help me succeed in my 2020 garden, I’m on board…
