Thanks to our mild climate, more and more gardeners are realizing that they are able to grow nutritious produce in their own backyards all year long. With a little preparation, you too can expand beyond the warm-season crops that are more commonly grown. Cool-season crops such as carrots, kale and chard make fine choices for […]
vegetables
Posted inGardeners Corner
Enjoying a Year-Round Edible Landscape
The garden is changing every day this time of year. Plants respond quickly to warming temperatures, the soil is still moist from frequent spring showers. The chores pile up quickly, tugging at us from every garden corner and flowerbed. At times like these, I am very thankful for all the tasks that were taken care […]
Posted inAt Home
Spring Tonics (Delicious Asparagus, that is)
Fleshy, green and succulent, asparagus is the ultimate spring vegetable. Known for its cleansing diuretic properties for centuries and once only available in spring, it has become a year-round favorite on American tables. Early culinary records indicate asparagus, which is a native of Europe, may have been eaten and used as an offering in Egypt […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Low Maintenance Vegetable Gardening for a Bountiful Harvest
Increase your harvest without increasing the size of your garden or workload. All you need is a bit of intensive planting, along with some low-maintenance techniques. Invest some time upfront to prepare the garden soil. This will save you time throughout the growing season. Add several inches of organic matter and a slow-release fertilizer into […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Classic Comfort in Scalloped Potatoes
One of the most warming, comforting and filling foods on a cold, blustery day is a bubbling, aromatic dish of scalloped potatoes fresh from the oven. An old-fashioned comfort food that everyone enjoys, a casserole of scalloped potatoes is inexpensive and uncomplicated to make. The recipe here uses a basic white sauce poured over sliced […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
Ease into Gardening with a Raised Bed
Raise your garden to new heights for easier access and greater productivity. Raised beds allow you to overcome poor soil by creating the ideal growing mix, plus make gardening time more comfortable thanks to less bending and kneeling. Whether you purchase a kit or build your own, there are a few things to consider when […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Pumpkins and Squash: Beyond the Jack-o-lantern!
Cooler temperatures and shorter days evoke the primal instinct in us to walk along leaf-strewn pathways, set in stores for the winter, and look forward to warming soups and luscious baked goods from our ovens. Perhaps no other foodstuff is better suited to long-term storage and usefulness in so many recipes than those of the […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
Turning Zucchini Excess into a Yummy (but Overflowing) Casserole
What do you do with a zucchini the size of a small pony, enough basil to fill a wheelbarrow, so many small tomatoes that could choke a dragon, and ample packages of moose meat in the freezer? These items in themselves come with a million recipes. Zucchini this, zucchini that… I wasn’t about to go […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Fall Harvesting September and October are a time for pause and reflection and also new beginnings. It’s a time to celebrate the bounty in our gardens and to harvest and preserve fruits, vegetables and herbs for later enjoyment. If you have extra produce, remember to take it to local food banks for others to enjoy. […]