It all stacks up! It’s been hot here. Three days of high 90s in the shade. The animals who are outside are coping. The animals inside, that’s us, less so. The first day was bearable: 75 in/97 out (in shade). I stepped outside around midnight that night and it was still blasting heat, so I …
Category Archives: garden
Resilience Gardening: Water and Animals
The last couple of days I’ve been in the garden. Mostly I’ve been cleaning up. I do most of my Fall cleanup in Spring, so that the fallen leaves can replenish and blanket the soil during Winter.  Soon I’ll put the leaf shredder to the humongous leaf piles.  That shredded stuff is great for the compost bins. …
Cushions
The farmer in his field A while ago we finally took the step and enrolled in a year-long CSA, starting this Spring, at Siena Farms. We visited the farm in Fall and fell in love with the fields and the farmers. I loved especially the fact that the owner, Farmer Chris, puts effort and money …
Seeds Arrived and Garden Plans
Most of my seedy order arrived last week. After a lot of dawdling, I finally tidied up the basement so I can start growing. Two years ago, when I was really on top of the garden, I had already started. I am also thinking about getting a garden plot at our Community Gardens. I’ll put something less …
Seed Order for 2012 and Tamarind Seed Give-Away
Seed collection before order Yesterday Amie and I spent hours looking through the seed catalogs and the seeds I have left over. In the end I opted to go just with Fedco. In my defense, I ordered very few seeds last year! 249 – Maxibel Bush Haricots Verts OG ( C=8oz) 298 – Windsor Fava Bean …
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Let the Dreaming Begin!
Home Skills: Chimney Works
Looking at the new heating season, DH and I were looking at two tasks. 1. Clean the wood stove chimney. It had been two years, so we felt it was time. Instead of hiring a chimney sweep ($150 a visit) we bought a chimney brush with rods ($165). DH climbed up (our house has only …
Garden Harvests, and Deer
Right there, behind the sunchokes What with the flurry of activity/activism around here, the garden has been neglected somewhat. On top of that, the deer decided to cross from backyard where they usually hang out (an extensive wildlife corridor runs behind our property) to the front. In the front yard they ate the weeds and …
Seed Saving
Chives Many of the biennials and perennials are done making seed, the second-year broccoli, kale  and lettuce, and the chives too. Time to harvest the future! Kale seed pods with spider Kale seeds from one plant, enough for at least an acre of kale
Brown Spot and Black Pit
Well, I had sworn not to grow potatoes again after the Blight Year of 2009 – my first year gardening. It wasn’t just blight that ruined that year’s potatoes (the tomatoes didn’t suffer too much). I also tried the potato tower method and it was Spudtacularly Disappointing. But I love potatoes. I love them so, …