I love to garden. Maybe you do too. I love to do lots and lots of things. So many things, in fact, that I am too busy to allocate as much time to my garden as I would like. If only I had an extra 2 hours a day… that would make things so much…
Category: Gardening
{weekend project} Violet Jelly
O wind, where have you been, That you blow so sweet? Among the violets Which blossom at your feet – Christina (Georgina) Rossetti This Spring, I discovered that many of the “weeds” that grow in my yard are edible! This is exciting if, like me, you enjoy foraging for food and, come springtime, are…
{avant gardening} Hügelkultur
I spent three years of my childhood in Germany when my father was stationed there in the army. I have very distinct memories of the allotment gardens people cultivated at the edge of town in little individual rented plots of land, each with its own immaculate garden hut for sitting and enjoying the summer days…
{gardening} Making the Most of One Acre
How Does Your Garden Grow? Sizing up our land and making the most of 1 acre. My husband is a cultivator; it’s in his veins. By the time most people begin their Spring cleaning he is out tilling the ground and planning the upcoming year’s garden. When were looking to build a home all he…
{planning your garden} Guide to Starting Seeds
There are many ways to garden. Some people buy plants from a nursery, your local farmer or garden center, which is a great option for many. I have done this in the past, primarily with annuals flowers (like pansies and petunias), tomatoes and peppers.* Last year, I decided to try my hand at starting…
{planning your garden} Crop Rotation
Even though the ground is covered with snow and ice and the sun barely shines, January is the time to plan your garden. There are four essential tenets of good organic gardening; have a readily available water source, keep on top of the weeds, feed the soil and rotate your crops. Crop rotation is probably…
Hello to my New Digs {and saying goodbye to the old ones}
:: My girls on a fall day, loving our backyard :: It’s here. Moving Day. As you read this, I’m watching four super-strong men load all of my worldly possessions into a moving truck. I’m selling my house today, and tomorrow I’m buying a different one. My new house isn’t too far away – two towns…
{what a weekend!} NOFA-NY’s Winter Conference
Editor’s Note: Weaved throughout the next couple of weeks there will be recaps & interviews from Erika & Liz from their amazing weekend at NOFA-NY’s (Northeast Organic Farming Association New York) Winter Conference held in our hometown of Saratoga Springs, NY. It was a 3 1/2 day conference filled with ‘new farmer’ mixers, half/whole day…
{the new year} A New Garden
{Our main garden in quiet rest} After the big fall harvest my garden, my husband, and I am ready for a break. We begin to put most all things outdoors to rest, batten down the hatches, and embrace winter. Our minds take a respite during the month of November and December from gardening but once…
{the new year} clean, fresh and growing
Although it was a good year, 2011 went by in a bit of a blur for me. This year, I am hoping for a more manageable pace that will support a healthier, more peaceful year for my family. I don’t usually set goals each new year, or make resolutions, but I came up with a…
{the new year} Taking Care of Myself & a Long List of DIY Projects
Hello 2012! I am so happy to see you. 2011 wasn’t exactly the best year of my life (to put it nicely), and I’m looking forward to a fresh start. I’ve got enough energy and enthusiasm to put my wish list in action. Good thing too, because it’s long! Number One on my list is…
{the new year} New Beginnings are Lovely
I’ve moved a lot in my life and although it can be scary and stressful it also means a fresh start. That’s how I feel at the beginning of each new year. There are always a lot of unknowns but the simple fact of it being fresh and new makes it seem like there’s a…
{how to} Cold Storage 101
I’ve pretty much wrapped up harvesting crops on Silly Goose Farm. Apples are done, tomatoes are done, and all that’s left to put-up is a couple of cabbages, a few rows of rainbow carrots, and a whole bunch of pears. The pear trees on our farm are over 100 years old and positively drip with fruit….
{gardening} My End-of-Season Garden
Remember way back in the beginning of gardening season when I showed you my garden and said it’s good to spend a few minutes in it each day? Yeah, well I’m going to be blunt and tell you that I didn’t follow my own advice this year. Last year it was so easy because I…
{community sharecropping} September is for Eggplants
September is the biggest harvest month in the community share-cropping gardens. That means that we have to do something with the perishable stuff we grew all summer. While I think zucchini make excellent compost, I want to use each and every eggplant, no matter how small. I have spent years convincing my husband that we…
