Many people who think of a vegetable garden think of a plowed-up patch with rows of plants spread out. While this has been the setup for centuries, gardens these days are taking on a whole new dimension. Unless someone is growing a huge amount of produce, my recommendation is to use more intensive methods to grow more in less space. I, for one, have a … Continue reading Intensive gardening helps get big flavors out of small spaces
Pests and pestilence — this is a theme that runs through most of the calls and emails I receive during the garden season. The usual question is: “What do I spray to kill this?” Sometimes clients are hesitant to spray for pests. Sometimes, though, it seems like they are ready to prepare for all-out warfare. Perhaps the right question to ask is not about what … Continue reading IPM: An ounce of pest prevention is worth a pound of cure
Mother’s Day: The time when we focus on honoring the matriarchs of our lives — our mothers, grandmothers or those who we consider motherly to us (I include my Aunt Ruthie in the list). Whether or not the maternal influences in your life are still living, a common and traditional way of honoring them is with flowers. Flowers have been a part of the celebration … Continue reading Mother’s Day Garden Reflections
Perhaps no other vegetable reflects the difference of cultures and regions in the Americas quite like the bean. Passed down from generation to generation, it is interesting to think that something as simple as a bean can be a symbol of cultural heritage and history. The fact that we say that something “doesn’t amount to a hill of beans” shows that sometimes we take this … Continue reading More than just a hill of beans: A bean for every gardener
Peas just don’t get any respect. They may, in fact, be the Rodney Dangerfield of the garden. Sugar snaps and snow peas do seem to rank well, but few people grow them, or at least grow them successfully. Even fewer people grow the old English type pea that you have to shell out and cook without the pod. But peas, and fresh peas, are delicious … Continue reading Give Peas a Chance
While the frigid cold of winter may have you dreaming of tropical locations, sandy beaches and fruity drinks with little umbrellas, one way to warm up is to brew yourself a nice cup of tea, coffee or hot cocoa and sit down with a few good garden catalogs. What good it can do your mood to dream of a beautiful garden or bountiful vegetable harvest … Continue reading Plan a year of garden success
As my regular readers know, sometimes my gardening articles are inspired by the things that happen to me in real life. For example, I wrote about water conservation after traveling to the New Mexico desert, and about produce competitions during my week at the state fair. Sometimes, though, the inspiration comes from a totally unplanned source. Picture this: A Sunday afternoon trip to a large … Continue reading The dreaded ‘pughetti’ makes its appearance
Let’s face it: When it comes to crops for the vegetable garden, onions are one of the least sexy things you can grow. Garlic, it seems, is the most vivacious and interesting member of the allium family. Nobody gets excited about the lowly onion like they do their heirloom tomatoes or half-runner beans. There aren’t boards on Pinterest dedicated to favorite onion recipes or pretty … Continue reading Onions deserve a little respect
As we progress further into the cool, crisp days of autumn, it is time to turn our attention to preparing the garden for the winter to come and even look forward to next year’s garden. By preparing, you can conserve resources and energy for next year’s gardening season. This week, I’ll talk about a few things you can do to enjoy the garden in the … Continue reading Fall tasks are at hand
Even though the temperature may be quickly dropping, even as the fall colors illuminate the mountains, and even as chrysanthemums pop up on front porches and in gardens, there’s still plenty of life left in the vegetable. To keep your garden growing into the fall and winter, just remember that you need to use protection. Using season extension techniques, it can be possible to add … Continue reading Extending the garden season
BearlyGrowing 