Ever wonder why you see so much nasturtium in vegetable gardens? It’s a pretty flower, for sure, but there are plenty of beautiful flowers around. Why don’t you see Irises in vegetable gardens? What about daisies? They’re easy to grow, and they come in so many vibrant colors.
I’ll be the first to admit that I love potatoes. They’re so versatile in the kitchen; you can roast them, mash them, bake them, make chips, potato salad, potato pancakes, home fries for breakfast… I could go on. But you didn’t come here for potato recipes (yet). You probably have a number of your own favorites, which is why you want to know how to store potatoes over the winter.
When it comes to buying or picking apples, I always end up with way more than I actually need. The giant basket of apples taunts me from my countertop, knowing that I will never get through them fast enough before they start to go bad. Freezing fresh apples is one way of keeping them from going bad, but I also love pressure canning apples and storing them in my pantry for later use in pies, breads, apple butter, and apple sauce.
Ah, the memories of growing up in the land of abundant fruits and vegetables. It was like living in a produce paradise, with a dash of suburban wisdom from dear old dad. My father’s economic mantras echoed in my ears daily. “I don’t own stock in the electric company,” he’d say, as if it were […]
I had the best tomato plant ever this year. The vine grew tall and strong, and once the plant started producing, it didn’t stop until well beyond when every other summer vegetable had died off. The fruit was absolutely delicious, and it got me thinking about how to store seeds long-term. Nothing against the other […]
Garden gnomes, those small, bearded creatures that have been popping up in gardens for centuries, have quite the storied past. But where did these little guys come from? And why are they so darned popular? It all started back in the 19th century, when a German potter named Phillip Griebel began creating garden gnomes as […]
The holiday season is not the right time to start worrying about “eating right”. At least, it’s not for me! I love pies, cookies, my chocolate advent calendar, stuffing, warm rolls, and all of those other things that are not considered part of a healthy diet. Each year, I say that I will leave healthy […]
There are many reasons to consider growing fruit trees indoors. For me, it all boils down to control. With container fruit trees, like container vegetable gardens, you have total control over watering, pruning, sunlight and location, can make all the difference in a fruit tree’s yield. While it’s certainly possible to grow a fruit tree from seed, you’ll have better luck and a faster yield of fruit by purchasing a seedling.
If you’re new to vegetable gardening, you might see the six-pack of tomato sprouts at your local gardening center and think, “Wow, what a deal!” What you might not realize is just how big tomato plants grow. I’m 5’6,” and my indeterminate tomato plants are usually at least as tall as me.
Because spinach is so easy to grow, I almost always end up with way more than I can eat, no matter how many recipes I have. What to do with all of the extra? Can you freeze spinach? The short answer is, yes, you can. But you can’t just throw your harvest into a freezer bag and forget it. (Well, actually you can, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)
