Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved the month of June. School let out, the days grew long and sunny, and I looked forward to a nice cold glass of lemonade when I’d come home from playing with friends. Even as an adult, June feels special. Those first summer days at the beach watching…
Food Gardening Magazine • June 2022
Food Gardening with Amanda
Some plants like the cool weather, while others prefer the heat. Some plants are easy to start indoors, like tomatoes, and others prefer to be planted directly, like beans. One of my rules of thumb is to visit my local garden center and follow their guidance. They don't typically put anything out until it's safe for them to be planted. That's why you might see herbs in May, but not tomatoes until late May or June. READ MORE
So you've decided to start planning raised beds for your garden, but aren't sure where to start? Good news, I went through a pretty elaborate garden transformation just last year and lived to tell the tale. If you're planning on building your own or having them built, I've put together what I consider a fairly… READ MORE
There are many great reasons to grow your own lettuce, and I personally prefer to grow it hydroponically indoors from fall through spring. One of the most compelling reasons for me is that there are so many recalls on processed lettuce in the stores. That alone is enough to make most people want to grow… READ MORE
You'd never know it now, but I used to be one of those people who didn't love eggplant. My exposure to it was mostly in the form of a poorly made soggy eggplant parmesan and I wasn't having any of it. But once I started eating less processed… READ MORE
Gardening Guide Close-Ups
Nightshades are such beautiful plants, and eggplant is no exception. Eggplant fruit range in average size from over a foot long, to just a few inches. The larger varietals are thick and hearty, while the smaller types, like Fairy Tale Eggplant, are thin-skinned and delicate (but still great on the grill!) Eggplant certainly has its… READ MORE
Grocery store lettuce certainly gets a bad rap for contamination and frequent recalls, so it's no wonder so many people have started growing their own lettuce, whether in an indoor hydroponic garden, in raised beds, or containers. But one of the best ways to control the environment of your crop is by growing lettuce in… READ MORE
Most people think of growing watermelons in a big open field because traditional watermelons are pretty giant and vine just like squash, so they need room to spread out and grow. But growing watermelon in raised beds is not only possible, it's encouraged for some varietals and in cooler growing zones. Melons are hard to… READ MORE