November is a month of giving thanks, and I have plenty to be thankful for, including a garden that kept giving all month long.
With many fresh ingredients available to me, I planned my Thanksgiving menu around what I had in the garden. Leeks, celery, chard, herbs, and eggs went into… Continue reading
There may be no more beautiful month in Iowa than October.
Just take a look at my backyard. The woods became a palette of purple, yellow and rust in the last few weeks, even as the vegetables of summer continued to produce blooms in the garden. Frost remained at bay until the early hours of October 17… Continue reading
I really can’t remember a more beautiful month of September here in Iowa. With 30 days of sunshine, warm temperatures, and a good rainfall about once a week, the garden is still going strong. And there’s no end in sight. The extended forecast isn’t showing any danger of frost until after… Continue reading
It’s August and it seems like I hardly spend any time out in the garden anymore. Instead, I’m in the kitchen. I’m canning tomatoes; I’m making pickles; I’m freezing green beans and zucchini; I’m drying peppers. And the list goes on.
When I committed to doing all of the… Continue reading
July is the month when a gardener really hits pay dirt.
Summer vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and zucchini hit their stride in July. Harvesting these prolific vegetables becomes a daily task, and 31 days of bountiful harvests provide more than just a lot of great summer meals. July is… Continue reading
Like a road crew on Interstate 80, the Great Golden Digger Wasps turn my flagstone garden path into a construction zone each summer.
But these bugs don’t need a bulldozer to move a lot of dirt.
Great Golden Digger Wasps show up in… Continue reading
June is my favorite time in the kitchen garden. The hard work of spring – the prepping and the planting – is behind us, and the bulk of the food preservation efforts – canning tomatoes, freezing green beans, drying peppers – is yet to come.
June is truly a… Continue reading
My kitchen garden has changed a lot since I last gave you a tour in April. The early spring crops like radishes and spinach are past their season, the warm weather crops are growing like crazy, and we are eating more salad around… Continue reading
Things are a whole lot greener than when I took you on a photo tour of my kitchen garden in March. And it seems like every day there is something new to harvest from the garden. In addition to spinach and chives, which we… Continue reading
The calendar says spring is here and Mother Nature seems to agree. We’ve spent most of our free time this week (when not watching NCAA basketball) prepping the kitchen garden to get it ready for the growing season ahead.
Shoveling compost is not my favorite chore, but this is the time… Continue reading