Value of harvest as of 7/20/10: $563

A kitchen gardener's blog

Do Grapes Need Thinning?

May 31, 2010 - For the past five summers, I have been anticipating the day the grape vines would cover their support and provide much needed
shade to our deck. Well, this is the year. Not only is the deck cool and shady, but the vines are loaded with grapes for the first time. As we sat there in the shade, my husband said, "shouldn't you remove some of the grapes from each cluster?" "I saw Captain Picard do that on a star trek episode." I remember that episode (or was is a movie), but Picard was not thinning the grapes, he was tying the vines to their support.

But I digress. This conversati... MORE

Dutchman's Pipe Vine: food for larvae

May 31, 2009 - When I first built this quirky arbor at the main entrance to the vegetable garden, I envisioned it covered with beans, cucumbers, or tiny pumpkins. After a few unsuccessful attempts at that, I tired flowering annual vines, like moonflower and morning glory. These barely reached the top of the arbor before the first frost. Hardly the lushly covered arbor I wanted. A few days ago I came to the conclusion that the only way to achieve my goal, was to plant a deciduous woody vine.

When looking for landscape plants, my first choice is something I can eat, my second choice is something tha... MORE

Pretty in Pink

May 30, 2009 - Walking through the garden today, I noticed that a few of my radishes had gone to seed. I was surprised to see that the flower was pink. Most veggie blooms are white or yellow.

This variety is Giant of Sicily, which has done very well for me this year. It did not get hot or pithy even with our extreme, fluctuating temps. So I let the best plant flower in order to save the seeds for next year.... MORE

The UK Launches Eat Seasonably Campaign

May 29, 2009 - "There’s nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables at their seasonal best. There’s something so good about eating food when it’s just been picked. It tastes better, it’s better value and it’s a better deal for the planet.

Dig in and celebrate what’s fresh in fruit and veg."

This quote appears on the home page of a new website launched yesterday, called www.eatseasonably.co.uk. The site is part of an effort in the UK to encourage people to eat local, seasonal food. I wish them great success in their effort, and hope that the movement ... MORE

Can you recognize a ladybug in all its stages?

May 20, 2009 - We all know that ladybugs are a gardener's friend, consuming tons of aphids. And of course everyone can identify an adult beetle, but what about an egg, or a nymph or a pupa. I found this ladybug pupa while pruning my pear trees.

... MORE

Fading Away Gracefully

May 15, 2009 - I love May; there are so many great flowers blooming in the garden to cut and bring inside. Tall striking irises, full floppy peonies, and sweet smelling roses are some of my favorites. How does one choose? Maybe I should make my choice by how gracefully the flower fads away in the vase.

The peony withers so gracefully. I love the look of the table carpeted with petals as they drop one by one from the stem. It reminds me of trees, losing their leaves, in the fall.

On the other hand, I can't think of a flower that looks worse than an iris past it's prime. It amazes me that t... MORE

Birdhouse Timeshare

May 07, 2009 - For the second spring in a row, a pair of Chickadees have raised a family in this little birdhouse. The day after the brood fledge, a pair of house wrens moves in. It is like they have a timeshare agreement. If I were the wrens I would be angry that the chickadees leave the house in such a mess. The wrens spent most of the day pulling stuff out of the house.

I have birdhouses all over the garden to attract nesting birds. They are a great benefit to the organic gardener because birds eat a huge number of insects.... MORE

Strawberries

May 27, 2008 - Over the past 3 weeks I have harvested over 50 pounds of strawberries. I plan to pull out some of these early bearing plants and replace them with a late season variety. This way instead of picking 7-15 pounds a day, I will have a more manageable amount of strawberries each day, over a longer period. ... MORE