Small (Cheap) Beginnings Grow Into Big Yields I wandered past an old post here where I planted a few discount lilacs. I seem to recall them being end-of-season markdowns around $8 each but that memory is fuzzy. You can see above what five years of full sun and good topsoil can do. All of them are easily six feet tall and burst … Read More →
A slow day's worth of peas. Usually double this every morning. Summer has finally shown up around here – late as usual. It’s not been the heatwave material other parts of the planet have seen this year but we’ve had a few respectfully hot days above 30C here and there (usually with a week of refreshingly cool, rainy grey days in between) so the tomatoes are … Read More →
Be Different, Start From Seed I’m regularly asked ‘how do you personally start plants from seed?’ Having just gone through the annual ritual I thought I’d document the method I’ve developed over the years. During my busiest seasons I’ve had as many as a thousand seedlings at one time with my little plant factory approach. Lots of incremental changes and … Read More →
One Pot Wonders If you swear you can’t grow anything, have no space, no time, or any of the other gardening-averse excuses, just go plant some peas already. While a giant trellised row with automatic irrigation would be my preference, any neglected pot on a modestly sunny stoop will work and yield a perfect handful for stir-fry every … Read More →
Potent, Ugly, Best Grown At Home You want an edible plant that’s impossible to kill in most any climate? Horseradish is your answer. If you’ve ever used ‘prepared’ horseradish from jars at the supermarket in your coleslaw, tartar sauce, or to dress a bit of roast beef, you only know half of the flavour. Freshly made from home grown crops has … Read More →
Snowballs on a Stick I haven’t had much chance to swing at landscaping efforts out at the farm this year. That gets expensive and I have other more pressing priorities. I’m also still facing weekly flood or drought out there since I don’t yet have a well and am at the mercy of the creek and hand-carried buckets. Back … Read More →
Fashionably Late Apple Blossoms I haven’t talked much about the farm lately primarily because without better funds in hand, I’m hesitant to make any big moves. Still, there is always room for little steps and I spent today planting for the future after being reminded that Mother Nature waits for no one. In fact she’s usually tapping her foot … Read More →
