The Renaissance of Heirloom Apples Traditionally, an old fashioned fall treat has been the availability of aromatic autumn apples and the rich complex flavor of pressed cider. Although grocery stores attempt to carry "cider" in pasteurized containers all year, the taste is insipid in comparison to the special flavor that blended heirloom varieties give to their juices. Some of those … [Read more...] about Homesteader Heirloom Apples and Real Cider
Vegetable garden
The Plan For Your Own Potager
An Easy-Peasy Organic Garden Good Eating from the Garden The French call these food gardens "potagers", the English called them "kitchen gardens", Americans have always called them "the vegetable patch", but growing your own little plot of ground with fresh tasting produce for the table is a growing passion. And a delicious one! Lots of people think about paring their food bill by growing … [Read more...] about The Plan For Your Own Potager
Out Of Your Gourd Gardening
The Seed That Grew Birdhouse Gourds - Lots Of Them! Gourds are easy to grow. And besides being easy (which makes them a candidate for growing in a children's garden), there are lots of things that you can do with them if you love to craft and decorate. The main thing that a gourd plant needs is SPACE. If you have limited space, no worries mate, vertical gardening can be an ideal way to … [Read more...] about Out Of Your Gourd Gardening
Ready To Eat Local? How About Slow Gardening?
Go Slow Slow Food and Slow Gardening are related. What is slow food you ask? Sourcing your ingredients locally and using high quality is the gist of it. Growing your own would be a part of it, but patronizing the farmer's markets and encouraging your grocer's to supply locally produced products would be part of it, too. How about slow gardening? I suppose there is something of an … [Read more...] about Ready To Eat Local? How About Slow Gardening?
When Thoughts Turn To…Plants
It is January, and in Ohio we experienced our usual January thaw... so everything is quite soggy at this point. Most of the gardeners here realize that we have several more months until we can garden and at least one more month to expect winter weather, but right now our thoughts turn to plants -the way a young man's thoughts in spring turn to love. Oh, right, maybe that is all the time. Lots … [Read more...] about When Thoughts Turn To…Plants
Chicagoland Visit
Snapshots of Evanston Yards While in Chicago last week, I managed to visit my old neighborhood in Evanston, a suburb on the lake. The neighborhoods are still quiet and beautiful, the beaches alluring, but a few things have changed. The houses used to be almost uniformly painted in shade of light gray with deep gray trim. Now you will see a wide range of Craftsman era color. I think it … [Read more...] about Chicagoland Visit
Good Reason To Eat Locally Grown Tomatoes
If you weren't convinced already, the truth about your store bought, commercially grown tomato is out and being broadcast.Everything You Wanted To Know About Tomatoes But Were Afraid To Askgives everyone a heads up on the new book, Tomatoland, by Barry EstabrookIf ever there were a plethora of reasons to grow your own tomatoes and patronize your local farm markets, and groceries that carry … [Read more...] about Good Reason To Eat Locally Grown Tomatoes
Responsible and Remarkable Resource
I like to shop at Whole Foods, and this spring I picked up a free magazine called "Edible Columbus". I got a chance to really read through and get into the articles within, and was surprised at the range and depth of this great resource. It was a complimentary issue, and I hope it is successful since it is crammed full of real garden and food information worth reading. The format is not a glossy … [Read more...] about Responsible and Remarkable Resource
A Rant On Asparagus
I found a video by a passionate man on the do's and don'ts of asparagus.... if you have a desire to cook your own asparagus, or purchase in the groceries. Asparagus video-how-toA few posts to remember:Artisan AsparagusMolly Fisk on Asparagus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ © 2010 written for Ilona's Garden Journal. An excellent blog.Photo credit: jdurham from morguefile.com … [Read more...] about A Rant On Asparagus
Just Quick Carrot Posting
Carrots are one of my favsI haven't grown my own carrots for years and years. They just weren't worth it financially or the way I went about it. Carrots need a deep soil of good tilth without clumps so they grow nice and straight, and other such concerns. I had the idea "been there, done that". I probably won't grow any this year, again, but my attitude is changing. Slowly, I am using more of the … [Read more...] about Just Quick Carrot Posting
What’s Cooking?
Many very fine garden books I had purchased in the past had recipes included in a chapter towards the back. 'Herbs: Gardens, Decorations, and Recipes' was one. I am wondering if that isn't a trend to look for again in the future. Not predicting it, but it seems that everywhere food and cooking is moving onto the (ahem) front burner of the community consciousness. Probably due to the economy, but … [Read more...] about What’s Cooking?
Expectedly, We Re-entered Winter
I hope no one else in Ohio is disappointed, since there is no real end of winter weather here before April, and last blasts of it can happen into May. I look outside onto snow frosted fields, the upturned furrows breaking the surface are like a choppy sea. More winter storms are coming this week, but I am jaded to either their charm or their fury. Que sera, sera.It is too early to start seeds, … [Read more...] about Expectedly, We Re-entered Winter