So, you are off to the nursery to buy yourself some veggies and/or flowers. Huzzah! Support that local nursery if you can (I'm not at all convinced the plants at big box stores get the same sort of love as they do at a nursery, but I've absolutely bought plants there, so you know, go… Continue reading What to Look for at the Nursery.
Any time you start a new job or meet new people, you inevitable get asked what you are interested in outside of work. So you start talking about gardening and someone asks you a question and you come back with a semi-nerdy and probably-too-thorough answer and it comes out that you are a Master Gardener.… Continue reading Advice for New Gardeners
Alas, here we are at the end of the series. Just in time to place your seed and plant orders (if you haven't already)! The last topic is perennial veggies. There aren't many where I grown and a few I've already covered (bunching onions and chives, kale where it is warm enough). I'll leave this… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Perennial Veg
If you are trying to decide if you want to grow herbs, the short answer is YES! Do it! They don't take up much space, aren't needy plants, and the packet of seeds will already be cheaper than a fresh bunch at the store. Plus you can get SO MANY more varieties. I'm going to… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Herbs
These are far from the vegetable version of the Island of Misfit Toys, but not everyone is going to be geeked out to try these, so I've lumped them in together with just the basic information you'd need to know. Perhaps next year I'll delve into these less common vegetable garden citizens. My plan with… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Random Veg
Oh Lettuce. You are delicious and interesting but you only ever end up bitter and bolted for me. Spinach? I just need so much of you to make anything, I'm never sure if you are worth it. Kale? You are fine and I can grow you, but you don't blow my skirt up and we… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Lettuces and Greens
Alright, potatoes are where my stance on 'cheap to buy and readily available so don't grow them' falls apart. Fresh potatoes are so amazing. New potatoes. Waxy, flavorful, amazing potatoes. Yes, they take up loads of room. Yes, you can now get amazing varieties in your local markets and yes, they are cheap (usually) in… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Potatoes
I shall not pretend to be an expert on garlic. You see, I only just planted my patch last fall. They've not even produced a crop so you certainly shouldn't take advice from me. But I will tell you how I went about choosing my variety. Onward! Time to Maturity: N/A. Bulbs are produced asexually… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Garlic
Beets, Rutabaga, Turnips, Parsnips. I've lumped them together because growing them is mostly the same sort of affair. Same with uses and pests. I promise to single things out when applicable! Time to Maturity: 50-70 days is average for beets and turnips. Beet leaves can be harvested earlier and small turnip varieties can be closer… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Root Veg
Broccoli and Cauliflower are big plants. Please do remember this as you decide what to plant! For this reason, and because you only get one head per plant (unless you are growing sprouting or broccolini/rapini types), I tend not to grow them. Its just not a lot of bang for the buck (and square footage… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Broccoli & Cauliflower
Oh onions. You are rewarding to grow, but I'm not always sure if you are worth it. Shallots? Yes, absolutely. Specialty onions like Cippolini? Yes. Bunching/Green Onions? You betcha. Regular old onions? Not so much (in my humble opinion). Regular onions fall into the category of cheap to buy and easy to get, so I… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Onions
I adore winter squash for two reasons. One: they taste delicious. Two: They keep forever with a minimal amount of prep and zero processing. They take up a lot of room and Time To Maturity: Squash can get a little long in the tooth to mature. You'll notice in your seed catalogs that many are… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Winter Squash
Radish is one of the things that is so easy to grow and there are so many fun varieties that I can't imaging a veg patch without them (that is, unless you hate the taste!). I've grown so many types and have rarely had failures. This is an easy and fun place to experiment with… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Radish
Beans are a bit of an adversary for me. Pole beans are so unruly and require big, tall supports. Bush beans only sort of like to grow for me. Dried beans aren't ever worth the effort. Frozen beans from the grocery stores are pretty damned good and a whole lot less work. But Fava Beans?… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Beans
Hot or Sweet- if its warm enough where you live (or you have a greenhouse or cold frame) I can't help but recommend you try to grow some peppers. The variety alone makes it worth it, but the range of flavors and uses is mind-boggling. There is a pepper for every flavor, every spice level,… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Peppers
I love growing peas! I never cook or preserve any of the peas we grow. We eat them in the garden, fresh off the plant, and it is the best treat in Spring. I will grow Sugar Snap type peas until I can't garden anymore. Let's get into what you need to know. Type: Shelling,… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Peas
Oh Summer Squash. It has the dubious distinction of being the one plant every gardener always has way too much of. Heck, I often joke that I don't need to grow it because I can reliably get some at work or from a neighbor who is looking to offload a chunk of their bounty. But,… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Summer Squash
Melons are something I can whole-heartedly recommend you grow- providing you have the space (and there are some varieties designed for small spaces!). Any melon you grow will be more succulent, flavorful, and appreciated than anything you can get at a farm stand or grocery store. I'll give my one caveat now: If you plant… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Melons
I have a love-hate relationship with cabbage. They take up boatloads of room and don't always head up. But, when they do (and aren't riddled with holes from cabbage moth worms), they are a sight to behold and truly delicious. This means my decision on any given year to grow them depends entirely upon space.… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Cabbage
Carrots are fun and easy to grow. If you are new or working with kids I can't recommend them enough. For me though? Enh. You see, I have acidic sandy soil and there is no amount of lime or manure that will permanently change that. This means every single carrot variety I grow looks beautiful… Continue reading Let’s Talk: Carrots
Box & Bay 