It took a couple of weeks because of the weather and finding the time, but the new raised vegetable beds are finally finished! We had scoped out a site last fall that got a reasonable amount of sun and wouldn't interfere too much with existing beds, drainage, play space for the kids, etc. Getting full … Continue reading My New Raised Beds-Construction
Category: Vegetables
Starting My Seeds Indoors
This weekend I finally had time to get my seeds and seed starting materials out to get them started indoors. I usually try and plant vegetables like cucumbers and summer squash that I have trouble finding in stores, but I buy my tomatoes and pepper plants from a local nursery who has a great selection. … Continue reading Starting My Seeds Indoors
Garden Season has Officially Begun!
After quite the long winter, I finally have been able to get out in the garden and get started for the season. Woohoo!! Because it's a little later than usual, we skipped over the garden clean-up temporarily and worked on preparing the vegetable garden, building 2 new raised beds and seed-starting. Normally, with the last … Continue reading Garden Season has Officially Begun!
Seeds are in the House
After spending quite a bit of time pouring over seed catalogs, I finally sent in my seed orders. I had lots of new seed catalogs come to the house, and some more companies I just visited on-line, making the choices this year really tough. Ultimately, I went with some Burpee stand by's and the rest from … Continue reading Seeds are in the House
Freezer Slaw
Back in the fall when I was preparing all the garden goodies for winter storage, my friend Kathy told me about a family favorite, Freezer Slaw. Her family has made this for generations with the extra garden cabbage heads left in the fall. I was a little skeptical about not ending up with a pile … Continue reading Freezer Slaw
First Frost Warning is Coming Tonight!
I feel pretty lucky that we've squeaked out an extra week or so before the first hard frost has hit the Chicago area. NOAA has issued it's first freeze watch for the area for tonight, almost a week my after the average date for my area. We might even get some flurries! Chicago is a … Continue reading First Frost Warning is Coming Tonight!
To Add More Gardens or Not???
I am really in need of a new area for vegetables. For years, I've struggled with too many plants in a too small of a place. But, I also don't have a good spot for adding more vegetable gardens, either due to too much shade or existing plants in the way. So I am contemplating … Continue reading To Add More Gardens or Not???
The Garden in Fall: The Bad
It's the beginning of October and the days are getting shorter, the nights growing colder. While yesterday I posted about the good things in the fall garden, there are also a lot of plants and beds that are really past their prime. Whether it's overgrown, or the plants need to be trimmed back, or just … Continue reading The Garden in Fall: The Bad
The Garden in Fall: The Good
It's the beginning of October and the days are getting shorter, the nights growing colder. These are the last gasps for the garden before it settles into the winter hibernation. In some ways, fall gardens can be very pretty. I'm always surprised at the plants that continue to bloom well in to fall, some even … Continue reading The Garden in Fall: The Good
35 Pounds of Tomatoes
No, I didn't grow that many in my garden. I got a decent harvest this year to keep us in fresh tomatoes for the summer and early fall, but for stocking up for winter, I went to the local Farmers Market. I bought the large, 10 lb box last week and processed those … Continue reading 35 Pounds of Tomatoes