Emerson wrote “There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat.” But how do you find or create that window of opportunity? That’s what this week’s blog post is all about: harvesting, ripening, eating pears, the Queen of Fruits. Read bout it here:
I find moles so ugly that I feel sorry for them. But not so sorry that I don’t them out of my garden and lawn. What’s the problem with moles? Anything good about them? How do I deal with them? Read all about it in my latest blog post.
An apple in May? No. A mayapple in September? Yes. Except it’s an herbaceous woodland plant, not an apple. But it is edible sort of. I won’t eat it. Curious? Check out mayapples in my latest blog post:ee
It sounds brutal but plants bear it well, and it’s often necessary, for example, for digging up moving large plants or for keeping a plant small enough to not go through your ceiling or just to be cut. My latest blog post, here, covers the why, the how, and the wherefore about root pruning:
Are your squash plants petering out? Mine are still growing and bearing like gangbusters. I’m not bragging, though, because I’ve had little hand in this. In my latest blog post I describe a boring pest, some ways to deal with her, and my favorite — and very easy — way. Click on the link for the post.
Wanna grow great tasting apples? Choose good varieties from among the thousands that exist, and then get ready, depending on where you grow them, for possible pests. My latest blog posts covers the major threats to your fruitful future, and how to thwart them.
How I replaced my almost flavorless oregano with the real thing. Maybe. No matter which of the many names oregano parades under, this one is deliciously aromatic. And what is it’s real name? Read here:
I once grew garlic and followed all the rules. I no longer cultivate garlic and still can harvest all I need. Read about when to plant garlic and how I manage to harvest all I need just a few steps from my back door in my latest blog post, here:
Smut popping out of your ears, your corns’ ears?! Spongy galls, looking like corn kernels that have been pumped up with steroids and painted silvery gray, ooze from between the husks? Not a pretty sight, but look at those puffy masses in another light. They are the fruiting bodies of a fungus, as are mushrooms. Huitlacoche, as it is called south of the border, is eaten boiled or fried, and its popularity has spread northward. Read more here: https://leereich.com/2026/08/smut-popping-out-of-your-ears.html
Those other raspberries, flowering raspberry and wineberry, each have their beauty. Look at the stems closely, flowers, the unripe fruits, and the ripe fruits. Here’s your introduction to them in words and photos:
