The final “job” in growing fruit is picking it. Most are at their best when fully ripened on the plant, and the fruit communicates to us lowly humans when they are at that stage. For the latest in plant-human communiqué, read my newest blog post, and enjoy!
The berry season, the essence of summer, is far from over. Of course, there are blueberries, all season. Just coming into their peak also are two kinds of black brambles. I compare them as to growth, flavor, and what’s more worth growth. If you’re curious about this and want to learn more, read about it in the latest blog post on my website.
Why think about autumn on a beautiful, summer day? Because that’s what a good gardener needs to do. And I take action. Whaaa? For why and what and how, go to my website to read my latest blog post.
Here at Springtown Farmden, there’s opportunity to partake of a variety of traditional exercises from around the “world.” They come here (figuratively) from Japan, India, and China, and are sure to stir the blood as you clear weeds and mow fields. Read about these “ancient” forms in my latest blog post.
You’ve got to be careful what you wish for. Nonetheless, the naturally rich, well-drained but moisture retentive soil here has made me, especially this season of abundant rainfall, heat, and sunlight — okay I’ll say it, wish I was gardening on poor soil. But then I have second thoughts because what, after all, does “poor soil” mean. Join me and my experience and re-evaluation in my latest blog post.
I just sunk my teeth into a carrot pulled mere minutes ago from the garden; the taste was not good. I’m not surprised, because that’s often the case with my carrots. For the reason why, I might turn to a book, one of my books, The Ever Curious Gardener, the last chapter where I talk about the senses, including flavor: “With light, moisture, temperature, day length — so many variables — making their mark on flavor, a more additive approach to growing flavorful crops might be more useful rather than trying to parse out individual, interacting, influences. This kind of attention has been lavished on studies with carrots by raising them in phytotrons . . .” Ah, but there’s much more to the story, covered, as you might have guessed, in my latest blog post.
Make believe it’s spring. That’s what I’m doing this time of year as I drop seeds into minifurrows of potting soil in seedling trays. It’s as if I’m getting ready to plant a garden — and, in fact, I am. The fall garden. Having a fall garden is like having a whole other garden with no additional space needed. That’s why I’m sowing in seedling trays rather than elbowing my way into the present garden’s valuable real estate. Today I sowed lettuce, and . . . what?, when?, how? All in my latest blog post:
The powdery white coating I notice on leaves of my peony and lilac plants gives them a very Mediterranean look. Not attractive, though, at least to me, because that’s a sign of disease, appropriately called powdery mildew. If I look around the garden, the disease is probably showing itself, or soon to do so, on a wide variety of plants, including phlox, zinnia, squash, gooseberry, and many more. I’ve had it. You’ve probably had it. What can we do about it? Read more on my latest blog post, here.
Lots of folks are dissuaded from planting sweet corn in their backyard gardens. Two reasons are generally offered. I debunk those rumors and offer reasons why you should plant sweet corn in your garden. Read more about this in my latest blog post.
A greenhouse isn’t only for winter. Join me, in my latest blog post, as we walk through the door to see what fruits (and a vegetable and a spice) are now growing. Special varieties of grapes, mulberries, cucumbers, and more! For more information about all this, read my latest blog post at www.leereich.com/blog, here.
