Google PlusFacebook

Made in the Garden: Butternut Squash Herbed Rice

By on Oct 24, 2017 in Blog, Butternet Squash, Fall Garden, Garden to Table | 2 comments

Several of you mentioned that you are successfully harvesting a fall crop of butternut squash with the tips from the last blog post.  Great job!  Now what to do with it?  The best advice I can share you is keep it simple!  We all have busy schedules – who has time to spend hours in the kitchen? We work hard to grow our own food and it’s important to know how to prepare quick, simple meals out of our homegrown veggies so we can reap the benefits – and be healthier and happier as a result. Butternut squash is colorful, sweet, creamy and delicious, and makes for a perfect fall meal.  After you’ve read this post watched the video below, you’ll know exactly how to prepare a simple tasty side dish from your own homegrown, delectable butternut squash.     Your family will gobble up this colorful, tasty side dish – and you’ll feel the satisfaction and pride knowing...

How to Harvest Butternut Squash

By on Oct 6, 2017 in Blog, Fall Garden, Harvest, Winter Squash | 7 comments

I recently harvested several perfectly ripe gorgeous butternut squash.  We had a lot of fun sharing the abundance with neighbors, and are loving the tasty fall recipes.  Stuffed butternut squash, butternut squash chili, and butternut squash rice with herbs are a few of our favorites.   Click here  to watch a YouTube video on how to make butternut squash rice with herbs – mmmm!)  Whenever I take a bite of this super flavorful winter squash, it just screams out FALL!       However, if you’re a first time butternut squash grower, you might be wondering “When is the best time to harvest?”  Nothing more frustrating than harvesting it too soon and it’s not ripe. Or maybe you have waited too long to harvest yours, and it splits.  No worries, with a few simple tips, you’ll be harvesting your butternut squash like a pro and soon will be making all kinds of delicious meals with this...

Fall Gardening: Cool Weather Veggies, What are They, How to Plant?

By on Sep 29, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Cool Weather Veggies, Fall Garden | 18 comments

Fall Gardening: Cool Weather Veggies – What are They and How to Plant? As the summer warm weather crops are winding down, the chill of the Fall air doesn’t mean gardening season is over.  It’s a lot of fun to keep the garden going as long as possible!  This is the time of year to plant some vegetables that like the cooler weather. What are cool weather vegetables? Cool weather vegetables are simply vegetables that grow best in the cooler weather, 75 degree F or colder.  If you’re concerned about your veggies getting frozen in the winter, there several types  that will survive and even thrive in frost conditions, such as root vegetables, lettuce, kale and other types of greens. Veggies like lettuce, greens, broccoli, peas, cabbage, radishes, carrots, and brussel sprouts love the cool weather and are ideal for a fall garden.   Where to plant? My garden is still full of summer...

Growing a Late Summer Garden

By on Aug 20, 2017 in Blog, Container Gardening, Summer Garden, Warm Weather Veggies | 14 comments

Many gardeners think that because summer is winding down its too late to start warm weather veggies. In this blog post I am going share why a late summer garden with warm weather veggies may work for you, and how to know if you have time in the season to start one.  I’ll also share what, how, and where to plant to get your late summer garden off to a quick start. Why a late summer garden? Many of the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and other warm weather veggies you planted in the spring might be winding down and past their peak.  They might be looking a bit worn by the heat of summer or diseases that have crept in to your garden.  However, as gardeners, we have a constant itch to grow something and have fresh, tasty, healthy food to eat Planting a late summer crop of new, strong plants will give you veggies to harvest into the fall and even into the winter months, if you live in a warm...

Watering Your Garden in the Summer to Beat the Heat

By on Aug 4, 2017 in Blog, Summer Garden, Watering Your Garden | 5 comments

It’s been long, hot summer – now are the dog days when the garden starts to look a bit done in by the heat.  Many times we as gardeners don’t know  how to water our gardens.  Keep reading for some tips on when to water, how to water and how often to water our gardens to beat the heat. When should you water? Don’t water in the heat of the day. Water in the morning or water in the evening in the cool of the day.   Watering when it is cool reduces evaporation and makes the water available for your plant when it needs it the most – during the hottest part of the day. Where should you water? Water at the base of your plant with drip irrigation or a nozzle, because overhead watering can splash water on the leaves of your plant and cause diseases. Keeping your plant leaves as dry as possible helps control common garden diseases such as powdery mildew, blight, leaf spot and many...

Growing Lettuce in Extreme Summer Heat?  Yes, You Can – In a Vegepod! 

By on Jul 19, 2017 in Blog, growing lettuce | 6 comments

Growing Lettuce in Extreme Summer Heat – In a Vegepod! There is nothing I love more than heading out to my garden to pick fresh, crisp greens and bringing it indoors to make a salad.  However, lettuce loves the cool weather (80 degrees F or less) and is challenging to grow in the extreme summer heat.  How many times have you been excited to pick some lettuce – head out to the garden only to discover it’s bolted, turned bitter, and it’s just not good for eating?  This has happened to me – many times! Seed to salad in three weeks I’m growing lettuce this summer in a Vegepod and having unbelievable results. I planted lettuce seeds in my Vegepod and harvested fresh, crisp salad greens just THREE weeks later.  I’ve never seen lettuce grow this fast – even during the cool months. Hugely popular in Australia Vegepod, an Australian based company, is hugely popular...