A tour of the vegetable garden is long overdue. I've been hosting guests, working at my day job, contending with weather, and so on. But enough excuses! At long last, here it is! Vegetable Garden in Late July Here are pictures of some of my runner beans. There are Trionfo Violetto plus some Painted Ladies in the background. From farther away, you can see how the beans are climbing this support. (Below) I think I need a taller one! The flowers on the left are Scarlet Runners. From a … [Read more...] about Vegetable Garden Tour
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Beans! Spiced, Pickled, and Dilly
Beans! Spiced, Pickled, and Dilly (UPDATED) Beans! The bush beans were ready to pick! Joel and I went out to the garden and picked all those that looked big enough. Among others, we grew the Blue Lake variety, which are a tasty green bean. We have some pole, or runner beans as well, but they are still flowering. Here are some of the beautiful flowers close-up. The first is Trionfo Violetto, a gorgeous purple flower which turns into a gorgeous purple pod. … [Read more...] about Beans! Spiced, Pickled, and Dilly
Cabbage Pest Deterrent
Do you have a pest problem in your cabbage bed? There are little critters that also tend to go after other brassica plants as well, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and more. The 1-2" flying bugs look so innocent. I could not get a photo because they move so fast! They are little white butterflies with some blackish spots on them. There is also a cabbage moth which isn't quite as cute. So far, I've only seen the butterflies. They lay the eggs on the underside of the … [Read more...] about Cabbage Pest Deterrent
Spring Planting
Planting in the Spring Here in the Northeast, we are well behind many of you when it comes to Spring planting! In fact, we just went plant shopping in rainy, cold weather. It was a little disheartening, because the winds made the raindrops land on our faces, making it rather difficult to see what plants we selected! At any rate, it could be a fun surprise when planting this year's garden. That said, I'm sort of scrambling to get things set up in a way that will, hopefully, prevent some … [Read more...] about Spring Planting
No Green Thumb? No Problem! Gardening
Gardening Truth My thumb was not always green. In fact, it seemed as though I merely had to look at a plant to make it wilt and wither. Over the years, however, gardening became easier. In fact, I eventually found work as a professional gardener! If you are discouraged in spite of your best efforts, I can honestly tell you that through patience, persistence, and passion, you, too, can acquire a green thumb! That said, over the years I've received a lot of great tips … [Read more...] about No Green Thumb? No Problem! Gardening