Blogs

As much as I love roasted Roma tomatoes, Tomato Tarte Tatin, which appeared in the August issue of Bon Appetit, has become my new second-favorite way to cook these plum-shaped fruits. This is a sweet, not savory, dish best enjoyed as dessert or a treat—not a vegetable side dish.

There is something special about summer reading. Sitting back in the porch rocker with a glass of iced tea sweating on the table next to you…heaven! Now imagine this-- you are completely immersed in a book. You cannot put it down. You have totally unplugged yourself from the television, phone, and computer. You depri...

Through the summer, I have suet hanging on a hook on my deck next to the hummingbird feeder. I can see the feeders from my kitchen table and have enjoyed the best bird watching in years.

This past weekend, I hauled compost from the recycling center across the road. (I make my own but not enough for this space. It's best for pots.) I got four banana boxes from the supermarket and made, I think‚ 10 trips. Round trip was less than a mile and it was backbreaking work at 90+ degrees, but it enabled me...

This week, I was musing about how much I've learned about gardening in the past year. If you're a beginner, perhaps some of the little things I've learned along the way will help you! If you're well beyond the beginner stage, I hope that you'll share some of your biggest lessons—perhaps with amusem...

Some of the most interesting plant containers are ones that were not originally intended for the purpose. A few I months ago I bought supermarket salad greens in a clear, shoe box-size plastic container, with a separate lid, and, after eating the contents (which, oddly enough, were packed in a cellophane bag), resisted brin...

I'm planting a small organic vegetable garden this year. My goals: enjoy healthier and better-tasting veggies, show my young child where food comes from, and save money! I just took a class at a local organic farm. Here are the basics of what I learned. Perhaps you'll find these pointers helpful!

Spring has arrived! With longer days and warmer weather, the birds are starting to sing, the buds are blooming, the sap is running, and the brooks are starting to flow. As all of nature wakes up, I feel the same urge to get myself moving! There’s something about spring that makes us all itch not only to get outside, b...

Gardening in the woods can be a challenge, especially when you love plants and flowers. But the forest is where I choose to live; it provides great shelter for many birds and critters that we love to watch, so I don't intend to clear the property of a lot of trees just to have a huge garden.

I have made a decision this year to have a small, thriving vegetable garden but to try to save money gardening where I can. I have already bought my seeds at an outlet store at a 40 percent discount. These are good, name brand seeds packaged for this year. I’m splitting the cost with a neighbor, as one package contain...