Gardening Blog

Every gardener who has grown zucchini and other summer squash types such as patty pan and yellow crookneck knows that this time of year vines go crazy producing hundreds of tiny squash.  They quickly grow to gargantuan size if not picked.

A trio of perennial plant "stars" are lighting up my drought-stricken garden this summer. 

No, I’m not Rumplestiltskin, the cranky gnome in a Grimm fairy tale; I can’t spin straw into gold.  But, straw saves me money, crops and my sanity, which is golden to my thinking. 

Last blog I asked you what edibles you would plant if you were limited to only three.  The response was overwhelming, with tomatoes topping everyone’s list. 

This week, I’m sharing a few bits of tomato trivia and a number of gardening tips for big, healthy harvest.

Red, white and blue potatoes are in the ground. Red onion sets are planted in neat rows.

I just planted ‘Jade’ cabbage and “Purple Graffiti” cauliflower plants I grew from seed amongst the waning daffodils and muscari at the edge of the perennial bed under my kitchen window.

I’ve planted few beets in my gardening days, mostly to photograph them.  Other than a rare pickled beet slice I’ll put on my plate at a restaurant salad bar, I don’t eat them.  They’re too sweet and overwhelming in taste.