Celeste in the Garden
April 1, 2021
April is the beginning of the busy season for me. The snow is gone and the garden beckons, but high on my list is to spring-clean the chicken coop. It needs to be done every year! Here’s how to deep-clean the coop.
Once a year, everything gets thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom: shoveled, swept, vacuumed and washed. Everything in it comes out and gets scrubbed down before being allowed back in.
I put a few nesting boxes under the coop outside so the girls have a place to lay their eggs. Then... more
March 5, 2021
A crop that can be planted often is lettuce. This is actually my husband’s favorite so I plant lettuce early and often in the spring, starting two weeks before last frost. In fall, I start sowing again eight weeks before the fall frost. The trick is to stagger plantings every 10 to 14 days so you don’t have all your lettuce at once.
See your average frost dates for spring and fall.
Here are seven tips and tricks on growing lettuce—so that your garden space yields the maximum harvest!
Lettuce is... more
February 11, 2021
Getting seeds to germinate properly is the most difficult aspect of planting the garden. Here are some simple tips to germinate seeds successfully.
The temperature of the soil as well as the humidity has to be just right for germination—and remain so—for a period of time. Sometimes, as with carrots, this can be ten days to two weeks. Sun, wind, rain and temperature are unpredictable and can vary greatly within the course of one day. But here are some tips to germinate successfully.
Start With... more
January 5, 2021
Chickens love to go outside during the day, romping in the sun when it’s up. Many breeds of chickens, however, are not fond of snow (just like people!). In northern climates where the snow does fly, this requires a bit of planning on the part of the chicken farmer. See tips on keeping chickens happy in winter.
Chickens enjoy scratching the ground looking for bugs and worms, stretching out and sunbathing in the rays as well as digging deep dirt holes so that they can “dust bath” in them. They... more
October 14, 2020
Few flavors rival garlic’s. It’s pungent, exotic, powerful, and scrumptious. Garlic has also been thought to ward off vampires and used as a cure-all for what ails you. Historically, many serfs were forced to grow it, as the king demanded it for taxes. Garlic has been a mainstay of most households for a long, long time.
Garlic is actually a highly unusual garden vegetable. Most of the things that we plant have a “season.” We plant them in the spring and we harvest them in the summer or fall.... more
October 12, 2020
Bone broth is magical! Not only does it taste great but also it’s beneficial for joint health, digestive health, and more. So don’t throw out those bones! Learn more about making bone broth soup…
About twenty years ago, I made a pleasant discovery. I noticed that if my husband, Bob, and I have at least two servings of my homemade bone broth soup a week, we have no problems with our joints. When we don’t have the bone broth, our joints get quite stiff and bothersome.
What Is Bone Broth?
Bone... more
September 12, 2020
Ever harvested sunflower seeds? My sunflowers are usually ready to be harvested beginning in mid-September and into October. I mostly give my sunflower heads to the chickens and birds to peck, but you can also harvest and roast your seeds.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are native annual flowers which come in many different colors and patterns. Some reach for the heavens with one thick stem putting all of their energy into a single giant flower. Others spread out with many branches inviting you... more
September 8, 2020
Peppers are the easiest thing in the world to freeze. They need no blanching whatsoever. Wash, dry, cut up, and put flat in freezer bags! See how to freeze peppers so that you can enjoy in stir-fries, soups, and other meals through the winter!
Peppers are such a lovely fruit. They come in many different colors, sizes, and degrees of heat. Did you know: A green pepper is just an unripe one—give it time and it will turn red, orange, purple, yellow or chocolate brown!
Regular peppers are a... more
September 8, 2020
Brussels sprouts freeze well, as long as you follow a couple tricks. Freezing properly preserves the vegetables’ freshness so you don’t have to waste excess vegetables. See how to freeze Brussels sprouts for later.
You can freeze either Brussels sprouts that you grow yourself or that you happen to buy a large batch in the store. That said, it is especially worthwhile to freeze when you have homegrown or locally-raised fresh sprouts to preserve their freshness. This is especially worthwhile... more
September 1, 2020
Consider drying tomatoes and peppers and herbs in late summer to keep them longer. Drying is one of the simplest forms of preserving, requiring only an oven or the sun’s energy over several days. The result is rewarding, adding intense flavor and color to salads, pizza, soups, pesto, and sauces.
Drying is one of the oldest forms of preservation in the world. Virtually all indigenous tribes used the technique as a way to preserve foods for colder or drier times.
Drying Tomatoes
With tomatoes,... more
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Celeste Longacre has been growing virtually all of her family’s vegetables for the entire year for over 30 years. She cans, she freezes, she dries, she ferments & she root cellars. She also has chickens. Celeste has also enjoyed a longtime relationship with The Old Farmer’s Almanac as their astrologer and gardens by the Moon. Her new book, “Celeste’s Garden Delights,” is now available! Celeste Longacre does a lot of teaching out of her home and garden in the summer. Visit her web site at www.celestelongacre.com for details.
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