Celeste in the Garden
September 7, 2021
Nobody is neutral about beets. You either hate them or you love them. I’m the latter. Their rich, dark red roots are loaded up with nutrients and flavor. Some even say that beets have to do with longevity. They’re easy to keep and good eating all year. And you can grow them well in the cool temperatures of spring OR fall.
Beets don’t mind a bit of frost so they are one of the crops that goes into the ground early in the spring—as soon as the ground can be worked—and can also be planted in the... more
August 20, 2021
Try growing fall spinach and lettuce! These fast-growing greens are easy to grow and thrive in cool weather. Sometimes, spinach can bolt in the spring so I prefer fall harvests. Try out this nutritional powerhouse. Popeye had it right!
In the north, we plant by early September; in the midwest, last fall planting dates are mid-September; those in warmer climes might want to wait until the end of September when it cools down. In general, plant seeds about 2 months before your expected fall hard... more
August 18, 2021
Consider drying tomatoes, 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
August 6, 2021
Have more greens than you can eat? Freezing spinach and hardy cooking greens is so easy—and you can enjoy them all year long in soups, quiches, smoothies, and more! Here’s how to freeze leafy greens—spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens.
Freezing Spinach, Swiss Chard, and Beet Greens
It’s doesn’t matter where you get your leafy greens—the garden, farmers’ market, farm stand, CSA, grocery store). As long as they are fresh, tender, and not wilted, you can preserve them.
You can freeze any hardy... more
July 2, 2021
Here’s how to can tomatoes (whole peeled tomatoes) using easy water-bath canning. Enjoy that garden-fresh tomato taste all year long—to make fresh spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chili, soups, and stews all year long. Anyone can do this! Here’s how to can your tomatoes—using just tomatoes and lemon juice!
Note: This canning whole tomatoes guide uses easy water-bath canning. You can certainly use a “canner” if you have one. OR, you can use a large deep stockpot with a flat bottom and lid.
Making... more
June 4, 2021
In late spring, thinning crops is one of the most important aspects of gardening. Each and every plant needs to have plenty of room to grow. While you’re thinning, look out for the cutworm! Here’s how to thin veggies—with my before and after photos!
All your vegetables need to be properly spaced. If you’re starting from small plants, space correcting from the start. But if you started from seed, the seedlings will need to be thinned to their proper established spacing.
While it’s painful to “... more
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
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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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