Garden

A Showcase Plant With a ‘Very Sexy Flavor’

I’m dreaming of having cardoons again – I’m not sure how they will be appreciated in the community garden, but I’ve started some plants from seed and plan on planting them this spring. ————————————————————– First published on November 10, 2012 “What is that growing in your garden?” I hear that a lot from people who see my … Continue reading »

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Loving the ‘City’ in ‘City Homesteading’

Goshen Indiana is a small midwestern city – a town really compared to the cities I lived in before. But it was my “city” for quite a number of years. Now I find myself living in much more of a city with a much larger population, though, by many standards, Albuquerque is still considered a small city. … Continue reading »

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Starting Tomatoes in Albuquerque

It seems that spring has come here in Albuquerque. Just a couple of days ago I saw crocuses – a sure sign of spring.  And, with spring, my thoughts turn to gardening. Last year I had a row in the community garden. This year I reserved two rows in the community garden. Those rows will be available … Continue reading »

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The Florida Weave: A Dance with Tomatoes and Twine

When I first started growing tomatoes, I bought those little conical tomato cages. Right from the start I began having problems with them. My tomatoes grew and grew and spilled over the tops of their cages, toppling them over. So back to the hardware store I went to get taller and sturdier tomato cages. But, … Continue reading »

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Hops in Training

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List after List: The January Ritual of Deciding What Seeds to Order

Seed Catalogs 2015

It’s January, and that means that I am starting to get new seed catalogs. There isn’t much to do outside in the garden this time of the year, which makes it a perfect time to start planning what I want to plant in the spring. I do most of my ordering online, but I do … Continue reading »

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The Aesthetics of Seed Catalogs

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This post originally was published on Goshen Commons on February 9, 2013.   Seed catalogs are arriving in my mailbox almost daily now. Some go directly into the recycling. Some go into the basket of magazines and catalogs near the door for perusal at a later time. Some come into the house with me for … Continue reading »

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Nuts for Research

The Arbor Day Foundation Hazelnut Project collaborates with members to develop sustainable strains of hybrid hazelnut plants. Continue reading »

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Spring Flowers

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Planting Tomatoes 101

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March 20 was the vernal equinox, so it is officially spring. More and more days are certainly feeling like spring. With the onset of spring comes the promise of growing gardens, and thoughts of seed starting are in my mind. We have been starting seeds at Clay Bottom Farm for a few weeks now. Lest … Continue reading »

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