The Amateur Farmer

Happy New Year Turmeric!

Posted on by Jean Campbell

According to Melissa Word, turmeric should be harvested when the leaves turn yellow; Dig it up, pull off the nubs, and plant the hairy pieces. Ok. Easy enough. But the leaves didn't turn yellow until just before Christmas after a very cold snap. Between the cold, the rain, and the holiday, I didn't make it out there until the past weekend. I had planted a lone tuber in the early Pandemic days. I wasn't sure what lay ahead or if regular food supplies would continue, so I ordered seed... Continue reading

Black flies and earwigs and spiders, oh my!

Posted on by Jean Campbell

What is it with us bipeds? One glimpse of a little creature that squirms, wriggles, or crawls about on numerous legs, and we lose our minds as we reach for swatters and brooms and spray bottles. We could really do a better job of choosing our battles. When we relocated to our current property we inherited a beautiful array of gardens from the previous owners. Much thought and planning must have gone into the works. In the tradition of the cottage garden, the closely packed blooming... Continue reading

What’s Next for the Secret Garden

Posted on by Jean Campbell

I began this series with the first post on March 1st. In case anyone reading this article has been living in a cave or is just out of a coma, COVID-19 has thrown a wrench in just about everyone's works. I had intended to post regular updates on the progress of the Secret Garden, but I have been busy... well, gardening. Soil has been the only balm for the anxiety, remorse, and frustration of dealing with the fallout of a pandemic. I am so fortunate to still have my job and a nice place to... Continue reading

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Posted on by Jean Campbell

Several years ago, I was in the car with my husband. I think we were in our neighborhood, perhaps headed to the grocery store. We passed a yard where the young man of the house was toiling away at his flawless lawn. The grass was a lush carpet of thick, inviting, green. As he bagged up the clippings from the lawnmower and carried them to the side of the road, I imagined the trips he'd taken to the local hardware store for lawn feed and weed killer. It struck me then of how hard we work... Continue reading