Powdery Mildew, Your Butt Is Mine!

Last year my squashes and cucumbers were growing like weeds in the garden out back. I was proud, happily envisioning months of delicious stewed squash, cucumber sandwiches, and refreshing cucumber water. Then I noticed a dusting of white powder on many of the leaves. I had a sense something was amiss but hoped it was merely dust that settled onto the leaves after a dry-weather lawn mowing session. I mean it easily wiped off. I told myself all would be right as rain when, well, it... Continue reading

The Thrifty Gardener – A Book Review

I've been reading and studying Alys Fowler's The Thrifty Gardener, and I'm so sad I've come to the end. I've quoted and linked back to her several times in this blog series, so some of you may remember me mentioning I had ordered her book. As my experiences in gardening for the last two years have been less than spectacular, I decided getting myself educated probably wasn't a bad idea. Go figure. I ordered through Amazon and the publication came right away. What a delight. The... Continue reading

Nasturtium Salad

This is not a flower arrangement. Out on the deck, I have a big washtub full of nasturtiums. They are bright and cheery, and every morning I'm greeted with a big burst of color. The best part, however, is that these lovelies make a tasty addition to salads and sandwiches. The large round leaves fit perfectly between sliced cheese and sandwich meat. Cut the leaves into slices and add to your salad mix and then garnish with the flowers. It is beautiful on the table, nourishing for the body,... Continue reading

Urban Farming, the Productive Way

"If you plant it, it will grow," turns out to not necessarily be the case. I'm approaching my third summer of attempting to supply our little two-person family with wholesome, organic, homegrown vegetables. My original idea was to use only the composts I created from my kitchen scraps and fall leaves. Fail. :( Things grew. They did not flourish. Reality hit me square across the face about a month after I purchased my EarthBox. The kit comes with a cool little rectangular planter, complete... Continue reading