OK. I have three dogs. And something happens when you feed them. Some hours after you feed a dog, they do this thing…they poo. And poo builds up in the yard.
Over the years I have been told, “don’t put dog poo into the compost because it carries disease”. I sort of just took that advice, and well, since I find dog poo repulsive I just went along with the advice. Read the rest of this post »
Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) and cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) are not only unique and delicious additions to your diet, they are gorgeous plants. It is worth saving a bit of room for their majestic form and fascinating flowers. Few gardens with these plants will ever be boring to look at. Read the rest of this post »
Bitter Melon
Mormodica charantia
Someone out there has gotta love this besides me. That bitter green flavor of bitter melon is delicious. It is also highly nutritious, stuffed with antioxidants and I am sure lots of other things that agree with anyone trying to live long and healthy. But this is not why I “tolerate” the flavor. I really love the bitterness of this plant. Read the rest of this post »
Mâche
Valerianella locusta
The first time I encountered this plant it was introduced to me as corn salad. I gotta say, I hate the name corn salad. Please call it mâche. It sounds less, er, lazy.
I have been amazed to see how popular mâche has been getting. You can purchase bags of mâche much like baby spinach in grocery stores like Trader Joes. That is, if you want to deprive yourself of the joy of growing it yourself. I love growing this, and of course, as with all things home grown, the diversity of varieties available to you are greater once you start growing your own. Also, home-grown mâche is bound to be fresher and more nutritious than factory farmed mâche that have been traveling in bags for who knows how long.
Before I learned how to start my own seed I found it intimidating. Especially since I had tried a few times and had failures I couldn’t explain. However, as I engaged those failures over the years I started to prefer planting from seed. Once you start, you won’t go back to purchasing nursery-grown starts. Read the rest of this post »
Stainless Steel Hori Hori
Some years ago a friend gifted me a tool I have never stopped using. It is called the hori hori. Often people see it in my sheath and think I have some crazy knife–and that is pretty much what it is: a soil knife. They handle better than trowels and because they are sharp on both sides, are great for doing almost anything you need to do in the garden that you would want to do with your hands (in other words, not with a large tool like a spade or hoe). Read the rest of this post »
Chayote
Sechium edule
Native to Mexico this incredible vine produces a green fruit (sometimes prickly and sometimes smooth, depending on the variety) which have a flavor that is nutty and squash like, though closer to having a water chestnut flavor than squash. Read the rest of this post »
Onions are a big subject. There are many. Since I already posted about garlic that subject is left from this discussion. Read the rest of this post »
If you are going to grow organically, you need to know about the most basic way you will feed your plants. It is perhaps the most important factor in organic gardening and if you do it correctly, you can almost forgo any other feeding. Read the rest of this post »
Oca Root
Oxalis tuberosa
I have spoken of sweet potatoes and of Jerusalem artichokes. Now it is time for the exotic and strange but delicious oca tuber. Native to the Andes from Venezuela to Argentina, and introduced to Polynesia and New Zealand as an important crop, oca is eaten raw, parboiled or roasted. Read the rest of this post »
