Back on March 31, I held a dried heirloom tomato seed in the palm of my hand and envisioned the tomatoes from that one plant and the number of people it would feed. Despite the monsoon-like rains of the past week, the garden yields a variety of tomatoes in abundance. I am as awed by [...]

Despite an overabundance of rain, our garden veggies are making progress. I hope we get enough sun for the tomatoes to ripen. Somehow the golden raspberries are beginning to ripen. We planted clover around the pumpkins and squash as a companion to nourish the soil and keep the weeds out. I meant to photograph the [...]

I’m convinced that you have to have the soul of a gambler to be a successful gardener. Betsy and I have spent a portion of our weeding time this week picking Colorado potato beetles and their egg deposits from the underside of our young potatoes, beans and eggplants. In addition to critters (like the crows [...]

Spring has brought abundant rain to the Hudson Valley. That makes for more weeding on the one hand, and less labor watering on the other hand. The rain and cool temperatures have given the wintered-over spinach a very long life. Now that the baby lettuce is ready to harvest, and radishes are beginning to emerge, [...]

The tomato seeds planted on March 31 are now tiny seedlings. They have joined the other vegetable and flower seedlings in the greenhouse. I’m still in awe when I see the green sprouts push up through the soil, knowing that the roots are reaching down into the soil. Out in the garden, thistles and chickweed [...]

This year’s Mushroom University study focuses on polypores. These mushrooms grow in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Even in winter, when there are no other mushrooms to be found, you can always find polypores. Our class got out into the field last week and brought back with an amazing array of fungi. Here [...]

I still find it amazing that each of these tiny seeds on the popsicle stick, when placed in moist earth, will grow into tomato plants yielding enough tomatoes to feed large numbers of people. Master Gardener Betsy Hawes dedicated a room in her home to the tomato seed planting effort until we get the greenhouse [...]

My garden experience this year is a living laboratory with Master Gardener Betsy Hawes guiding an amazing plan for maximizing our allocated gardening space, while adhering to organic farming principles. She has me studying GREAT GARDEN COMPANIONS by Sally Jean Cunningham. I love the idea of including wild flowers, like asters, to attract the beneficial species that eat the destructive species.

This year we do not have an official CSA garden. But the land owners have agreed to let Master Gardener Betsy Hawes garden a small portion of land as a living laboratory. When Betsy asked for my help. I could not say “YES!” fast enough. Brussels sprouts, Jerusalem artichokes and leeks have wintered over, so [...]

Discovering that plants can adapt to the most abusive human practices is a source for hope.