Monthly Archives: April 2011

There is a “child’s” story, called “The Giving Tree,” from Shel Silverstein. What a treasure. It is all about giving and sacrifice. That’s hard for many of us to understand. When my daughter, Hart, was a child, we had a Northern Spy apple … Continue reading →

A little story:  I met Bride at a restaurant/bar where I often stopped in after flying back to Boston to decompress before facing a pending divorce at home. We passed, walking to the restroom, Bride and I, and she said … Continue reading →

Here it is, almost May, and the weather fnally seems to be turning to a late spring, so today I laid down 30 feet of composted horse manure, covered by cardboard for a three-foot-wide bed, that covered in turn by … Continue reading →

Alright, so the Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, which I’ve found both helpful and wrong, says beans germinate at 75-85F. soil temp, but can be sown outside when soil temps reach 60F. And they grow best at 60-65F. soil temps. Huh? Rodale’s … Continue reading →

Sorry I haven’t been around posting stuff friends, but it’s that season when everything must be done and must be done now. About 700 Walla-walla sweet onion plants arrived Friday, so they must go in the ground, and I built … Continue reading →

 As a kid I used to hate the smell of dill pickles. Too strong.  In those days, for me, catsup was one of the major food groups and salt was an exotic spice.  Years later bride and I began canning … Continue reading →

Crows are the only land birds I know of who call out when it’s raining. Why is that?

Chives are one of the lovliest, most versatile, and carefree herbs you can grow. They come up year after year, burst into a patch of blue-purple blossoms, and then are there for the taking right into winter – at which … Continue reading →

I said I’d stick to herbs for a bit, but then got a nice note from a lady in the Arizona mountains, which reminded me of an experience. We moved to the Colorado Rockies at 9,300 feet a year and … Continue reading →

I need to talk about herbs a bit because I love them, so join me in a little celebration of fragrance and flavor if you like. The first would have to be basil, L’herb royale. I just repotted some seedlings … Continue reading →