Harvest season means fresh salsa! From one trip to the hoop house, we found all the fresh produce we needed to create a delightful summer snack. Continue reading
Fresh Harvest Tomato Salsa
Comparing Irrigation Systems
Plants will not grow without adequate amounts of water. Growing anything that is not suited to the average rainfall in the area will require some sort of irrigation to thrive. There are many different systems and methods to irrigating a plot. We break down some of the advantages and disadvantages for using each irrigation style. Continue reading
Common Varieties of Winter Squash
Winter squash is a must to fulfill a true fall pallet of flavor and texture. Planted as soon as the last danger of frost have passed, and cured for two-three weeks, winter squash can last for months after the growing season. This makes it a great source of low calorie, essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and carbohydrates throughout the winter and holiday season. Continue reading
Grilled Chicken with Fresh, Seasonal Bruschetta
Farm fresh: Tomatoes, straight from the vine
In season, juicy and delicious, multicolored cherry tomatoes are front and center in this great, easy, weeknight recipe. Simply grill or oven bake some chicken breasts, prepare this succulent farm-fresh bruschetta and combine. Your taste buds will thank you. Continue reading
A Visit to Garden Pool
“Garden Pool” was a location I saw on a TV show once, almost a decade ago. It was the initial inspiration for living my life the way I do, intentionally and with a sustainable mindset rooted in the idea of permaculture. After incorporating these ideas into my life, I see a future with Earthships, garden pools and all kinds of plant and animal life. Check out this great article about a visit to Garden Pool. Hope I can visit too one day!
Garden Pool is a non-profit organization that was created to research and help third-world countries develop sustainable agriculture. They have several backyard aquaponics gardens around the city (there are a lot of volunteers who help them). We found them on the internet (gardenpool.org) and my mom arranged for us to tour their home garden. Danielle and her son were really nice and helpful. We had a great time.
At Garden Pool, we saw many types of plants. The plants in the front and side yards are watered by grey water (laundry water) and rain water. There were too many plants to describe, so I’m just going to share some new plants that I learned about: Roselle, Moringa, and Water Spinach. Roselle is a type of hibiscus that is native to West Africa. It produces good tasting berries and the flowers are used to make tea. A valuable plant that we saw is the Moringa tree…
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Dog Appreciation Week, Self-Improvement Month and More: 9 Fun Facts about September
Can you believe summer is almost over? This year is flying by and we thank you for reading! Here are some things to look forward to in the month of September. Continue reading
Camping Resources and Article Round Up
Are you camping this summer or early fall? Chances are you’ll need to do a little bit of preparation, whether you’re packing the car, setting up the tent or researching hiking trails. Here are some great camping resources from my friends at Homestead Bloggers Network who have lots of advice to share! Continue reading
Culinary Advice from MasterChef and Urban Gardener, Stephen Lee [Interview]
I recently had the opportunity to interview MasterChef contestant and Urban Gardener Stephen Lee about his culinary advice, inspiration for recipes and thoughts on growing your own food. See below for his thoughts. Continue reading
2015 Summer Beach Bag Essentials
To get the most out of the tail end of summer, take a trip to your nearest river, lake or ocean, dip your toes in the cool water and feel the beating sun on your skin. While soaking up Vitamin D, bugs and other unfriendly creatures can start to come out and bother you, so be sure you’re prepared! I packed quite a few essentials for my recent water trip, so I was good to go. Take a look inside my beach bag to see what I’m hooked on this summer. Continue reading
Preparing a Fall/Winter Garden
Are you beginning to think about growing fall and winter vegetables? Use the last of the summer months to winterize your garden and prepare it for the seasonal change; this article is a great source for learning how to do this.
My dad has grown a garden every year of my life. Starting in January he pages through seed catalogues and draws garden maps and diagrams. He likes to read the descriptions of the vegetables he orders out loud to us: heirloom tomatoes, Italian winter squash, and glossy zucchini rendered in rich, glowing prose. In the spring he digs up all the garden beds and begins planting. By June the garden is overflowing with green, and come August it’s a jungle of abundance. The last crops in the garden are often the tomatoes, the pumpkins, and the winter squash. When the first frost comes, all the greenery dies back. He cuts it all down and cleans up the beds. They sit empty over the winter, ready for planting in the spring.
Based on this cycle, I’d always viewed gardening as primarily a spring and summer activity with one growing season a…
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Aquaberry Bliss 