Spread that Eurasian Love Around One of the wild plants that we can’t say enough swear-words about is the undesirable weed from Europe and Asia called in the Latin, Elymus repens, or in the vulgar tongue, “The @#$!@ plant that ate my garden!” Or just plain Quack Grass, for you non-gardeners who would rather not…
Category: Gardening
The winter cold frame: Update
The winter cold frame I wasn’t sure how the greens would look after the 12°F cold nights we’ve been having. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Winter greens I am happy to report that the greens are still going strong after the cold 12°F. They could use a little water, which I plan to supply. And…
What to Grow in a Northern Fall Garden: In October
The fall garden I am just not ready to give up the garden. It is October and the farmers and gardeners around me are turning over the soil and putting their gardens to bed for the winter. Just the other night the temperature dipped down to 23°F. But, nestled in their cozy beds, my plants…
An Article to Digest: Evolutionary / Landrace Plant Breeding and Stressing Plants Out For More Nutrients
An Article to Digest Here’s an article that was just recently published by Independent Science News detailing studies on the importance of having diverse gut bacteria when it comes to battling inflammatory diseases and how that all relates to diet diversity. One of the many reasons why Laura and I decided to stretch our diets and…
Radish mini challenge: #2 Daikon radish with Culantro
Daikon radish Daikon radish is not a new radish to us. It is actually one of our favorites. It is a mild tasting radish, easy to snack on. The kids like it raw and pickled, or served in soups and salads, and with veggie dip. I think its a favorite because it is nice and…
Bush cherries and Cherry trees: Ripening fruit
The cherries are getting ripe! As we get close to the time for the Traverse City Cherry festival, we have been checking all the cherry trees for ripe fruits. There have been a few ripe cherries each day and several more on the way. Our tree cherries are getting ripe, but so are the bush…
Baby apples!
Scarlet surprise Prarie spy Golden delicious Baby apples Scarlet surpise, Prarie spy, and Golden delicious apples are three of our apple trees in the orchard that are starting to produce this year! The first 2 varieties are not so easy to find at the store. And Golden delicious apples are delicious, in applesauce especially. I…
Radish mini challenge: #1 The Cincinnati radish
In the effort to increase diversity, one mini challenge is to pick different varieties of the vegetables that we eat all the time. So, we have the Radish mini challenge. Our first radish of the challenge: the cincinnati radish. It is a red icicle type radish, and we are going to use it in salad….
Planting okra in the northern garden: Bowling red okra with Devil’s ear lettuce
June has arrived and I am planting my garden little by little. This morning I planted my Bowling red okra with Devil’s ear lettuce. I mixed them in a bed with some seeds for short music box sunflowers, cilantro, muncher cucumbers and some vining nasturtiums. I haven’t eaten okra in a long time. I always…
Planting in the Rain: Red Welsh Bunching Onions and Utah Tall Celery
Good morning spring! I love warm spring rain, so this morning I decided to plant one of my garden beds in the rain. The Red Welsh Bunching Onions that have been growing in my front window since February were begging to be planted, and my Utah Tall Celery was ready for planting too. So, while…