Last year we built our first cold frame on Odom’s Idle Acres. I was pretty uncertain as to how successful it would be. As a matter of fact, I was pretty uncertain as to how to even build it. Alas, my old friend Google helped me out. A cold frame offers a pretty comfortable environment [...]
To borrow a line(s) from Midnight Oil, “The time has come / A fact’s a fact / It belongs to them/ Let’s give it back” And so with winter on the wing, we have realized the soil is not really ours and we have given it back to the earth for a few more months. [...]
I was so very pleased when I spoke to my mother yesterday and she told me the one watermelon that survived the drought conditions this summer had been picked after a few days of final ripening. I asked her how the taste was and she left out no detail. “When I went to slice it [...]
This past year I have been fortunate enough to write for several publications including Farmers’ Almanac online. My work there led to an invite to write for the 2011 print edition; American and Canadian editions. And now, as of Monday, my article will be on newsstands everywhere. The article, 5 Gardening Trends for 2011 and [...]
Today brought about a bittersweet time at the raised beds. For the last week I have spent a little bit of time each morning before work weeding a little, clipping dead growth, and outright pulling tomato plants. This morning I pulled the last plant and I have to admit I was a bit sad as [...]
Oftentimes we plan our gardens so well that we never take into consideration that we are but stewards of the land. Where a seed is dropped a plant can grow. It doesn’t matter all the time if we water it systematically or we allow it only X amount of sun per day. It doesn’t even [...]
I admit, I have spent a little too much time lately thinking about what our garden(s) has NOT done for us this year. There have been moments of frustration, bugs galore, long, hot days, and rotten fruit. Despite all we have managed to get a great start on our fall/winter preserves. To date we have [...]
Corn needs nitrogen rich soil with a neutral pH to grow. Corn is wind pollinated and does best planted in blocks rather than in rows (despite traditional methods). Corn needs a fair amount of water and does best when watered by natural, nitrogen-rich, rain. The corn we planted this year (for the first time mind [...]
The other week I received a blog post request from my friend, fellow ‘gonzo gardener,’ and blogger . The request went something like this, “Hey Drew. Do you think you could write up a piece on composting? Home-made barrel vs. store bought vs. in-ground. Looking forward to the post. Thanks for all your tips buddy!” [...]
