The cognitive disconnect is extreme. Beautiful March sunshine, flowers in bloom, the bees, buzzing in anticipation of a new season. Shuttered businesses, empty grocery shelves, shelter-in-place orders and lock-downs around the country, all in preparation for the onslaught of an invisible enemy. A liar in chief tries to turn a catastrophe to his personal advantage. [...]
Category: Gardening
Fabulous Versatile Fava Beans
I've been gardening in Oregon for a few years now, and I'm coming to appreciate evermore the humble fava bean. The first time I encountered it was in a cover crop seed mix that I got at the local garden store. I started using "field favas" and crimson clover as standard fare to plant in [...]
Early Spring Volunteer Salad
It's early Spring and times are changing quickly. Although not quite officially Spring yet, the weeds are greening up in the garden. That means that we get fresh salad again! I just planted some flats of lettuce starts, but no need to wait for them if you can grow the right weeds. My favorite for this [...]
I’m getting rid of Imidacloprid – Avoiding the Worst Neonicotinoid Insecticides
I'm often asked which products are OK and which should be avoided. Hence the mnemonic in the title to help you remember I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. Say it three times out loud, and when you read the labels at the garden store you will remember: I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. When it comes to [...]
Bees, Beans, and Buckwheat
Summer has come on too quickly. The main honey flow is over; in the garden the weeds are establishing their turf, and this blog has taken the back seat to summer fun and chores. The garden bed on the street in front of the fence is putting on its summer face, presenting itself as the [...]
Installing Drip Irrigation
Just as the last bed gets dry enough to cultivate I have to start to worry about watering. It's the May transition, and this year we are now past twenty days in a row without rain, so getting the watering going is more urgent than usual. There are as many ways to put together a [...]
Decisions
The glorious spring weather propels the season forward and we struggle to keep up with nature's beck and call. This last week the bees have been sitting out on their porch like it was August. I can tell they are getting restless and want to expand their numbers. If you are a beekeeper you are supposed to do something [...]
Spring Salad
Although much of the country is getting a premature heat wave, up here in the Pacific Northwest we are getting another rather cool wet spring for the third year in a row. The garden is still too wet to cultivate in most areas. However, last year's industry is still paying off. I finally removed [...]
Wood Stove Biochar
I'm still looking for an easy clean way to make large quantities of biochar for my garden. Ideally I'd like to turn the woody brush that accumulates throughout the year, and that's too slow to compost, into char for the garden. This will probably take the form of a couple of barrels arranged into a [...]
The Overwintered Garden
New growth is the name of the game in March. Until now, winter gardeners were mostly harvesting the stored fortunes of the previous growing season. The Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbage, parsnips, and rutabagas put their future in stored nutrition in the form of tightly curled leaves, and oversized stems and roots. But with the longer [...]
