By thegardenergal on June 10, 2011
I’m ashamed to be writing this so late, but as I’m sure many people will agree, getting the vegetable garden in and growing takes priority in the spring – that is my excuse. That being said, this “thank you” is incredibly, awfully late, and I’m not usually this rude. Really. Don’t get me wrong – I can be really rude when I need to be, but it takes effort and energy that I just don’t have this time of year. So, please believe me when I tell you that this epic rudeness was unintentional. Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Herbs, Homesteading, I recommend these..., Kansas, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on June 9, 2011
Had I not been craving grits for breakfast this morning, I would have surely missed out on the unusual sensation of having Pickle Crisp run down over my arm and leg (and a cat), beginning a mystery and a 30-minute unscheduled cleaning job. Oh, lucky me! Continue reading »
Posted in Country Lifestyle, Ecology, Green living, Homesteading, Kansas, Kansas farm life, Preserving the harvest, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on June 8, 2011
I’m so excited to share this news – those roasted cauliflower leaves were AWESOME. My husband even liked them and said he would eat them again, and when a man says that about a “new” vegetable dish, well, that’s something big! Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Dieting and weight loss, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Recipes, Reducing sodium intake, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on June 7, 2011
I’m not arguing for or against climate change – that’s a big issue and I’m not qualified. Yesterday, however, I was working in the garden just before the temperature hit 100 degrees for the fourth or fifth consecutive day, much, MUCH too early in the year for that to be happening in my area, and maybe it was a heat-fueled hallucination, but even after I came in and cooled off, I began to wonder… what if this is the new normal? What if the average dates of last frost are all wrong, and what if the temperature trend stays this way with much hotter temperatures much earlier in the year? Specifically, what does it mean to me, an individual organic gardener trying to feed my family? Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Dieting and weight loss, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Kansas, Kansas farm life, Kansas weather, Recipes, Reducing sodium intake, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on June 6, 2011
I’m an organic gardener…. would I use nonorganic mulch on my garden? Only if hell froze over. Yeah, I said it. My mulch of choice for the flower garden is wood chips, preferably from a local source. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with mulch from outside of my zone, but why would I want to take a chance on introducing pathogens that are not native to my area? I guess I’m a mulch snob and I didn’t even realize it until just now! Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Kansas weather, Teaching, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on June 3, 2011
Here’s a tip – if heavy pots full of potting mix and plants can’t stay upright in the wind, don’t go out to rescue them while the wind is still howling. Continue reading »
Posted in Country Lifestyle, Gardening, Kansas, Kansas farm life, Kansas weather, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on May 15, 2011
A few days ago, I blogged about my obsession with pesto. Yes, I am a pesto purist… I prefer original, classic pesto made with fresh basil, however… my basil is only a couple of inches tall and there’s enough to make about 3 teaspoons of pesto right now. While I wait impatiently, I am going to try something new and different today. I am going to make pesto with cilantro! Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Dieting and weight loss, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Herbs, Homesteading, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Recipes, Reducing sodium intake, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on May 13, 2011
I take my neighbors’ recycling once a month to a great recycling center in El Dorado, Kansas. Whoever designed this place is brilliant. It’s a drive-through building, so even in the horrible weather we often have in Kansas, it’s not an ordeal to do a good deed for the earth. I’ve been there in rain, snow, sun, and ice. I choose to go a little farther to El Dorado rather than the center in Augusta because I always get fabulous stuff in El Dorado, and it’s all free! Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Earth Day, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Homesteading, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on May 9, 2011
This past Saturday, I overheard a conversation among gardeners in which the female participant was very excited that her male friend was growing beets. I cringed when I heard the word beets, because I don’t eat them and, unless starving, wouldn’t. My husband gags at the mention of beets. More about that in a minute. I recalled another such conversation I overheard once wherein a man was announcing proudly that he had planted his entire, quite sizable spring garden with only swiss chard. It made me wonder if people think I’m strange because of my long-term love affair with Brussels sprouts. Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Homesteading, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Preserving the harvest, Recipes, Tips, Tricks and How-tos
By thegardenergal on May 6, 2011
Most people are familiar with flies getting in the house on occasion, some seasons more than others, and some climates more than others. Just because flies try to get in doesn’t mean you have a dirty house. It is the nature of flies to annoy us! Continue reading »
Posted in Conservation, Country Lifestyle, Ecology, Gardening, Green living, Herbs, Homesteading, I recommend these..., Kansas, Kansas farm life, Tips, Tricks and How-tos