Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In March, we put the first wave of our cool season crops in the ground by directly sowing seeds and transplanting the previous month’s starts. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at March in the Organic Garden. In April, the pace quickens and we can usually count on stretches of warm weather and reasonably consistent rains. We also tend to have frost in the first half of the month. Savvy … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – April
Organic Gardening
Gardening with Kids–Making it Work!
Gardening has been great for my kids. It helps their bodies – maybe they will try that vegetable that they grow on their own. It helps their minds – learning where food comes from and how it grows. And it helps their souls – time outside and the sense of accomplishment that comes when that first seed sprouts! We have also hit a few hurdles on our journey, so we keep it simple – the attention span of a 6-8 year old is not lengthy enough for some of the more advanced techniques out there. We … [Read more...] about Gardening with Kids–Making it Work!
A Year in the Organic Garden – March
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In February, we focused on techniques for successful seed starting. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at February in the Organic Garden. Now that we’re caught up, we turn our attention to the official start of the outdoor organic gardening season. March is prime for cool season crops which means we’ve got a lot of leafy greens, brassicas and root crops to sow and grow. We’ll get to that … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – March
Building Raised Beds on a Slope
Hi all! Sometimes we get questions from folks that want to build raised beds, but aren’t sure how to do so in a sloping space. It is important that your beds be close to level so that water is evenly distributed. Your plants will like that part and it does look better this way too! So, we rolled up our sleeves and took a run at the project. Here’s how we did it and we’re pleased with the results. Hopefully you’ll find this information helpful and if you’ve got tips on how we could have … [Read more...] about Building Raised Beds on a Slope
A Year in the Organic Garden – February
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In January, we focused on the purpose of this series, soil testing and garden planning. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, here’s the link January in the Organic Garden.. Now that we’re caught up, we turn our attention to indoor seed starting as the primary activity for February. Starting your organic garden from seed does take some time and attention, but it is also cost effective and rewarding. Even great … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – February
A Beginner Grows Some Spuds
I found myself with more personal “me” time this past year and was determined to occupy the “free” time with a new hobby. Enter the world of gardening…oh boy! There’s a lot going on with that word “gardening.” Simple, rewarding, economic, healthy they all said, and yes, while these things are true – there’s so much to this hobby called gardening! Determined never-the-less, I decided to start my “garden” with some “easy” to grow potatoes. Simple, tasty, and inexpensive (btw, groceries are … [Read more...] about A Beginner Grows Some Spuds
A Year in the Organic Garden – January
Welcome to a new year and a new blog series for our readers! By far, the most frequent questions we receive are about proper techniques for successful organic gardening for both edibles and flowers. We thought it would be fun and useful to pull together a series that follows each season and serves as a resource to answer those very questions. Our plan is simple. Early each month we will post an article to share our advice on what a successful organic gardener should be focused on in the … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – January
A Year in the Organic Garden – December
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In November, we protected our crops from frosts, finished up planting for the year, and made great use of the leaves that fell. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at November in the Organic Garden. In December, we’ll take advantage of one of the slowest months in the Organic Garden and begin planning for next year. As always, we welcome your own comments, questions and contributions to help … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – December
A Year in the Organic Garden – October
Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In September, we finished planting our Fall garden and discussed the benefits of Cover Crops. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at September in the Organic Garden. In October, we’ll plant bulbs (edible and flowers) and add some fall color. It’s also a great time to plant perennials before Winter arrives. As always, we welcome your own comments, questions and contributions to help make … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – October
Soooooo Many Hops!
Today’s post is a conversation with Steve from Winston-Salem, NC. In his spare time, he is an organic gardener and home brewer. He’s also kind enough to shop at FSG (Thank you!). Steve has been growing his own hops for a few years now and we thought it would be fun and useful to get his insights on growing this great plant. We hope you agree! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, well you already shared my name, some of my hobbies and my home town. Other things that … [Read more...] about Soooooo Many Hops!