Welcome back to our “Year in the Organic Garden Series!” In May, we got our warm season garden in the ground with organic starts and non-GMO seeds. If you missed the post, or want to refresh your memory, please take a look at May in the Organic Garden. In June, with any luck at all, our tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, and pollinator-attracting Summer flowers are coming along nicely! This month’s post will focus on techniques to help your crops along towards a robust harvest and … [Read more...] about A Year in the Organic Garden – June
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A Guide to Healthy, Organically-Grown Tomatoes 2023
This article was originally published in 2017, it has been updated with new information and product links. As always, please leave us your comments below! -Pam Scott- I love tomatoes! Canning them, freezing them, drying them, pickling them, roasting them and saucing them is my idea of fun. Tomatoes, basil and mozzarella define the taste of summer for me. Growing up in cool, dry, New England, I spent most every August canning tomatoes with my mother. You can imagine my despair when … [Read more...] about A Guide to Healthy, Organically-Grown Tomatoes 2023
Talking Pawpaws with Sleepy Gap Pawpaws
Today’s post is a conversation with Andra of Sleepy Gap Pawpaws which supplies Pawpaw Seedlings to Fifth Season Gardening Co. We thought you’d enjoy learning more about this native fruit tree and hearing her story. Enjoy! Please introduce yourself to our readers! Hi, my name is Andra and I am the founder of Sleepy Gap Pawpaws near Asheville, NC. Sleepy Gap Pawpaws is a small-scale nursery and we also have an orchard with 130 trees growing for future harvests. In my other job I am a … [Read more...] about Talking Pawpaws with Sleepy Gap Pawpaws
Celebrating a Successful First Brew!
As the new year picks up speed, it’s a prime time to get started on some of those hobbies you resolved to try on for size! Many out there may have found themselves with supplies or a brew kit from the holidays and are looking to get the ball rolling. Whatever the reason, there’s good news for everyone on the front end of the homebrew journey: brewing is a fun, rewarding hobby from the start, and isn’t as complicated as you might think! And if you’re looking to take the plunge but are still … [Read more...] about Celebrating a Successful First Brew!
Building a Raised Bed (2023)
Whether you live in the city or out in the country, the best way to have complete control over your garden is by building a raised bed. I say this because everyone’s soil is going to be different. It could be very sandy, loamy, high or low in nitrogen, or even solid red clay like mine is. The best way to overcome challenges presented by your soil is by building a garden bed on top of your existing soil. The first step is determining the size bed you would like to build. I built my raised beds … [Read more...] about Building a Raised Bed (2023)
A Bat Talk
We recently had the opportunity to both meet and have an engaging conversation with Dr. Rada Petric, Director of the Institute for the Environment at Highlands Field Site in Highlands, North Carolina, as well as Research Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Petric is studying the fascinating world of bat’s, in-particular their migration patterns and ecological impact on North Carolina. Hello! It’s great to meet you Dr. Petric. Please … [Read more...] about A Bat Talk
Fall-ing for Birds!
Every season brings unique opportunities to attract fun-flying fowl, and Fall is no exception. Having colorful, backyard visitors throughout the autumn and winter months requires planning and tasks, but their presence creates an environment full of wildlife and energy. Many experts might disagree as to whether or not backyard bird feeding will help wild bird populations, however feeding them during the colder months of the year will definitely benefit your neighborhood birds. Is it necessary … [Read more...] about Fall-ing for Birds!
Introduction to Lighting
There are so many different lighting options available in this day and age so I wanted to do a quick rundown on the different styles and how you could use them in your indoor gardens. If you are like me and like to get your spring seeds started and ready before planting time, I like to get mine started under a T5 fixture. These come in a wide range of sizes ranging from 2ft, 3ft, and even 4ft long fixtures. They also come in single bulbs, dual bulbs, quad bulbs, and some even with an eight … [Read more...] about Introduction to Lighting
Talking Mushroom Logs, Sustainable Agriculture, Community and More with Resting Point Farms
Today’s blog post is a conversation with one of our suppliers. We thought you’d enjoy hearing their story as much as we enjoy working with them. Please introduce yourselves. Resting Point Farms is a small heritage farm, in WNC, just beyond downtown Asheville’s edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Southeast United States. We’re spirited by Jesse and “Sweet Dee”, partners in farming and in life, who provide care for this land that has been in the family for 20 years. We’re helping our … [Read more...] about Talking Mushroom Logs, Sustainable Agriculture, Community and More with Resting Point Farms
Making Your Own Mead At Home
Mead is quickly becoming a popular alternative to typical beers and wines. Mead is a fermented alcoholic beverage made with honey. It can range from 4%-20% alcohol and can be flavored with a wide variety of fruits and spices. At Fifth Season, we’ve been experimenting with a simple one-month mead that can be easily brewed in around 60 minutes. Whether you keep your own bees or enjoy local honey, this is an easy project that results in a delicious drink to sip on the cooler evenings. To … [Read more...] about Making Your Own Mead At Home