I started a bit of lettuce. Luckily, it’s a romaine called Freckles that is heat tolerant. I thought I’d look up some new salad ideas and came across a minted bean salad from Vegetarian Times which sounds delightful. I share. 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic salt and pepper Whisk [...]
I love columbine flowers, they vary in size and color and reseed naturally in almost any part of the garden sun or part shade. They bloom their second year in late spring/early summer. First year you’ll spot them as foliage, green/blue deeply lobed leaves in threes. Most plants have a lifespan of 3-5 years, but if [...]
When people have shade in their yard, they either don’t realize that shade is less than 4 hours of sun, or they’re bummed. Consider it a blessing. When it’s mid summer and 90-something degrees, you’ll be lounging and happy. There are so many great ways to add color and unique foliage to a shade container. [...]
Dahlias are just happy and look great with mums or ornamental cabbages this time of year. This purple variety is the first to bloom out of my “grab bag.” Usually dahlias bloom closer to mid-summer, but the micro-climate in my yard keeps the garden a little cooler and later than the rest of the [...]
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got tons of tomatoes. I love searching out the little red and yellow fruits, but when the fridge is full and more are ripening on the vine, it’s time to save. Blanching tomatoes and making sauce to freeze are great ways to keep some summer for the winter [...]
You may have a natural spring with watercress growing in it like in Wisconsin. I wish I were that lucky. I’ve always known about watercress sandwiches for some reason, but this site, watercress.com, gives you history, recipes, nutritional information, and a little folklore. Proven to help fight cancer, we all need to add this super [...]
This past weekend, I was up in the non glaciated parts of southwest Wisconsin. The land is hilly and picturesque, a wonderfully serene world.
Reading up on the some of the Wildflowers I saw in Wisconsin, I found Queen Anne’s Lace interesting. Member of the parsley family and the mother of our carrot, this wild version was brought from Europe. This biennial provides nectar for many pollinators and food for the caterpillar of the Eastern Black Swallowtail. Considered an [...]
We all go out of town during the summer months, and with the summer coming to a close, we’ll all try to get out one last time. Our gardens are in full bloom and producing food. Help out your friendly garden sitter by making it as easy as possible for them to care for your [...]
Gardening is always full of surprises. When I moved into a new house and yard, I was desperate for compost to help the soil; and luckily some gracious friends provided. As Spring rolled through and Summer began, I noticed squash vines of some sort sprouting up everywhere, and towards harvest, I found myself with [...]