Breaking the rules by growing vegetables

15 Jan
2013
2013 garden catalogs

2013 seeds: ordered!

There’s a cold front coming. This past weekend saw temperatures in the 50s, and Monday started out almost balmy. But now it’s raining and we’re cooling off fast. Granted, this is Virginia in the era of modern climate change; things aren’t going to get too cold. We’re looking at highs ...

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4 Jan
2013
Cold-killed tomatillos in the winter garden.

New year. New plants.

I don’t know about you, but I get a little resolution-happy when it’s time to hang a new calendar. All that potential and hope. All those plans to be made and those goals to be set. Every new year is a new chance to shine up our dreams, and move ...

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2 Dec
2012
alpaca smile

Alpacas, leaves and winter prep

Have you put your garden to bed for the winter? Or, do you prefer to clean the mess away in the spring, on some surprisingly warm March day, when the sun heats the soil and you can smell the earth begin to awaken for another season of growth? I like ...

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7 Oct
2012
freshly-harvested sweet potato

It’s time to harvest sweet potatoes!!

67.8 pounds. That’s how many sweet potatoes I harvested from the garden yesterday. Let me tell you: 67.8 pounds is a lot of sweet potatoes. Two full boxes worth, with overflow in mixing bowls and all over the kitchen counter. Looks like I’ll be needing to stock up on sweet ...

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5 Sep
2012
Confessions of an Outlaw Gardener

Organic Gardening Magazine features the Outlaw Garden again!

Some mornings start with a really nice surprise. This morning was one of them. I always start my days with a cup or two of coffee, and a quick stroll around the internet. Today, I clicked over to Organic Gardening Magazine’s website. I was thinking about fall crops, and wondering ...

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28 Aug
2012
tomato basil mozzarella salad is delicious and easy to make

Tomato and basil and mozzarella salad

There are many fine and delicious things to eat in the summertime, but none of them compare to the tangy and creamy wonderfulness of a tomato and basil and mozzarella salad made with homegrown tomatoes, fresh basil and quality mozzarella. I could eat this every day. Sometimes, in July and ...

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22 Aug
2012
garlic chive in bloom

Garden stroll #14: August showers bring…

Here in northern Virginia, we’re accustomed to hot hot hot and dry-yet-humid summers interspersed with dramatic bursts of intense rain and lightning. That’s standard for this region. Complaining about the lack of rain is a regular summertime conversation-starter for farmers and gardeners in these parts. But, seasonal dryness and actual ...

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14 Aug
2012
corn feature image

How to save summer corn for winter use

I love summer corn in the summer. Grilled in its husk, sweet corn is a divine lunch or an unbeatable side with a dinner of, well, anything. But, I also love summer corn in the winter. I eat sweet summer corn in winter soups and stews and chilies. I sauté ...

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5 Aug
2012
well grilled corn is delicious

Perfect grilled corn

It’s early August, and everything tastes of summer. The tomatoes. The watermelon. The corn. Oh, yum, the corn. Let’s talk about the corn. Perfectly grilled, nearly-too-hot-to-touch, summertime sweet corn, loaded with butter and salt and pepper and tasting of perfection. Can you tell? I love summer sweet corn. This recipe ...

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1 Aug
2012
a handful of ripe and nearly-ripe 'Blush' tomatoes

Garden stroll #13: Moving beyond the doldrums

Last week, I admitted to a bad case of the midsummer doldrums. It’s a common enough condition for gardeners, and comes (for me) just about as regularly as the spring and fall equinoxes. After visiting with the doldrums for a few days, I’m moving on. The purple-podded ‘Royal Burgundy’ bush ...

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