Now that you are an urban homesteader, let’s talk about some of the surprises. Yes, I’m sure you knew how rewarding it would be, you expected that sense of satisfaction that only shoveling a quarter ton of fresh compost can generate, that pride that that comes with lacerating your entire torso in pursuit of just…
Gardening
Yield Planning
After, “When do I plant?” the hardest gardening question to wrap you head around is, “How much do I plant?” Everyone, from high-rise gardeners with a few pots to big time farmers with thousands of acres, has to annually decide how much of their land they will allocate to each crop they want to grow….
I Grew Some Vegetables, Now What?
Having a productive garden in August is kinda like a having a three-year-old who keeps asking, “Why, mommy? Why?!” You love them, but sometimes you wish they’d just stop and give you a minute of quiet peace. So it is. After months of work, the vegetative horn of plenty arrives in August. Crops are pumping out…
I've Become The Weirdo Wasp Lady
I have a wasp nest. I had a wasp nest. A wasp nest hangs in a tree in my yard. If may or may not contain wasps. I’ve been keeping my eye on this nest for several weeks. It’s the aerial home of a colony of bald-faced hornets (despite the name, a type of wasp)….
Dawn In The Garden: Mid-August In Pictures
Mid-August and everything is growing well but my little squirrel heart tells me fall is in the air and just around the corner. I’ve got ripe tomatoes and lots of beans and cukes and zucchini. The fall stuff is mostly in and growing well and the late summer flowers are adding some pretty to the place. …
Adventurers Of A Corporate Gleaner
Location 47.58 degrees North by 122.155 degrees East: a top secret blackberry patch adjacent to the offices of a major mobile communications provider. Date Friday, August 12, 2011 Time 09:34 local, 16:34 Zulu Mission Initial reconnaissance by the operative codenamed “Homebrew” on Thursday, August 11 revealed an exceptionally large blackberry patch at a previously unsuspected…
Gardening Goals And Edible Expectations
My friend Fruit Lady is brand new to veggie growing. This spring she put in several good-sized raised beds, but doesn’t care how much she harvests. She grows vegetables so that she and her kids can learn about the process. Really, it’s mostly for the kids, and anything picked is bonus. That’s not how it…
Nosy Neighbor Urban Homestead And Garden Tour 2011
Wowza! I am so excited to share some incredible gardens and urban homesteads with Northwest Edible Life Readers. I’ve taken a sneak peak at a few of the gardens being shared today by amazing gardeners all over the US (and possibly beyond!) and I’ve been blown away by the creativity and solutions I’ve observed. It…
Rock Solid Plant Labels
I garden with kids. My 7 year old is a dream garden helper, when I can pry her out of her books and get her to help. (I have the nicest problems, truly.) She can thin seedlings, pick peas, weed and chicken wrangle. I really don’t know what I’d do without her. My 10 month…
Right Tool, Right Job, Right Technique, Your Technique
One of my best friends is moving to the eastern side of Washington State, where much of the land is under agricultural production. She is joining her fiance, who happens to be a professional seed farmer, on their 5 acre rural plot of land. My friend, Kristen, is excited to have room to start a…
It's Harvest Time
Yes, summer has been elusive, but that means best quality cool weather crops like lettuce and broccoli. The warm weather stuff has been slow to ripen but I’ve got zucchini and greenhouse cucumbers and the very first cherry tomatoes. And – excitement of excitement – tiny little green beans. I can’t wait to eat fresh…
I Wish Somebody Would Have Mentioned…
When you prune a hop vine, wear long sleeves. And a ski mask. Those things are mean. There is no such thing as weed free straw. It is possible to have a hard time growing zucchini. It’s not you; everyone had green tomatoes in late August. The best fertilizer is the gardener’s boots. There will come…