In our veggie garden aphids and lettuce just seem to go hand in hand. The little buggers just love to get down in the leaves & so far the only control we’ve ever used was to just wash them off when we harvest. I was super excited when I read a great article about planting… Read More.
Calendula Love
I’ve been in love with Calendula for as long as I can remember. It’s one of the first seeds I ever planted and was thrilled at how many came up. Way back then my motto must have been ‘No Seedling Left Behind’ because I planted them EVERYWHERE! In a few weeks our herb garden, flower… Read More.
Hits and Misses
I was recently asked how we choose the varieties of plants we grow. So I thought I’d share how we determine who’s a Hit and who’s a Miss. The average gardener’s mailbox starts filling up with loads of seed catalogs in early January. When you grow plants for a living you can multiply that number… Read More.
Welcome Home Swallows!
The first tree swallows returned today! In our house it’s akin to the anticipation before Christmas day…. minus the stress. While you can count on Christmas always returning on December 25th, the tree swallows don’t give us an exact date. It just makes our anticipation all the more exciting. In early March we start watching… Read More.
Pretty Pretty Peonies
Peonies still take my breath away every spring! Despite their sweet and delicate appearance, peonies are one of the hardiest perennials you can grow. They don’t have a huge amount of rules for success, just give them plenty of sun, well drained soil, and a bit of organic fertilizer and they’ll reward you with blooms… Read More.
Flowers from the Heart
With Valentine’s day here I was thinking about how many flowers refer to love or to the the heart in their names. If you ask me the Victorians took it too an extreme with the whole language of flowers thing. Each flower had a specific meaning you were trying to communicate to the person you… Read More.
Layered Pea Salad
This is a super yummy salad that’s been a family favorite for years. We love Mayo, but if you don’t you could top with something else. Prep time 20 mins Total time 20 mins Author: Shannon Recipe type: Salad Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 1 head leaf lettuce 3 cups fresh or frozen peas (defrosted, of course) 2-3 cups grated… Read More.
How to roast fresh peppers.
Whenever I get excited about something I guess I tend to talk about it a lot. I just can’t help it, it’s who I am. Apparently this was the case with my new found love for Poblano peppers this past year. We’ve grown many different peppers over the years, but somehow missed trying Poblanos till… Read More.
Arugula and Roasted Beet Salad
Prep time 15 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 45 mins Author: Shannon Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 2-3 fresh beets fresh arugula leaves olive or grape seed oil your favorite vinaigrette chives chopped and roasted nuts goat cheese Instructions Wash beets and trim ends. Place in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with olive or grape seed… Read More.
Pasta Fresca
My friend Mo travels to Alba, Italy every few years & brings me back seeds of San Marzano tomatoes & a few different peppers. She is a great gardener, as well as, an amazing cook & was willing to share the following recipes with me. Thanks Mo! Author: Shannon Recipe type: Main Cuisine: Italian Ingredients 1 pkg (1… Read More.