-
Archives
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- June 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- November 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- February 2011
-
Meta
Category Archives: creating & caring for a garden
Spring Garden Fairs
These are the garden fairs I always attend — and highly recommend — when in the market for vegetable seedlings and plants because I know I will find good, healthy, productive seedlings: 4 May, 11:00am – 4:00pm: Garfield Conservancy annual seedling … Continue reading
Posted in seeds and plants
Comments Off on Spring Garden Fairs
Don’t treat your soil like dirt
Last week, we replenished the soil at some of the kitchen gardens I plant for my clients with cow manure compost from Lake Street Landscaping Supply. (I’ve also used the Resource Center for rich compost.) As I’ve written about before, … Continue reading
Posted in healthy soil
Comments Off on Don’t treat your soil like dirt
Zone planning and planting
New zoning in Chicago is causing controversy in communities. Here I set out my own garden zoning framework. When I design new gardens in the spring, I divide garden plots into zones. These zones are based on: the frequency of … Continue reading
Posted in design & layout, planting
Comments Off on Zone planning and planting
Greg
In memoriam: Greg Hammond 13 October 1960 – 1 April 2013
Posted in creating & caring for a garden
Comments Off on Greg
Heirloom
Courtesy of my niece Priscilla. For more on heirloom seeds, click on the Resources page on the menu above. I order heirloom seeds from Seed Savers, Sand Hill Preservation Center, Peaceful Valley Farm, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds among others.
Posted in heirlooms, seeds and plants
Comments Off on Heirloom
Soil blocking
Seeds planted in soil blocks! (Prior to a light covering so you can actually see the seeds nestled in the dimples of the soil blocks.) Some seeds will be seedlings ready for planting in 3-4 weeks such as kale, chard … Continue reading
Posted in seed starting, soil blocking
Comments Off on Soil blocking
Land of milk and honey?
I recently visited my family in Los Angeles, my hometown. Here in Chicago where I live it’s still frigid and the ground rock hard so imagine my pleasure to see this tangerine tree growing in the front yard of my … Continue reading
Posted in backyard microclimate, ecosystem
Comments Off on Land of milk and honey?
Seeds: ceaseless wonders
My dear friend Sam Guard sent me this excerpt from . . . And Still Our Wonder by Victor R. Boswell from the USDA’s Yearbook of Agriculture, 1961. Seeds are vehicles for the spread of new life from place to … Continue reading
Posted in seeds and plants
Comments Off on Seeds: ceaseless wonders
Lettuce trays
I just couldn’t wait for spring. So I started spring lettuces and microgreens under grow-lights just for the fun of it. The results are surprisingly cute and colorful, especially on this arctic cold day. The lettuce trays are for cutting … Continue reading
Posted in planting, seasonality
Comments Off on Lettuce trays
Seeds and dreams, take two
“For gardeners, this is the season of lists and callow hopefulness; hundreds of thousands of bewitched readers are poring over their catalogues, making lists for their seed and plant orders, dreaming their dreams.” – Katharine White, Onward & Upward in the … Continue reading
Posted in creating & caring for a garden
Comments Off on Seeds and dreams, take two