Category Archives: Vegetables

A Beginning and an End

From the gardener’s perspective, flowers represent the beginning or the end of an annual’s useful life. Spring and summer annuals are generally planted for their fruiting bodies – think tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and squash, while fall and winter vegetables are … Continue reading

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Confessions of a Bean Doula

I’ll admit it: I can’t help but assist the beans as they emerge from the soil, and sometimes I even help them by removing their little seed coats so that they can stretch their new leaves.  I’ll bet you do … Continue reading

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Garlic Scapes – Update

A few days ago, I wrote In Praise of Scapes.  Well, here’s a garlic scape, ready for harvest.  When they curl over like this, they’re still tender and perfect for picking.  Each garlic plant produces a single scape.     … Continue reading

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Sweet and Sour

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is incredibly, almost unbelievably sweet.  One little nibble and all you taste is sweet for a long time.  It grows quite well in my garden, dying back all the way to the ground in the winter and … Continue reading

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In Praise of Scapes

Look closely, and you’ll see a scape just starting to grow from the center of this garlic plant. Garlic scapes – flower stalks – are a wonderful spring treat.  Sautéed in butter or olive oil, with just salt and pepper, … Continue reading

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Unplanned Companion Planting

Nearly any little piece of potato left in the ground after harvest will grow the following spring.  Such is the case with this volunteer I noticed today in the garlic patch.  I’m inclined to cheer for volunteers – sunflowers especially, … Continue reading

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Potatoes Believe in Climate Change

I just checked the 10 day forecast – rain, thunderstorms, partly cloudy skies, then more rain.  About the only spring/summer annual vegetables that are really enjoying this weather are the potatoes, which around these parts are planted in early early … Continue reading

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Summoning Spring

Another cold, cloudy morning, and rain and snow possible for this weekend.  Spring seems to be shy this year, but the promise of bright peppers gives me hope that things will someday warm up.  This is a picture of peppers … Continue reading

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Bolivian Sunroot

In addition to the standard spring and summer vegetables, I like to grow things that are a little bit more unusual – Bolivian sunroot, or yacón, for example.  It’s a perennial from the Andes, and I ordered my original crown … Continue reading

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