Fall is here! The bridge between summer and fall is full of delicious possibilities: the last heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn linger, pears and sweet potatoes start to arrive, and more apples than you can name can all be found at your local farmers’ market.

Whether or not you believe that your destiny is governed by the stars, you probably know which astrological sign you were born under, right? Astrology is just an amusement to most of us these days, but to our ancestors, natural astrology was important in predicting seasonal events and weather. Well-informed planters used the position of the sun, moon and the constellations to manage their livestock and crops.

A good cleanup in the fall is well worth your while for a healthy, vital garden next spring. Get started by pulling up vegetable plants such as tomatoes, squashes, peas, and beans. Compost the disease-free ones; put sickly or blighted ones on the burn pile or discard away from the garden. Pull up and put away garden stakes and tomato cages.  Don’t forget to clean up dead or declining annuals... and remember marigolds, calendulas and zinnias are easy to grow next year, from the seeds you save.

The time we’ve been anticipating since winter, really, is finally here. Our gardens that were eagerly planned when snow was on the ground are giving us gifts on a daily basis. Squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, … the list could go on and on. You’ve planned meals using the bounty until you’ve run out of ideas. Well, we have a few more.

Container gardening has rapidly gained in popularity over the past decade. Not only is it more convenient for smaller dwellings, but containers make it easier for you to control water, soil, sun exposure, and fertilizer. but containers make it easier for you to control water, soil, sun exposure, and fertilizer.

Have you always wanted to grow your own vegetables, but didn’t know how to get started? Now is the time to start planning your garden, so you can yield a bountiful summer harvest. Below, we offer a simple list to help make your first garden a successful (and delicious) one!

We all enjoy getting outside and taking advantage of the longer daylight hours in the summertime, but an abundance of outdoor activities often leads to the need to give our bodies a little extra TLC. Thankfully, grandma’s old timey cures have withstood the test of time. From soothing sunburns and softening “gardener’s hands” to helping heal cuts and repelling pesky mosquitoes, we offer a few of our favorite cures for summer bumps and bruises: grandma approved! And best yet, all of these cures are made in the USA.

The summer harvest season is in full swing! And if your garden is like ours, you have enough squash to feed everyone in the community. So, if your garden gives you squash, you make squash everything! 

Gardening is one of the first outdoor adventures of the season. It actually can start way back in January or February when the seed catalogs begin arriving in the mail. Flipping through the pages and dreaming of the summer and fall harvest while the wind and snow whip outside is a favorite winter activity.

A good cleanup in the fall is well worth your while for a healthy, vital garden next spring. Get started by pulling up vegetable plants such as tomatoes, squashes, peas, and beans. Compost the disease-free ones; put sickly or blighted ones on the burn pile or discard away from the garden. Pull up and put away garden stakes and tomato cages. Don’t forget to clean up dead or declining annuals... and remember marigolds, calendulas and zinnias are easy to grow next year, from the seeds you save.

With a national trend toward “back-to-the-land” homesteading, many Americans are growing their own food in their backyards. But what to do with this ample harvest when more food is grown than can be eaten in a single season?  When you run out of neighbors to give it to, canning your extra homegrown produce is the perfect way to enjoy your garden’s bounty all year long.

When the mercury rises, nothing’s better than fresh summer produce. A couple of great dishes and a cool breeze make a hot, lazy day just about perfect. Grilling makes mealtime a summer event. Expand your repertoire by grilling veggies like corn on the cob, zucchini, or create a shish kebab. Rubs and marinades are just as tasty on veggies as on your burger!

Bird watching is full of surprises. Did you realize that chickadees are as fond of peanut butter as your four-year-old… and as prone to squabbling over it as toddlers are? Have you ever watched a cardinal feed a choice seed to his mate?  Listened to the joyous song of a sparrow after a rainstorm?