All the Dirt on Gardening

The goals and the hours of work in the garden are endless at this time of year. There are so many tiny seedlings to get into the ground, weeds to pull, winter messes to clean up, pruning to get done. A lady beetle taking care of business on the new plum tree. Every spring I have more compassion for people who have even more land than we do since I cannot imagine caring for more than 2.5 acres of flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Blackberry canes in flower on the right, clover for the honey bees in the center, grapes on the left, vegetable garden center in the distance. We don't bother to grow lettuce and tomatoes since our farmers' market is so good. We grow things we want to preserve and a few items that are expensive or difficult to obtain such as the chard varieties we prefer, herbs, blackberries, figs, and other fruits. We buy local blueberries once a year and freeze them to use all winter. The vegetable garden facing south - lemon balm in front of the ...

Planning for spring’s vegetable garden usually includes looking at a few books or online references to refresh and increase our knowledge. There are two new ones to consider adding to your bookshelf. Both authors are women who not only garden but also invest time in observing the natural rhythms of plants and animals. Tammi and Chris Hartung   Colorado organic gardener and medical herbalist Tammi Hartung wrote, “The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature.” Published by Storey Publishing, the 144-page softcover book helps gardeners deal with the challenges of bugs and animals that seem determined to eat more of the garden than the gardener gest to enjoy. Rabbits, snails, deer, moles, birds and beetles all want their share of our produce and Hartung’s point of view includes all these creatures in her wildlife-friendly plan. She observes them from various locations in the garden as well as from motion activated cameras. Her idea is to...