We've talked about the advantages of container gardening, as well as ideas for fabulous and unlikely growing containers. But then of course there's caring for container plants. I have been traveling a lot during these past few months, as many people do in the summer time. I also happen to have a lot of plants…
This is the juicy peach time of year. Every market is overflowing with them and sometimes I wish I could bottle up that deep earthy sweetness that tastes like the height of summer. I think I have come pretty close with this recipe for peach butter. A few wise people in my life have taught…
As a child I used to love to collect summer flowers, green clover, and fall leaves for my flower press. I would then paste them onto homemade cards or drop them into letters before sending them off so that the reader had a little piece of where I was writing from. Today I'm going to…
One of my favorite things is to get what my dad calls "volunteers" in the garden. Thess are plants that spring up from having their seeds tossed in the compost pile, and later getting transplanted when the compost is added to the soil. This has happened with squash, zucchini and zinnia flowers this year. But…
Toward the end of the season, when you have had your fill of garden squash, pick the blossoms that form on the vines before they bear fruit. They are less likely to mature into full fruit anyway as the weather gets colder, and the flowers themselves have a delicate squash flavor, so they are wonderful…
Most people think that you need a lot of land around you to grow watermelon because their vines need to spread out. But watermelon varieties are available in dwarf sizes and don’t require the land you might think you would need to grow them. There are also an amazing range of things you can do…
We have 5 new chicks that have just hatched at Tulipwood. We didn't intend to have 5 new chicks, but the hens got broody and they just wouldn't get off of their eggs and so we gave in and let them sit on them and here we are months later with 5 new chicks. We…
Last night, I harvested the kale I'm growing in the planter box I tried out this year. Since I didn't have a lot of growing space this summer, I went with all sorts of containers, and I have to say it's been rather fun to harvest jalapeños and tomatoes and radishes and herbs and now…
I was recently looking for a warm weather dessert that didn't require a lot of baking time or fancy cooking equipment and came upon the idea of a summer pudding. I had made small versions of this recipe way back in culinary school and haven't made it at all, I don't think, in the years…