Veggie Gardener: Organic Vegetable Gardening Tips

How to Grow a Vertical Garden

Brenda — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:45:46 +0000

Verticle gardening is basically an extension of the “bean tepee” idea. It’s a method of growing more with less space by using vertical structures. Obviously not all vegetables can be grown this way, but with a little creativity more than just vining plants can be grown vertically. Many vegetables and herbs can be grown vertically [...]

Growing Vegetables and Herbs in Shade

Brenda — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:41:12 +0000

Every gardener dreams of the perfect garden location; one with full sun, fertile soil and good drainage. The reality is that many of us need to work with what we have, which may include shaded areas. Can vegetable and herbs be grown in the shade? When a plant is grown for the fruit or the [...]

How to Grow Rhubarb

Brenda — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:31:05 +0000

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a classic spring perennial that is long lived and easy to care for once it’s established. New plants, or crowns, are best planted in spring, for harvest the following year. Rhubarb is unusual in that only the stalks of the plant are edible. The leaves contain the toxin oxalic acid plus [...]

Grow Cool Weather Mustard Greens

Brenda — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 19:53:27 +0000

Mustard isn’t just a popular condiment. It’s also a nutritious green that can be eaten raw or cooked, and it’s easily grown in the vegetable or herb garden. The seeds are used in many Indian dishes, as well as Asian cuisine. Mustard is a cool weather plant, and can be directly sown into the garden [...]

Front Yard Vegetable Gardens

Brenda — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:59:03 +0000

No matter how small a home’s yard may be, it’s always possible to grow vegetables, especially if the front yard is converted from a traditional green lawn to a colorful garden landscape. While the backyard is usually easy to convert into garden space, it’s often trickier to turn the front yard into a garden because [...]

How to Grow Fava Beans

Brenda — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:51:41 +0000

Fava beans (Vicia faba L. ) should be grown by every vegetable gardener at least once. Their buttery taste can’t be judged based on the dried, store bought variety, but they are so easy to grow, it’s a shame to miss out on this versatile broad bean. Gardeners in Europe have been growing Fava beans [...]

How to Grow Turnips

Brenda — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:15:08 +0000

Turnips are very easy to grow in the garden, providing both greens and a root vegetable. They became popular for the kitchen in the 17th century, but before that the Romans were using the tasty, nutritious roots for cooking. Long before that turnips were used mostly for animal feed, which is common for many vegetables [...]

Growing Cool Weather Kale

Brenda — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:01:53 +0000

Kale is a cool weather plant that can not only withstand some frost, it actually improves the taste. While many gardeners pass it by for more popular vegetables, it’s a good, dependable plant that supplies vitamins and minerals that are so important during the winter months. Kale is the Northern cousin to collard greens, withstanding [...]

How to Grow Swiss Chard

Brenda — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 05:44:23 +0000

Swiss chard is a cool weather heirloom vegetable that is treasured in the garden because it’s easy to grow, nutritious, has few pests and a long harvest season. The brilliant colors and textured foliage make it a must in the ornamental kitchen garden or herb garden. Swiss chard is a great addition to stir fries, [...]

Cold Frames for Beginners: Part Two

Brenda — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:41:54 +0000

In the first part of the post on cold frames I went over variations on assembling your own using the basics. Once you’ve collected the materials for the cold frame you’ll need to decide where to put it. Locations are important for many reasons, most importantly, because it should be sheltered from the wind, but [...]