There are signs of spring all around us, even if it is the middle of February! Over the last two weeks, we have been enjoying these rather uncommon warm days by going for walks around the neighborhood, playing outside, and even getting some yard work done. One thing is for certain ... this warm weather is starting to wake up the earth bit by bit. I'm used to seeing crocuses around St Patrick's Day, but these beauties and quite a few like them, were in full bloom on President's ...
Gardening
Planting Calendar – Eastern PA & Southern NJ
I have seen quite a few planting calendars circulating on Facebook lately. They are coming from various bloggers, seed catalogs, and garden centers. And while I'm sure these planting calendars contain lots of great information, one key part of information is missing from all of them ... A location! It may seem obvious that if you are in Maine you have a different growing season than someone in Florida, but did you know that even within the same state, you could have very different growing ...
Homesteading Goals for 2017
Homesteading Goals for 2017 Homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. For our family, it's a way of life on our little 1/4-acre in the middle of suburbia. While there is still a lot we rely on others for, there is a lot we can do for ourselves. Through gardening, food preservation, and a lot of DIY we are teaching our children to be self-reliant and we are working together as a family to have the things we need. These life skills are a primary focus when we ...
October In The Garden
After a very rough summer in the garden where everything died, I have been very happy with how the start of fall has been going. In late September, I was able to plant a few fall crops. Considering I am starting them from seed, and its a bit late in the season, only time will tell if they reach maturity. So far, the lettuces and radishes have been doing beautifully. I'm hoping to get a harvest in time for Thanksgiving so our salad will be fresh from the garden this ...
The Year The Garden Died
Consecutive days with temperatures over 90°. Drought. Summer travel. And ultimately, indifference. Yup, that's pretty much how it happened. Its how the garden died. I have been gardening in some way for 30 years. This is the first year in recent memory that the entire garden just bombed. And it bombed hard. My mother, on the other hand, told me there were several years my father planted a garden and after strawberry season the rest of the growing ...