Organic Gardening News

Posted by cookinwithherbs
We have had lots of rain here in my Maryland, zone 7 garden. And with the rain, the weeds and grass have grown in leaps and bounds--way bigger than all of the carefully planted vegetables, herbs and flowers. So I spent the last three days weeding, which gave me lots of time to reflect on the subject.

Posted by cookinwithherbs
While in Tarrytown, New York, attending the HSA Conference, we made a visit to Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, which was well worthwhile the trip. If you are in the area, by all means, make an effort to visit these handsome gardens and experience the many aspects of a well laid out and attractive, yet working farm from greenhouse crops to field crops and orchard to flower and herb gardens.

Posted by cookinwithherbs
This is a thrilling time of year for gardeners. Each day we delight in the plants around us--what is popping up, producing food,budding, then flowering--not to mention what we are sowing and transplanting baby seedlings. It is both a relief and great joy to finally have our hands in the earth and have to scrub the dirt from our hands and tools. Now, if only the rain would give us a break, so I can get back out there!...

Posted by cookinwithherbs
On this last day of April, we are heading into the merry month of May and spring has finally arrived for real. Gardeners across the country are rejoicing--and I am delighted to see perennial herbs popping up here and there in the kitchen garden--these plants are fairly hardy so most of them make it through the cold of winter. We anxiously await their leafing out and we welcome them every spring, dear old friends that they are.

Posted by cookinwithherbs
After a very cold spring, this gardener decided to spend Earth Day in the garden with my hands in the earth. It was a perfect spring day--sunny and cool--at least the gale-force winds seem to have abated. Yesterday and today up until 1:09 pm this afternoon, we were in a 2nd quarter moon, in the sign of Cancer, which is a fruitful planting sign, so I wanted to get my aboveground plants transplanted and seeds sown before the moon traveled into Leo which is a barren sign.

Posted by cookinwithherbs
Since hops are Herb of the Year for 2018, I figure I ought to tell you about growing them--actually they are fairly easy to cultivate. Some gardeners find them to be invasive, since they send out underground runners and are a rapid-growing vine; they definitely need support and room to spread.

Posted by cookinwithherbs
Many folks practice planting potatoes on Saint Patrick's Day, and some plant peas and/or onions too. This is a tradition for many gardeners who live in warmer climes, although I’ve seen hardcore gardeners get out there even in frigid weather and work the cold earth to get their first crop of potatoes in on St. Paddy’s Day.

Posted by WesternGardener
If you haven’t eaten a homegrown potato, you don’t know what a real potato tastes like. Spring’s the time to plant potatoes in the vegetable garden. Here’s everything you need to get your potato crop off to a good start.