Category: Gardening
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Snow, No Pho
It’s been sleeting here for hours. We definitely got more sleet than snow, and knock on wood, it looks like we will escape the ice. Today was a nearly perfect snow day. All five of us shared the shoveling. The kids learned early on that they won’t have school tomorrow. I busied myself baking chocolate…
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Pho and Snow
Happy three-day weekend to those who are so blessed. I have many small fulfilling things to report this week! Perhaps the most important is that I refinanced my car loan yesterday. Now my interest rate is more than 4% lower and I also shortened the term. It told me how much I was saving —…
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Food I’m Growing in 2026
I don’t change it up much from year to year. I like to grow things that I like to eat, and I’m kind of a basic gal. So this list looks much like last year’s. Someday when I have more room, I can grow luffas and tomatillos, but not now. Nothing listed here is new…
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The Last Harvest of the Year
Last week we had some frigid nights, with the mercury dropping to 17 degrees F. I was still recovering from being sick and figured the broccoli, carrots, etc. in the garden would be OK. But yesterday (Saturday), we were staring down a Winter Storm Warning that promised three to five inches of snow. So I…
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2025 Garden Totals
The 2025 garden totals are in! I’m pleased; this was a decent haul in a smaller garden compared to 2023. (I didn’t really garden in 2024.) My fenced-in garden is about 8 ft by 6 ft, so 48 square feet. In addition I had some large pots near the driveway for carrots, potatoes and herbs.…
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A Cheapskate’s Guide to Repurposing Household Items in the Garden
The garlic is starting to poke through the leaves! Not surprisingly, it seems the cloves I planted that had already sprouted are the first to reach the surface. Four of them are up. This makes me happy. Some of the lettuce and arugula seeds I planted have sprouted. Too soon to tell which is which.…
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Wintry Walks & More Thrifting
I really needed this weekend. I was practically skipping home on Friday, so glad the work week was done. Work was extremely busy; at home I was pulling single-parent duty Sunday through Tuesday while Tom and T went to Green Bay for the Eagles game. I worked from home Monday and Tuesday. N and F…
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You Should Grow Something. Yes, You.
You should start gardening. It may be November, but you can stick a scallion in a glass of water and watch it sprout roots. You can grow some lettuce or herbs under a grow light. Or, you can start collecting seed catalogs and make a list of plants to grow in the spring. You can…
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Sprouts Is Bankrupting Me
This past week I was off Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It wasn’t quite as satisfying a staycation as the one I had in August. I had dreams about work from Friday night right on through, frustrating dreams in which nothing was going right. But it was still relaxing and peaceful. I got some things done…
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Growing Green Beans in Zone 7b
When I was young, green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were one of the few vegetables I would eat. I enjoyed when my mom would assign me the task of snapping off the ends. Today, while my kids wouldn’t eat them when they were little, now as teens they like them. And I’ve grown a respectable amount…
Garden State of Mind 