Tag: Fruit and Vegetable
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Asparagus Officinalis
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is an early season perennial vegetable that pops out of Rosslyn’s still chilly soil sometime in May. Each year it is a harbinger of spring, arriving at just the right time to reassure us that the long Adirondack winter is retreating; that mud season is mostly past tense; and a happy, holistic gardening season is underway. Rosslyn’s asparagus bed was one of the very…
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Legume Levity
You know the rhyme about “beans, beans, the musical fruit,…” But do you know that legume levity is not limited to toots and tunes? Today we turn to our favorite upright gardening crop, asparagus beans. We grow heirloom asparagus beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) also known as Chinese long beans, yardlong beans, snakes beans, and…
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Jumbo Blackberry
This evening, walking to the house before dinner, my niece handed me a blackberry she’d picked in the garden. it was enormous. The biggest I’ve ever seen. And, without thinking, I popped the jumbo blackberry into my mouth. It exploded in flavor, like a fistful of normal sized blackberries, warmed by the sun. An explosion…
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Spargelzeit: Asparagus Time!
Imagine for a moment enduring many, many months without fresh, homegrown produce. Tragic, right? Especially for a passionate gardener who loves to prepare and share garden-to-table fare for family and friends. Now you can stop imagining because this next part requires no imagination… It’s Spargelzeit! The word Spargel means asparagus and Zeit means time. The…
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Green Zebras 1st in High Tunnel
Green Zebra Tomatoes are first transplants of the season. Others to follow soon!
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Generosity of Friends: Lemons from Afar
Picture perfect lemons arranged in an enormous clay bowl. Layers of largess. The sweet tart citrus was a gift from a recent friend married to my former student of 25+ years. The ceramic vessel, wheel thrown by my godfather, OMC, in the 1970s and gifted to my mother was recently regifted to Susan and me.…
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The Impudent Carrot
Fair warning, gentle hearted readers. I’m about to share an image of an anthropomorphic carrot alongside a human hand returning the misanthropic gesture. Still reading? And accompanying this potentially offensive image is a potentially offensive poem. So if you’re super sensitive and/or if you’re indisposed to gardeners’ laugh therapy, no judgment (but best stop reading…
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Orange Cucumbers
Ever since I asked (and answered) the question “Why are my cukes turning yellow/orange?” I’ve been inundated with inquiries about orange cucumbers. Are yellow-oranging cucumbers safe to eat? Do they taste bitter? How can I use orangey-yellow cukes? While I’m flattered with your confidence that I can demystify your quandaries related to orange cucumbers, it’s time…
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Asparagus Beans
We grow heirloom asparagus beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) also known as Chinese long beans, yardlong beans, snakes beans, and long-podded cowpeas. Ours usually grow 15-18” long, and our greatest success results from erecting an 8-10’ tall “teepee” for the uppity legume vines to climb over the course of the summer. Asparagus Beans Haiku Big…
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Holistic Orcharding: How to Apply Tanglefoot to Trees
It’s Tanglefoot time again. Actually, we’re late — really late! — due to this rainy, soggy summer. But better late than never, especially since I’ve begun to spy the first tent caterpillars of the 2017 season. First a quick refresher. A little over a year ago I explained how to use Tanglefoot and I explained why…
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How to Apply Tanglefoot to Trees
It’s Tanglefoot time again. Actually, we’re late — really late! — due to this rainy, soggy summer. But better late than never, especially since I’ve begun to spy the first tent caterpillars of the 2017 season. First a quick refresher. A little over a year ago I explained how to use Tanglefoot and I explained why…
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Holistic Orcharding: Fruitful and Deer-full
I’m excited to report that we may finally be able to enjoy Rosslyn peaches, nectarines, and even a few pears and apples this summer. For the first time since we began planting an orchard, several trees have matured enough to set fruit. Fruitful Orchard Those bright red mulberry will darken as they soak up sun and…