Tomorrow I am headed to a garden and patio show at the civic arena in St. Paul.  I have decided that this week I am going to plan out what I want in the way of garden plants and flowers this year. I only had a few plants last year, since we moved into our new house in mid-summer, really past the time when I could put plants in the ground and successfully gather a harvest. I am hoping to create a raised vegetable garden this year.  I would rather construct than dig, and this will allow me to control the soil that I grow in.  You never do quite know what lurks around neighborhoods ...

Tags: gardening, heirloom tomatoes, tomatoes, raised beds

Have you heard of NEAT?  It is the non-exercise exercise that can apparently make the difference between being lean and being plump.  NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is a long way to say all calorie burning activity other than exercise.  So, NEAT involves any movement like pacing, fidgeting, climbing stairs and even yard work.  To me, it sounds like a good way to make sure I can enjoy life's extras like a cupcake or slice of pie. I’m trying to use the concept of NEAT to embrace yard work.  My husband and I recently purchased a home.  We’...

Tags: gardening, NEAT, exercise, calories

I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about Victory gardens these days. Times are tough and it makes a lot of sense to grow your own vegetables, fruits and herbs. According to Wickipedia: “Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a ci...

Tags: gardening, vegetables

Here in bone-chilling Minnesota, my thoughts are already turning to warmer weather and all the fruits and vegetables I look forward to growing. I have wonderful memories of my grandparents’ garden plot, which was quite large and yielded everything from beans to squash to potatoes and more.  Their plot was quite large and my grandfather even built some raised wooden platforms and walkways.  That is definitely too much for me to contend with, so I keep my gardening in pots. People don’t realize it, but you can grow bunches of carrots and even potatoes in containers on tiny condo patios, and it all starts by starting seedlings long before the spring sun arrives. ...

Tags: gardening, pasta salad, winter

It’s a beautiful day here in Minnesota. I’m looking forward to getting home and working in my garden. I hope to dig up and divide some daylilies. I only grow flowers. I never had much luck with vegetables. I usually lost my tomatoes to ...

Tags: Farmers' Markets, gardening, vegetables