Oh, summer. How I love you. It’s mid-July, and the breeze here in the mountains feels like a warm hug. Most folks are busy harvesting courgettes the size of baguettes and, no doubt, cursing their once-again runaway mint. I’m standing in my garden with a fresh cup of (yes, mint) tea and a question: What do I want to eat in the fall? Because while summer is in full swing, this is actually the secret season to sow again....
An introduction to insectary plants What makes a plant an insectary plant? Insectary plants provide food sources and shelter for beneficial insects, which attracts them and encourages them to stick around your garden. If you’ve already read our article Pest Hunters: Beneficial Predatory and Parasitic Insects, you know that there are many beneficial insects that prey on garden pests. By planting insectary plants we can encourage these predatory and parasitic insects to take up residence in our garden....
What Exactly are Spices? In broad terms, both herbs and spices come from plants, but herbs are usually the fresh leaves. On the other hand, spices are typically dried, and they make use of many other parts of the plant- root, stalk, seed or fruit. Both herbs and spices add flavor to the dish, however herbs are more subtle while spices have a much stronger flavor. Plan Your Garden with Planter!...
While there are many factors to consider when planning a garden, it’s important to plan based on the types of dishes you and your family enjoy preparing. If you and your family enjoy cooking food with a global flair, you might want to consider planning a ‘curry garden’. ‘Curry’ is actually a loose, catch-all term that doesn’t properly refer to any specific dish. In its originating culture, each dish would have its own unique name....
So begins our series of various garden plans to inspire you! Today, we’re focusing on an assortment plants that we can use for tea. Whether it’s the fruit, leaves, root, flower, or even the seeds themselves, there’s incredible range in the kind of plants that can be used for a wonderful cup of tea! We’ll be focusing on some of the more common plants in this Growing Guide. Harvesting Some plants may taste better dried or fresh, so experiment!...
The peppers are done. The tomatoes, long-gone. But your herb garden is still chugging along into the depths of fall. The first night that a hard frost rolls in you might find yourself half-frantically wondering “what should I do with my herbs?” Because herb plants are diverse, there’s different techniques you can use either to save the plants or to salvage a final harvest! Harvest your herbs Your first instinct might be to just hack down every little bit of greenery that’s left on your herb plants....
Once midsummer hits it can feel like you’re in a gardening standstill. On the one hand you’re waiting for some of the longer-maturing plants to start producing a harvest, and on the other hand earlier spring crops are starting to fizzle out. But in midsummer many of us still have ample time to get new plants growing and get a substantial harvest before the season comes to an end. The first step is to check the Growing Calendar in Planter to see which plants you may still have time to grow in your area....
One of the things we first learn as gardeners is how important it is to select a full sun location for a veggie garden. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have the luxury of having an extra large yard with all-day sun exposure. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a sun-drenched backyard, you might have underutilized partially shaded areas of your yard that you wish you could grow food in. The good news is…you can in fact grow some vegetables in part shade!...
One of my favorite things about summer is enjoying fresh salsa from the garden. It’s sweet, spicy, and best of all…fresh, so it tastes better than store-bought salsa and lasts longer in the fridge (if I don’t eat it first!). This year, I wanted to maximize my chances of successfully harvesting every major component to make fresh salsa, so I dedicated a good portion of my veggie plot as a “salsa garden”....
Summertime is a busy time in the garden. From managing watering, to preparing for vacation, and tackling garden problems, there is a lot to do to keep your garden going strong! Even though summer can get hectic, don’t forget to take a step back from the to-do list to plan your fall garden. While the tomatoes are ripening and the peppers are plumping, it’s time to be thinking about which seeds to sow and seedlings to transplant for fall harvests....