Category Archives: Gardening

Jul 24 2011

Caving to a Craving for Very Expensive Watermelon

WatermelonI love watermelon, especially once summer really arrives. The problem is, I live at a latitude 43 degrees north, with a short growing season that doesn’t favor watermelon. With most other fruits and vegetables, I try to hold out for delicious, fresh local options, but I always seem to cave in to my watermelon craving at about the time summer heat settles in for real.

A couple of days ago, I had one such powerful craving. In an effort to make one stop, rather than two, I set my sights on buying an organic watermelon at the local food coop. Continue reading →

Jul 15 2011

Some Things Just Happen

Honeysuckle FlowerSummer is happening, in spite of me.

I wasn’t ready for it this year, and I’ve had a hard time keeping up with its crazy pace so far. More accurately, I haven’t kept up at all. The lesson I’m presented with has something to do with understanding my humble place in the universe and accepting that the planet is spinning away, even without my help. I’m 80 percent out of commission this summer, and I’ve had to adjust my expectations continually. Continue reading →

Jun 30 2011

Hope for the Future (and a Giveaway Winner)

Hay baleMany thanks to those of you who entered the Ben Hewitt book giveaway. Herbalist Wendy Stevens, from Weare, New Hampshire will be the lucky recipient of Ben’s two books, Making Supper Safe and The Town That Food Saved. Appropriately, the books will be exchanged at the Weare Farmers Market, tomorrow evening.

I asked readers to share their observations of their own local food season and to comment on something that they observe that gives them hope. Continue reading →

May 21 2011

The Scents of Spring

Found Well Farm

First came the scent of mud. Moving quickly to the scent of trees in bud, grass emerging from winter dormancy, soil coming alive—the fresh smell that can be characterized as nothing other than green. It’s a scent made more intense by spring rain. Continue reading →

Mar 6 2011

Farming for the Future

Compost Bin Signs

This post relates to the Week Three readings and discussion in our local Menu for the Future course. Whether you’re participating here in Concord, following along from afar or simply have thoughts on this topic—please comment!

We’re a group of eaters, with not a farmer among us. Yet, at the third week of our Menu for the Future course, we dug into organic farming details that aren’t usually part of mainstream consumer discussions about eating organically. Many of us are gardeners, so seeing ourselves as farmers of a sort was fairly easy to do. A group comfortable with the topic at hand, to be sure.

Continue reading →

Feb 6 2011

Winter Worries

Photo of amber glass globe in the garden, in winter

It’s that time of year, when gardeners’ thoughts turn to spring planting. Sorting through last year’s leftover seeds, leafing through seed and plant catalogs that seem to arrive daily and maybe even placing orders all offer the hope of hastening winter’s retreat.

This year, in these parts, it could be a long retreat. With somewhere upwards of 28 inches of snow on the ground, my garden sleeps, enjoying protection from the winter winds. My house is cozy and warm, too. Winter offers the opportunity to focus on other things that aren’t so easy to get to during the long days of summer, when the list of outdoor chores grows as fast as the garden weeds. Continue reading →

Oct 27 2010

Forming an Agricultural Commission in Concord, New Hampshire

Photo of Corn Field

My city of Concord, New Hampshire, is built on land in the fertile valley of the Merrimack River. Like cities and towns throughout the country, farms have disappeared at an alarming rate, giving way to houses, strip malls and office parks. Throughout New Hampshire, at the peak of its agricultural history, 50 percent of the land was in agricultural use. Today, only 5 to 7 percent.

Once built upon, that fertile soil is likely lost to farming forever.

Spearheaded by the Capital City Organic Gardeners, a group of concerned residents are looking into forming an agricultural commission in the city. Continue reading →

Oct 24 2010

Putting the Garden to Bed and Expectations to Rest

Last Harvest of Carrots

The work of putting my garden to bed this year has been less than efficient. I’ve plugged away at it, in fits and starts, focusing first on the tasks that simply had to get done before snow flies. Which, by the way, has (technically) already happened.

Gardening, for me, is all about adjusting my expectations as I go along. Prioritizing.

In the springtime, my dreams are spectacular—health and vitality, variety, neat and tidy—my garden has it all. A couple of months later, by late June, I’m running to keep up with dividing perennials, transplanting, thinning, composting, mulching and, yes, the weeding. Always the weeding. Continue reading →

Sep 20 2010

Lessons of a Summer’s Locavore Adventures

Photo of Concord Grapes at Sterling College

At the beginning of the summer, high on the excitement of my newly invigorated little front yard kitchen garden, farmers markets exploding with local produce and another summer CSA share kicking off, I speculated about the need for grocery stores in my life. At least, during New Hampshire’s relatively short growing season.

What need, if any, would I have for my local grocery store and food coop? With plenty of vegetables and fruits available, what would be on my shopping list, and how often would I shop? Would I need to shop at all? Continue reading →