Gardenig in city Brussels. Tips & Guides

YES, IN THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO, preparing to save seeds starts with decisions about what variety to plant in the first place, and rouging out weak and then “off types” that don’t measure up, or conform to the desired traits of that particular tomato or squash or zinnia. Inferior or atypical? Out you go!It’s a process that is repeated throughout the life cycle. For instance, you might pull the lettuce seedlings that are slowest to germinate from your row or cellpack; later pull and eat any with off-type foliage, and perhaps even rogue a third time if some individuals prove more inclined toward disease than others. Only let the best and brightest go to seed and provide the genetics for next year.Want to guard against inadvertent cross-pollination? A chart in the OSA’s guide clarifies what crops are vulnerable (and what close cousins they can cross with—such as carrots with wild Queen Anne’s lace, or that many brassicas, such as Brussels sprouts and kale

MY LIST OF HOMEGROWN INGREDIENTS FOR THE THANKSGIVING TABLE starts with the bumpy, oddball makings of a centerpiece. Gourds (like the warty or Bule ones), though delicious to look at, are more decor than dinner, but I did grow many edible parts of the harvest feast this year: sweet potatoes (which I’ve cooked with you here before) and Brussels sprouts and white potatoes and winter squash and green beans—and come to think of it, there might be something on the menu made with my apples, too, and garlic and parsley and sage and…well, you get the idea.

THE SHEER ENERGY of Narcissus foliage (above) pushing through the ground another inch a day is joy incarnate. A confession: I lie down on the damp grass and watch. (Having leaves but no bloom on your daffodils? Here’s the deal, along with other secrets to bulb success.)I GOT A NEW SEED-STARTING RIG, a tabletop version. I’ll show it to you in a few days, once I get it fired up and my Brussels sprouts and parsley are in gear. Promise.HEAVENLY HELLEBORES are opening by the dozens, like the one below I just grabbed a shot of a few days ago (above). More to come on that as they reach peak…or look at last year’s.INCOMING SPUDS,

BY LUMPING THE CROPS I SOW INDOORS in spring into three simple groups with similar time needs, I streamline my seed-starting. You’ll need to memorize only one fact to use my “lumped-together” countdown formula, and that’s your local date of average final frost (mine isn’t until close to June).The brassicas, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi, all have the same requirements: a month to six weeks indoors under lights before they go outside, which is safe about a month before final frost. This group therefore gets its start between March 15 and April 1 in my household. (Note with Brussels sprouts: many resources say sow them later, like May 1 or so, so they stand well into frost, when they achieve their best flavor. Today there are varieties requiring as few as 82ish days to maturity and as many as 100-plus, so take into consideration which you’re growing when you plan when to sow.)Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants make up my second group, each getting si

John, whose dramatic and delicious purple ‘Dragon’ carrot is bright orange inside, was reassuring as ever. First, don’t feel bad, he said. “Carrots are one of the harder vegetables to grow,” confirms John (with flowering carrots in an OSA photo, above), and for a few reasons:They’re such small plants when they first sprout (the seed isn’t too big, either; I like to use pelleted, shown below, and there are now pelleted ones that meet organic certification requirements).To get really good quality you need “unchecked growth”—no obstacles either literal (like rocky or otherwise tough soil) or meteorological (extremes of heat, cold or especially dryness). “Succulence and flavor wi

HERE’S ANOTHER RECIPE that doesn’t require a recipe—you know, like my “baked pears,” when the dish’s name itself tells you the whole story. Instead of baking pears, I’m making roasted vegetables this weekend, as I do most every week in giant batches.  But I suppose there are always questions, such as: peel first, or not, or how hot should the oven be, and what do I dress the vegetables with first?

MY TINY FAMILY’S GIANT TRADITION: Brussels sprouts! I bring over the homegrown, still-on-the-stalk, bigger-is-better sprouts to my sister’s each Thanksgiving, and we have at them, assisted enthusiastically by my brother-in-law (and pushed around the plate by my niece). That’s baby-sister Marion and a mock-terrified me showing off a recent holiday harvest–just one image of many in another long family tradition: taking crazy photos.  Individual crustless pumpkin pies and pureed sweet-potato soup with greens might be on the menu, too:Brussels sprouts are delightful just roasted (it’s easy to roast vegetables, like this), but lately I have become addicted to a “salad” at nearby Crossroads Food Shop.

The snow that covered 99 percent of my place three days ago is now holding on to only 15 percent, thanks to a few warmer days and a crazy deluge.  But the ground remains locked up tight, an inch of deceptive muck covering rock-solid frost.For now the kale and Brussels sit on the kitchen counter, atop a heat mat and beneath a plastic dome.  When those sprout, broccolis and parsley will go in my improv countertop germination chamber, and that first generation will move to a spot under lights.My tradition about now each year on the website is to post my seed order, but this time I’m embarrassed at wh

THE MOST IMPORTANT SUBSET of the fall garden cleanup chores: pest control. Fortunately all our needed cutbacks and raking of leaves–those sanitation efforts we’re all heading out to do, anyhow—help to reduce places for many garden pests to overwinter.

‘PLANT A CARROT, get a carrot, not a Brussels sprout,’ proclaims the song from the 1960 (and ongoing) musical “The Fantasticks.” But in 2014–no thanks to genetic engineering, gladly, but to charmingly low-tech creativity and total brilliance–you can plant a carrot and get a clarinet. I’ve been watching this over and again for weeks, and meant to share it sooner.

Lee is the author of so many books, including, “A Northeast Gardener’s Year,” “The Pruning Book,” “Weedless Gardening,” (enter to win a copy below) “Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden,” “Landscaping with Fruit,” and “Grow Fruit Naturally.”  He is also an exceptional vegetable gardener, so I was pleased to get his advice to get started with some new crops, and with some new tricks with familiar crops. He also shared a helpful seed-starting video, which is partway through the transcript below.Read along as you listen to the Feb. 8, 2016 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).my seed-starting q&a with lee reichQ. I guess I have to ask: Have you ordered all your seed?A. I have, actually. I try to get them all ordered before the end of the year.

The book, appropriately called “Bread Toast Crumbs,” by Alexandra Stafford, got me thinking about not just bread for, say, a sandwich, but about bread as an ingredient in the simple, delicious recipes I can concoct with my upcoming garden produce. Examples: a thick, roasted tomato and bread soup, or orecchietti pasta with brown butter, Brussels sprouts leaves and homemade bread crumbs, or a salad that becomes a meal when it’s a version of panzanella–reviving even stale bread in the best, delicious Tuscan fashion.Alexandra Stafford is the creator of the popular food website Alexandra’s Kitchen at alexandracooks dot com. Though “Bread Toast Crumbs: Recipes for No-Knead Loaves and Meals to Savor Every Slice” is Ali’s debut cookbook, it has earned raves from

You might remember Don from his last visit to the program, when he taught me how to grow onions like a pro from seed, one of the most popular subjects ever on my show and website. Well, apparently Don had somehow heard what was on my mind, because he wrote to suggest a conversation about what he calls Brassica success tips. Serendipity.Don Tipping has been growing and selling wholesale seed on his farm called Seven Seeds for about 20 years, and in 2009 started a retail seed company as well, Siskiyou Seeds, offering his own seed and also the best varieties from a number of organic seed-farming frie

I got advice on how to accomplish all that from Steve Bellavia, who joined Johnny’s Selected Seeds in 1993, where today he’s product manager in their research department for peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage. Varieties you may not have tried, like flat cabbage, or mini-broccoli, or green-stemmed cauliflower (above) might be a better match and give you better results than the most familiar versions; we talked about those and more.Read along as you listen to the April 12, 2021 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).best brassicas and how to grow th

Is Broccoli Man Made vegetable or natural – If you too have this question then we are here to clear your doubts once and for all! Explore the fascinating details of broccoli in this artcle!

Brussels sprouts are a healthy vegetable. They are a great source of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, and dietary fiber. However, their flavor reputation is notoriously bad. Brussels sprouts often find their way onto “most hated vegetable” lists. A veggie rarely eaten and often derided only a decade or two ago has now found its way onto trendy restaurant menus as a signature side or a featured appetizer. It turns out we were cooking them all wrong. Boiled-to-death Brussels sprouts slathered with processed cheese (yuck!) of my youth have given way to roasted, braised, and grilled dishes, some bacon wrapped or with a balsamic glaze (yum!). Brussels sprouts are now one of my family’s favorite dishes! So naturally, I wanted to try my hand at growing them.

This summer will be my umpteenth attempt at growing Brussels sprouts. I’m beginning to wonder if I have offended a garden gnome in some way and had a hex put upon me because although I have grown a great variety of vegetables and herbs in my garden beds over the years, I have been repeatedly denied the joy of harvesting a single Brussels sprout. Some years I’ve been able to grow the stalk, but not one sprout has sprouted. Other years, the plant fizzled early and nothing grew. But last year was the real heartbreaker.I

My partner will devour beets any old way, whether that’s in a bitter pickled version or a creamy cold soup.Me? I adore these root veggies, b

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Kale is an e

Saturday morning was filled with house chores and food shopping, and the afternoon was filled with a bell ringing competition, so there was no time in the day to pop out in the garden. So on Sunday after a little morning ringing (usual) and then a tip trip (not usual) first thing, when I finally got home I was in the garden for the rest of the day.

My name is Maria Nieuwenhof. I grew up on a dairy farm with parents who loved flowers and grew a large vegetable garden. So when I got married it was only normal for me to do the same thing. I moved 17 years ago to a new home in Ormstown, in southeastern Québec, where I took the gardens that the previous owner had started and went to work slowly “tweeking” them to my hand. I do not have the names of many of the varieties of flowers; lots of them were given to me by my father and friends. I usually come home with something when I visit friends and their gardens!

When I first installed raised beds in my garden, I often felt like a dolt and mistakes were thick on the ground. I’d neglect adding compost and then not understand why my raspberries weren’t thriving, for example. Or I’d forget to turn off my timer on a rainy day and kick myself for wasting water. I also assumed certain things that just weren’t true—like I couldn’t plant any summer vegetables after spring.  

Guacamole lovers and salad enthusiasts, the debate is on! The million-dollar question that has puzzled many culinary experts and food enthusiasts alike is finally here: Is An Avocado, A Fruit Or Vegetable? Delve deep into the botanical and culinary world of Avocados with us to uncover the true identity.

Want to enjoy cooking food outdoors, but don’t have space? Don’t worry, Balcony Garden Web is here for you! Check out our 8 exclusive outdoor balcony kitchen ideas. Copy one of them to start preparing and enjoying your meals outside in the open air with your family and friends!

Companion planting with flowers is the easiest technique to have a healthy harvest with the least effort. So, if you are planning one, check out the handpicked list of the Best Flowers for Attracting Pollinators to a Vegetable Garden!