Grow Your Own New Potatoes for Christmas

Garden designer Alison Jenkins in her Somerset smallholding

Buying new clothing is exciting. So exciting, in fact, that you probably want to put on your new pieces and show them off as soon as possible, right? But when you do, there’s probably a small part of you wondering, “Wait, should I have washed this first?”

While enjoying a slice of delicious locally-made pecan pie, I felt motivated to share with you some tips on growing and enjoying pecans. Whether you say “pee-can” or “peh-cahn,” they are one of the most nutritious nuts you can buy. Or grow for yourself!

T HERE IS LITTLE CHANCE THAT ANYBODY on this dirt road is stealing my garden-design ideas; they don’t want to go stark raving and have to take care of all this stuff. But our doodling friend Andre’s right: Cookie-cutter gardens all in a row would be no fun, and the garden’s a place for each of us to express our individuality, not try to recreate someone else’s picture or point of view.

My hero James Crockett of the original vintage 1970s “Victory Garden” PBS fame said he just left the carefully dug tubers out on top of the former row for a few hours to dry a bit, then put them in burlap or mesh bags in a cool, dark place at once. Even with a few days of light exposure, the potatoes would turn green and inedible.He didn’t bother with curing the crop, exactly, which is the more conventional advice today:Dig when the soil is dry, not wet, after the foliage has died down. I normally leave them right in the ground until I am ready for them in late fall, long after the plants have faded, to reduce indoor storage time, hoping for a dry spell later in the year. First, to gauge readiness, carefully dig a hill or two of potatoes, starting about a foot outside the hill itself and working inward, since po

I was holed-up here this winter for what seems like forever, and tried to be productive, coming up with some new features for your enjoyment. First, the disclaimer: things are still a little raw, just like the weather; it will take some time to tweak and cajole it all into best behavior. But here are the high points I hope you will enjoy:Typographic and design enhancements that make the blog more readable. Slide shows to enrich your garden “visits” (find them from the tab up top). Bulbs and a winter garden walk for now; lots

I AM A PROPONENT OF GROWING YOUR OWN; you just have to check my freezer and pantry the last couple of decades to see that. But a vegetable garden is not without its costs or its commitments—cash and elbow grease both required, and then some. Vegetable harvests, like money, don’t grow on trees.

APPARENTLY I AM OPERATING A PICK-YOUR-OWN blueberry farm, but my customers arrive early, before the fruit is even ripe; skip the baskets altogether, and leave without paying.

My inventory revealed I am also good on carrots, beets, Asian greens of various kinds, salad things (from mesclun mixes to lettuce, arugula and mustards), and all the herbs I like to grow. I’ve ordered tomato seedlings from a grower at my local farmers’ market; with my new book coming, I’m simplifying my seed-starting this year.HERE’S WHAT I AM allowing myself:CHARD, specifically ‘Argentata,’ with its giant leaves and thick white midribs; ‘Fordhook Giant,’ and ‘Ruby Red’ or ‘Rhubarb.’SPINACH, including ‘Tyee’ for good bolt-resistance among the Savoy types as the weather warms,  ‘Corvair’ (a recent smooth-leaf type, 40 days), ‘Regiment’ (new, 37 days, large leav

I need your help, in the form of a short survey (link at the bottom of this story), to decide if it’s a good idea, and what format it might take. The survey probably won’t take you more than 5 minutes to complete.Background: For more than 20 years, I’ve lectured to garden audiences, and also hosted Garden Conservancy Open Days at my own garden in the Hudson Valley of New York (as I will again).In 2016, in response to visitors’ requests requesting more time to chat and ask questions than is possible at the big tours, I added smaller, more personal half-day

It’s no secret that bathrooms are a hub for germs and bacteria in our homes, which is why we spend extra time and care ensuring that they are clean on a regular basis. But despite our best efforts, there are a few areas that are commonly overlooked, according to cleaning experts. Here are seven areas of your bathroom you’re probably forgetting to clean.

If you have a small gardening area but still you want to plant veggies, then employ these Best Tricks to Grow Vining Vegetables Like Never Before!