Planet Veggie Garden

When it comes to roots, you can’t beat beets for it’s sweet taste and nutritional punch.
If you are only familiar with the canned beets typically found in salad bars you are in for a real treat if you grow and cook your own!
Beets are believed to have it’s roots in Africa, migrating to Asia and [...]

Time to celebrate. We’re back on the road to productivity…It’s safe to go back into the garden!

A Piece of the Rainbow

After the rats ate all our chard, we began to go into withdrawal. We love chard!
Though it was the end of summer we went ahead and started some seeds in an undisclosed location to transplant [...]

with ‘Bright Lights’ Rainbow Swiss Chard. A colorful addition to any garden and a healthy addition to your plate.

Bright Lights Rainbow Chard

Another candidate for “Vitamin in a Pot”
Easy to grow, Swiss Chard is related to beets and spinach with a flavor a bit reminiscent of both. Eat the stems for a nice crunch.
Contrary to it’s [...]

Yesterday we learned the health benefits of garlic. Today, we plant garlic.
First a bit more information on garlic…
A member of the Onion Family
There are hundreds of varieties of garlic organized within two types:

hard neck – sends up a central flower stalk called a scape, usually has fewer but larger easy peel cloves; prefers cooler [...]

-not just to your loved ones after eating copious amounts of garlic or it’s purported ability to ward off vampires. Though with Halloween coming up, that may come in handy. In Taoist mythology, six clove black garlic can give you supernatural powers and immortality.  Another handy thing to have…
Native to Asia, garlic has been revered [...]

kale…
From yesterday’s post we know Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can grow.
Kale is considered a Fall to Spring vegetable since cool temperatures and light frost improves the flavor. Heat creates a more intense flavor which I myself enjoy. Heat also tends to make kale bolt – or go to seed. One [...]

All hail Kale! If all you could do was plant one vegetable – Kale is it!

Lacinato aka Dinosaur Kale

Kale is a member of the Brassica or Cruciferous or Cabbage family – along with collards, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, mustard, turnips, rutabagas and radishes.
Not only is it fairly easy to grow from seed, it can be [...]

It’s the first day of Fall and what better way to celebrate than to feature one typical fall vegetable.
When planting this spring and visiting various nurseries to buy starts – I thought it would be nice to have a pumpkin for the Fall. While searching for a pumpkin plant I saw a butternut squash and [...]

well, not exactly as in literally gardening at midnight.
I’ve been thinking of the moon lately – especially since it was just one of my favorite Chinese holidays the Autumn Moon Festival. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month – September 14th this year – gives us the most incredible Harvest moon – rising on [...]

Plate of Peppers

Late summer and fall is the time to harvest peppers. I always know we are quickly heading to the end of summer when the peppers are ripe and ready.
Peppers are relatively easy to grow – they are members of the Nightshade family (same as tomatoes, eggplant and potatoes) and like to have at [...]