Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Winchester Gardens

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Blood meal, to some, may seem like a boring topic but the importance of this product is what makes it interesting.

Blood meal, by nature, comes from organisms that bleed and in doing so that means animals.

Winchester Gardens have come up with a way of providing the organic gardener with an organic source of blood meal.

At this point, one may be asking how and the answer is simple. Their blood meal only comes from organically grown porcinis, which provides a hormone-free and antibiotic-free product.

But what would a gardener need blood meal for in the first place. First, the blood meal Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Just a few years ago, I became acquainted with the wonderful eggplant.

I was at a friend’s house and he fixed grilled eggplant Parmesan.

Oh how wonderful it was and it tasted very similar to the omnivore type that I have had many times.

After I had this dish, I was determined to grow my own. Through my own experience, I have developed four secrets to growing wonderful eggplants and handling the tough ones.

1. Buy at the right time.  Many gardeners buy their plants too early and in doing so plant them too early. Eggplants should be bought late in the season once the soil has warmed. The plants that you choose should be fruit and bloom free. If you have to buy your plants early, plant them in a gallon container and move outside when the days warm.

2. Plant at the right time.  Eggplants do not do well when the temperatures are cool. They also do not do well when planted early and protected with cloches. The best time to plant eggplant is when the soil warms or as soon as your local frost-free date has passed. Read the rest of this entry »

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Oh how I love blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and gooseberries but so does rabbits, deer and other creatures of the wild.

While I am completely against killing these creatures great and small, I do utilize organic techniques that deter them away from my fruit crops.

Below are 5 techniques that I have used successfully.

The key to using these techniques is to always change it up. Animals, just like humans, become accustomed to everyday noises and distractions. Changing it up, keeps the animals on their toes or claws, no pun intended, and protects your crop.

1. Flash Tape – This tape is a specially designed tape that is red on one side and silver on the other. The tape is strung so that it twists upon it self. This twisting moves in the wind and gives the illusion of fire. To utilize this technique to its fullest, only put it out when you begin to see damage and take down at the end of the season or when the fruit is gone. Leaving it up will allow the animals to get used to it and it will become ineffective.

2. Loud Noises – A radio playing loudly can Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: Fall garden by Indy Kethdy’s used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

I am always sad when it comes to the end of a gardening season.

I think about the dishes I fixed, funny stories that I will share with my friends and how I and my garden have grown together.

This year, I have also thought about what the future holds for me and my family.

My family dynamics have changed. I am now an empty nester whose children visit for the fresh produce they miss.

I am also getting older and issues in the garden that drove me crazy in the past just seem to be part of life instead of an intrusion on my time. But as I walk down the garden path of the past, I also need to be cleaning it up so that I have a clean palate for the next garden season.

The first thing I do at the end of the season is to Read the rest of this entry »

Photo Credit: Red Bibb Lettuce by Justin Leonard used under CC BY 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Gardening year round is one way I keep my food budget low or at least my vegetable cost.

But I cannot grow everything year round without a greenhouse and pollinators.

Below is a list of my favorite vegetables to grow in the fall and early spring along with some of my favorite out of the season growing techniques.

• Bibb lettuce which is a wonderful addition to any salad and wilted with bacon, hard boiled eggs and a vinegar-based salad dressing.
• Kale which is a superb green that is highly nutritious and easy to fix. It makes a wonderful salad raw, steamed and/or wilted with bacon and apples.
• Spinach is another highly nutritious green that can be eaten raw, cooked, sautéed, and creamed.

The techniques for growing these wonderful greens abound but I have found 3 simple techniques that do not require special equipment and/or commitment.

1. Growing in a pot. Greens are very Read the rest of this entry »