These left over rice patties are crunchy and savory with a fresh flavor that comes from a variety of garden herbs. I got a rice cooker a while ago and now I make rice all the time. When I prepare it, I usually make extra servings so that I can have some on hand to …
Tomato bottom rot is a problem that many vegetable gardeners face. What causes that ugly black rot on tomatoes? There is nothing like biting into a lush, ripe garden tomato that you have spent months growing. Discovering those prize tomatoes with large rotten areas on them is no fun, though. What what causes those ugly …
Do you have a problem with radishes not growing bulbs? This is a common issue in a vegetable garden. What causes this to happen? Radishes – raphanus sativus – have edible greens which can be used in salads, but the main reason they are grown is for their crunchy and spicy round root. Expecting to …
Yellow leaves on tomato plants can be caused by several reasons. Nutritional deficiencies, plant diseases, and even the way you water tomatoes can play a part. Getting the right answer for why there are yellow leaves on tomato plants in your garden requires lots of research and a bit of trial and error. Tomatoes are …
The tobacco hornworm is a voracious eater that can do a great deal of damage in a flower or vegetable garden. It is a pest in the family Solanaceae. The tobacco hornworm is quite commonly seen in the southern United States, especially the Gulf Coast States. Its range extends northward as far as New York. Caterpillars …
These Christmas plants will have your home full of color, beauty and good cheer this year. Even though the outdoor garden season has ended for many of us, that doesn’t mean that holiday plants can’t be front and center right now. December 12 is National Poinsettia Day. It is fitting that the most popular Christmas …
How to preserve carved pumpkins is a problem unique to fall. Autumn is the time of the year when temperatures drop, pumpkin harvest is here, and leaves start to change color. It’s also the time for homes to start decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving and this includes carving pumpkins. It’s not unusual to see hay …
With October comes the cooler temperatures, falling of leaves, and of course pumpkin carving time. For the perfect carved Jack O Lantern, be sure to familiarize yourself with this list of the best pumpkins for carving. When it comes to choosing pumpkins for carving projects, not all pumpkins are equal. As a matter of fact, …
This Brussels sprouts leaves recipe makes great use of parts of the plant that might end up on a compost pile or in the trash can. Brussels sprouts leaves (AKA tops) are not sold in stores. You get them by growing the plants themselves. The leaves that are used for this recipe are the ones that …
If you are a gardener on the road and looking for things to do in Wyoming, one of your most often searched terms is likely to be “botanic gardens near me.” Luckily for you, Cheyenne Botanic Gardens will be a search result worth exploring. My husband and I are spending a few weeks visiting botanical …
If you are a gardener and are looking for things to do in Montana, be sure to add Tizer Botanic Garden & Arboretum to your trip itinerary. Located in the heart of the Elkhorn Mountains, in Jefferson City, Montana, is a delightful botanic garden with a whimsical feel. The garden is situated on 6 acres …
Do you have a problem with soil born diseases in your cucumber plants? These cucumber trellis ideas will help to solve this stumbling block. Anyone who has grown cucumbers knows that they take up a LOT of room in a vegetable garden. One way to overcome the space problem is to use trellises or other climbing …
Does your vegetable garden have more unripe tomatoes than you can use in salads? Are you wondering what to do with unripe tomatoes? Try using some of the green ones for this fried green tomatoes recipe. This delicious side dish makes a nice change from raw tomatoes and is very, very tasty. There is nothing …
Hydrangea color change is always a surprise to gardeners. You buy a plant with blue blooms only to discover later that the blossoms are now pink. Why does this happen and what can you do about it? Hydrangeas are a very popular garden plant. They are a perennial shrub that comes in a variety of …
The gardens are booming right now and many of my readers ask “why are my cucumbers turning yellow, round and deformed?” It could be the result of avoiding some common vegetable gardening problems, or might be another issue. Let’s see if we can figure out why this happens! Cucumbers are a popular warm season vegetable. …
Trying to control squash bugs can seem like an insurmountable task when you find them in your vegetable garden. If you grow zucchini or squash, you may be familiar with trying to deal with a squash bug infestation. These bugs can do a huge amount of damage, particularly to new plants. Young seedlings and plants …
Onions are a vegetable that I use almost every day in recipes. Growing onions at home is easy, as long as you have a sunny garden spot and a patient nature. Onions are a cool weather crop. Get started early on your planting and you will be enjoying fresh onion bulbs by the middle 0f …
After a long winter where not much is growing in the garden, it’s nice to have an early crop that likes the cold. Growing sugar snap peas gives the gardener a much anticipated outdoor task to do at this time of the year. Peas like cool temperatures and have a tendency to fade out when …
Bay Leaf plants are slow growing trees with leaves that are used as seasoning in cooking. It is also known as bay laurel, sweet bay and simply laurel. If you enjoy growing herbs, this is a great one to try, since it has a very aromatic flavor. Bay leaf plants are a member of the …
If you are looking for an easy to grow vegetable that ranks right up there in popularity with tomatoes, try growing green beans. Growing string beans is so easy that even gardeners with a brown thumb will be successful. The key is to wait until the ground is nice and warm. Even kids can get …
This curried carrot soup makes a wonderful and luxurious starter to a healthy meal. The recipe uses tofu, scallions and vegetable broth and is very easy to make. I’ve recently adopted a vegan diet along with my daughter Jess. The original recipe for carrot soup had lots of butter and cream, so we had to …
If you have never tried to grow sweet potatoes before, you are in for a treat. Starting sweet potato slips is easy to do and lots of fun. Slips are the rooted sprouts that grow from an actual mature sweet potato. They are used to grow new sweet potato plants. Growing sweet potato slips is a …
These 20 creative uses for extra large silicone ice cube trays show that they are not just for making ice! If you eat and drink out much, you may have noticed a new trend that has taken over the food and drink industry. The ice cubes are getting larger and larger. Large ice cubes are …
Do you use baking soda for plants? Baking soda in the garden can be used in lots of different ways. Many of us think of baking soda in conjunction with various indoor “green cleaning” techniques. It has so many uses in the house, that it makes sense that it will work outdoors too. We all …
Growing ginger from root is a fun kid’s project. Ginger is a tropical plant that is easy to grow indoors. All you need is a piece of fresh ginger, some water and some soil to get a plant growing. It seems that I am on a growing from scraps kick lately. There are many vegetables …
If you love to cook, you know that cooking oil stains on clothing are a common place occurrence. Fortunately, oil stains on clothes are easy to remove if you follow a few simple tips. Removing cooking oil stains from clothes can sometimes be quite hard to do, and it can be especially hard if the …