Preserving Summer’s Bounty
- On September 18, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Veggies
0
All summer, boxes of veggies have been coming into our house each week from the CSA we belong to and I’ve struggled to find ways to prepare them all before they go to waste. Now that fall is approaching, that bounty is sure to grow even bigger as everything gets harvested before winter. If you’re in this same boat, or are expecting a bounty from your own garden, I hope this column will come in handy as you look for ways to preserve veggies and herbs.
Of course, canning always comes to mind when you think of preserving fresh produce for winter. But, to be honest, I don’t have it in me to can. I’m just not that ambitious. If you are not as lazy as I am, however, you might want to check out the website of the National Center for Home Food Preservation: (uga.edu/nchfp). There you’ll find all kinds of information on canning and just about every other preservation method you can think of.
Read More»Growing Veggies in Containers
- On June 19, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Container Gardening, Veggies
- 0
You don’t have to have a plot of land to grow veggies. I’m happy to say that there are plenty of edibles that can be grown in containers right on a patio, front stoop or even a balcony. But there are a few good tips to know if you want to be successful.
Because these pots will be part of your outdoor living space for the whole season, you may want to take some time to choose some you’d really enjoy looking at every day. As you shop, keep in mind that small pots will dry out very quickly in the hot summer sun. Even if you are home and can water a couple of times a day, your plants are likely to wind up stressed out if they’re constantly drying out and being water over and over again. That’s why I’d recommend going with pots no smaller than 14–16 inches in diameter and at least a foot deep. Bigger is even better, but they’ll be hard to move — even with one of those rolling plants stands from IKEA that I mentioned last month. (Don’t use any container that doesn’t have a good drainage hole.)
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