NUTRITIOUS CHOICES MADE SIMPLE
The shift in seasons brings a timely change for home chefs. The weather always inspires and influences what we create in the kitchen. Now is the perfect time to start enjoying the many dishes that bring spring colors to our plates.
We've been sharing the advice we find on gardening during April, but we know many of our readers are gardening experts as well. Help us out!
If you're an avid gardener who prefers to start your plants from seeds, you may have heard of a handy item called a soil blocker. Pros use these gadgets to quickly create uniform blocks of soil with divets at the right depth for each type of seed. The blocks can go directly into the garden, without having to buy peat pots every year or save egg cartons or create waste from plastic trays. Jason Beam's Soil Blocker Blog offers a great list of tips for beginners, outlining common mistakes you'll want to avoid. Here are a few particularly useful tips:
When my husband and I bought our house last fall, we had no idea what bounty our yard had in store for us. As we've watched the mystery sticks of November bud and bloom and put on fruit, it's been a pleasure to discover the wealth of food resources our plot has in store. Many of these foods can be found in the wild elsewhere in New England--maybe along the side of the road, or maybe even in your backyard!
Are you new to gardening? As you're picking out those beautiful plants to pop into the ground, keep in mind that some are easier to work with than others. Plants that require special care to produce great veg might not be the best options for beginners, especially those of us with busy schedules.
Even in the northern climates, the ground is starting to warm up enough to plant those tender little seedlings you've been nursing in your sunniest window for the past few weeks. Have you thought of where you're going to put them in your garden? Plants interact with one another, sometimes in helpful and sometimes in detrimental ways. Take our advice and spending a little time thinking about companion planting before you go down on your hands and knees to play in the dirt.
There’s a growing worldwide concern for the plight of honey bees. Colony Collapse Disorder--where entire colonies of bees seem to vanish without a trace--has been blamed on pesticides made by Bayer. The bees’ nervous systems are affected, and they are apparently unable to find their way back to the hive. Numerous articles and films like Vanishing of the Bees and Queen of the Sun have helped spread the word and encouraged folks to help the bees. Concern for bees is as widespread as concern for polar bears stranded by melting sea ice.
Finally, the whole country is going green.
Organic, natural, beautiful, and tasty green.
What better way to go green than to grow green?
Greens that is. Collards, kale, turnips greens, mustard greens, you name it. Swiss Chard, spinach, all yummy. These vegetables not only represent a wealth of health, but are also very easy to grow and prepare for meals.