Grow Something

Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables.  They probably get jet-lagged, just like people.
~Elizabeth Berry

Seedings in a Greenhouse

Grow Something

If you eat you owe it to yourself to cultivate horticultural skills to enhance your culinary explorations, and to save vegetables and fruits from jet-lag, or worse yet– road rage!

Recipes are only as good as the ingredients used in them, and fresh, ripe, homegrown produce that’s neither tired nor angry is the gold standard.

Not prepared to dig up lawn? A pot of culinary herbs such as basil, oregano, and chives is a good beginning, with a caveat: culinary herbs are gateway edibles and may lead to a full-blown gardening addiction.

Print Friendly

Seed Starting Tips

January 13, 2012

Few creations in this world are as miraculous as a single seed. Inside each tiny package, some of which are smaller than the head of a pin, an embryonic plant sleeps, dreaming of the day it’s called to serve its intended purpose.

How to Grow Kale

July 16, 2011

Another of those glorious cool season dark leafy greens, kale holds the promise of a happy palate, full stomach and good health.

Growing Spinach

July 16, 2011

If you have your heart set on growing spinach—either flat leafed or crinkled (savoyed)—so you can be big and strong like Popeye the Sailor Man, then plant this cool season annual when it’s…well…cool outside. Actual planting dates vary depending on where you live.

Making Produce Pop(p)

June 18, 2011

Mason Popp grows a food garden in his backyard, as well as inside a greenhouse for Sagra Trattoria in Austin, Texas. In the greenhouse he's figured out how to grow healthy, productive heirloom tomatoes and a wide variety of herbs. I asked him to share some of his gardening tips with us, and he kindly obliged.

Irrigating the Garden

April 30, 2011

The site of lush green lawns and luxuriant flower borders have been known to take one’s breath away. Yet if the caretakers of such pastoral scenes are not wise in the ways of watering, the amount of water used to maintain them can cause you to gasp for breath.

What to Plant Now

April 30, 2011

In May, when the majority of gardeners in states north of the Mason-Dixon line are just planting their spring vegetable gardens, those of us in Texas and points south have been there and done that and have our sights set on summer.

Spike Gillespie’s Yard Before and After Yard Farm

April 30, 2011

Writer, Spike Gillespie, lives in Central Austin, just east of the University of Texas and downtown. The small, charming homes in her neighborhood were built in the 1940s and 1950s. The yards are good sized, and the houses not too close.

Growing Citrus in the Home Garden

March 19, 2011

The seductive fragrance of the blooms and the promise of aromatic, sweet and tangy fruits entice those of us who live in places not hospitable to growing citrus to try it anyway.

Homegrown Tomatoes

February 26, 2011

If you are a fan of tomatoes--the most popular food crop in the home garden, then you ought to grow them at least once so you can know firsthand the joy of an honest, fresh, ripe tomato.

Spring Garden Success

February 26, 2011

Growing your own food isn't rocket science, but it does take a little patience and knowledge. You're on your own for the patience, but we can help you with a few tips to supplement your knowledge base.