The Novelty Factor

Tomato 'Variegated' fruits

The last few springs, I’ve promised myself that I’m going to concentrate my veggie-growing efforts on the relatively boring but dependable crops that Mom and I like best: ‘Candy’ onions, ‘Carnival’ squash, ‘Chioggia’ beets, ‘Red Brandywine’ tomatoes, kohlrabi, turnips, and some basic greens. And yet, when I’m placing my seed orders, I still get tempted by the novelty factor, unable to resist the lure of trying something really out of the ordinary. This past spring, I succumbed yet again, and as usual, I had mixed results.

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A Wonder of a Berry

Wonderberry in fruit salad Aug 10 09

A link to a guest post I wrote about sunberry, also known as wonderberry or garden huckleberry, for Meadowwood Garden: A Wonder of a Berry.

Published in: on August 14, 2009 at 4:15 am  Comments (3)  
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Herb Mustard and Edible Publications

herbs-for-mustard-nov-21-08

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Granted, writing about food that isn’t still attached to roots is a bit of a stretch for me. Those of you who have been reading here a while know that I’ve mentioned a few (hundred) times that I’m not much of a cook. It’s not that I lack the basic skills: I can cook when the mood strikes, but it doesn’t happen often. I put a great deal of thought and time into preparing feed for my animals, but for myself…well, it seems like a poor use of time I could use to garden or read or play Neopets. But I do have a few things I enjoy making, mostly because Mom likes them too: granola, roasted root vegetables, and onion soup. And once a year, a batch of herb mustard. (more…)

Published in: on November 27, 2008 at 3:35 pm  Comments (7)  
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Hayefield Happenings

Hayefield House from orchard path June 8 08

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Wow, I can’t believe how fast the weeks are passing. So much for the days of blogging every day or two! Besides the usual busy-ness of this time of year in my own garden, I’ve been working every other day at a friend’s nursery/garden center for the past month, installing and maintaining some huge new gardens, so I’ve been gloriously immersed in extended hours of hands-on gardening every single day.

In many ways, it brings back the days when I used to be a professional gardener. I enjoyed it then, but I remember it being pretty tough physically. Getting back into it 20 years later, I find it’s actually easier now, maybe because I have a lot more experience, and a good selection of time-tested tools as well. Still, dealing with the intense heat we’re experiencing now in PA is tough at any age, so I’m grateful to be indoors for today. (more…)

Published in: on June 8, 2008 at 1:36 pm  Comments (13)  
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Non-Green Greens and Perennial Potatoes

Mustard Ruby Streaks and Golden Streaks May 22 08

Text and photos ©Nancy J. Ondra

Late spring is prime time for picking great salad fixings from the garden. We generally refer to them as “greens,” but there are many intriguing options to choose from that are anything but plain old green. One of my new favorites is a mustard variety called ‘Ruby Streaks’; it’s the jagged purple foliage shown above. The other variety shown is ‘Golden Streaks’. It’s even more frilly, and it makes a great contrast to ‘Ruby Streaks’, but it doesn’t appear nearly as golden next to other greens. (more…)

Published in: on May 22, 2008 at 5:53 pm  Comments (9)  
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