Homegrown Blog

Growing vegetables? Want to grow vegetables?

The Homegrown Blog gives you seasonal tips for growing vegetables, success in the edible garden, ideas on gardening with kids, and recipes for cooking homegrown food.

Latest issue of Homegrown is out

The latest issue of Homegrown is out. Find out about seed starting, storage onions, lemons, figs--and, as usual, cooking ideas.

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Making Holubtsi

”This is delicious!" declared Emma after we made the filling for holubtsi (cabbage rolls). I think she was eating as much as she was putting into the cabbage leaves.

I make the filling the way my great Aunt Anna taught me: rice, ground beef, onions, bacon, bacon fat...and the secret ingredient.

The secret ingredient? Dill. And don't be stingy with the dill.

GARDEN TIP: When dill is plentiful in the garden, I chop and freeze it.

If you allow dill to self-seed in the garden, you'll probably have a nice crop for freezing in late summer.)

The Untamed Garden: Garden Book Review

The Untamed Garden. Vegetable gardening books reviewed by journalist, horticulturist, and garden coach Steven Biggs.

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Readers Write: questions about growing vegetables and success in the edible gard

Readers write: questions about growing vegetables and success in the edible garden. Answered by Toronto horticulturist Steven Biggs on www.the-locavores-garden.com.

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Adventures in the Childrens Garden: growing vegetables with kids

Adventures in the Childrens Garden. Get ideas and have a laugh reading about growing vegetables with kids, in Steven Biggs’ Toronto garden.

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Kids Pick Crops

”Quinn, come and choose what to grow in your garden this year,” said Emma, coaxing him to the table.

I gave Emma the catalogue, not sure how interested she would be, let alone her brother. But there she was, circling what she wanted and directing Quinn to do the same.

Some of what the circled: carrots, gladiolus bulbs, strawberry plants, cherry tomatoes, and beets.

FREE Book in Time for Holiday Gifts

FREE BOOK. If you’re shopping online for gift books, but want to see them first, then check out the complete digital version of No Guff Vegetable Gardening for FREE.

Send an e-mail to info@noguffpress.com with (1) “sampler” in subject line, and (2) your first name and last initial in the body of the e-mail.

I’ll email you back with login details to view our great browser-based digital version for 1 month. No strings attached, and no unsolicited e-mail afterwards. I just hope you love the book enough to buy the print version as a gift!

Emma Teaches Transplanting

Last week I heard Emma (6) explain to Quinn (3) that tomatoes had self seeded in her garden from fruit that fell last year--and that there wasn't space for the tomato plants.

Later, I found them transplanting the tomato plants into soil-filled pots that were dotted around their play house!

Red Currant Jelly

Last night I decided to use up the last of the frozen 2010 red currant crop. I made what I usually make--red currant juice concentrate--except I overcooked it. Today I have a pitcher full of red currant jelly! Not a bad mistake.

On the Radio this weekend

This Sunday, 11:05 Atlantic time (10:05 ET), tune in on www.news957.com or listen live online as I chat with Niki Jabbour on The Weekend Gardener. (It airs across the Maritime provinces on the three Rogers stations.)