Juniper and River were both sleeping inside as Jay puttered around the house, so I seized the moment by taking solitary refuge in the garden. We have had a handful of cold, hard frosts now as fall makes way for winter. What a wonderful way to spend my Thanksgiving, working outside on the homestead to clean up leaf piles, pull the remains of the growing season, fill
Cat-Proof Raised Beds
Vegetable seeds have been getting gently tucked into the garden beds for several weeks now, but neighborhood cats have been a major problem. They see this seemingly “empty” area of fine textured soil and think it would make a great litterbox. Adding composted steer or chicken manure to your beds is one thing, but cat poop should not be in your beds. Cats can transmit parasites
Spring Row Covers
We are in the middle of a cool, wet spring which is very typical for the Pacific Northwest. Although you can plant several crops outside right now (kale, chard, lettuces, broccoli, etc), most vegetables won’t grow too much until the weather warms up. Thankfully, I have a trick for planting my vegetables outside a little earlier than most and encouraging strong growth through our mild
Prepping Beds for Winter
The days are growing darker and there is a bite in the morning breeze. Before the first frost hits, which for Portlanders is around November 15th, the homestead needs to be prepped for winter. We have had some fierce rain and wind storms already, so when we had a clear weekend I jumped on my garden to-do list. As we all know, vegetable plants suck
January Harvest
It has been a cold, dry January thus far – at least it seems that way to me. Some of the crops that typically overwinter uncovered have been barely hanging on. This chilly swiss chard is one example. The plants are still alive, but we won’t be harvesting them until it warms up enough for them to leaf out more. Inside, a not-super-sunny-window is providing
Protected Raised Beds
Vegetables and herbs grow all around the homestead, but a big portion of the harvest is grown in our four raised beds. They are as attractive as they are functional, but unfortunately we are not the only ones who feel that way. Neighbor cats and our backyard chickens also love the raised beds. The cats think it’s their communal litter box and the chickens would
Winter Harvesting
My outdoor garden beds have been providing me with a steady supply of the usual winter suspects: kale, swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, leeks, and tasty brussel sprouts. Oregon, especially the Willamette Valley, is fortunate to have relatively mild winters and we pretty much live on brassicas from November through February. This is the first winter I have had the pleasure of gardening with a
Is It Just Me?
Perhaps it is just my own impatience this year, but it seems like everything is taking longer than normal to grow in. I feel like my garden at home and my beds at the Urban Farm are like a watched pot that is not boiling. I hover over the sown seeds and little transplants searching for signs of growth. Partly it is my own fault.
Spring Greens
Oh, the wonders of a greenhouse! The Urban Farm has a pretty simple, plastic greenhouse that has been keeping me well-fed for the past month. This lovely photo is an abundant harvest from a couple weeks ago. Today we hauled out about twenty pounds of these fabulous greens. What we are looking at includes, starting at the top left and working clockwise, a) Romaine lettuce,