Goat Hill Report, 2022-05-13

Goat Hill Report, 2022-05-13

Friday morning May 13 several Friends of Goat Hill gathered to work on the Goat Hill berry bramble patch – weeding, mulching, and pruning away dead canes that escaped our attention back in February when we held our big pruning days. Now that plants are 

On Growing Trombocino Squash

On Growing Trombocino Squash

Every year, I grow a few new things in the kitchen garden – be it a new cultivar of something I have grown before, or a brand new vegetable. You never know what success you may have, and how much you might like the plant 

On Growing, Harvesting, and Curing Sweet Potatoes

On Growing, Harvesting, and Curing Sweet Potatoes

We love sweet potatoes for many reasons: #1. They are easy to grow and pest free – provided that you can protect them from mice (they eat the tubers) and deer (they eat the vines) #2. They are delicious (if properly cured – I’ll tell 

It’s not too late to make sweet potato slips.

It’s not too late to make sweet potato slips.

Sweet potatoes are now a winter staple in our household, because they are tasty, nutritious, versatile in the kitchen, fairly easy to grow and store well. Despite their name they are NOT a potato (no more than a day-lily is a “lily” or a primrose 

Signs of Spring

  March 30:  black currant leaves just visible. April 2: 14F (14F!!!!!!) at night. Forecast called for 24. I did not cover my newly planted brassicas. A week later they show damage – the outer leaves show large whitish spots. April 3: spotted the first 

Restarting The Kitchen Garden

I wish I could say that year-round gardening is the way of life here. But it has not been true for the last couple of years when several things have – ahem! – come in the way of winter gardening. So it’s spring, and I 

On Cardoon

My husband says “cardoon” sounds like something out of The Lord of The Rings. I say it’s more like Deep Space 9. Either way, we love it here. It’s beautiful in the garden and it’s delicious (recipe at the end of the post) While I 

Postcard from The Garden

The bumble bees – I have really been noticing them this year – and how hard they are working:  on the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the squash, the blackberries and the raspberries – and yes on ornamental too, like this sulfurous cosmos. Thank you, my ladies!

Growing Ginger In Virginia

  Nothing could be simpler than growing ginger in Virginia. It’s almost true.   Ginger is reasonably ornamental – a reed-like plant with clear green leaves. While it can be grown in the vegetable or herb garden, it is not out of place with ornamental 

Late Fall Gardening

It’s amazing what a basic (read “scrounged”) cold frame or fleece (agricultural fabric) can do in extending the planting and harvesting season. The simple and inexpensive protection makes a huge difference by giving the plants a few more heat degrees and some wind protection.