Have you ever wondered how certain plants are able to withstand sub-freezing temperatures and bloom even with the ground blanketed by snow and ice? The secret to their longevity lies in compounds known as antifreeze proteins (AFP), which work to protect the plant's cells from the degenerative effects of freezing temperatures. It may sound like science fiction, but some plants have cells that don't freeze. Here we'll take a closer look at…

The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love By Kristin Kimball-- I was charmed by this book, the story of a pair of first generation farmers building a working farm in upstate New York, powered by draft horses. There’s enough practical information in the book to be instructive to other young farmers inspired to follow in this couple’s footsteps, but for me the book’s charm lies with the story telling talent of the author Kristin Kimball (shown below). At the beginning…

In This Issue: My Mother's Garden A Brilliant Orchid Show in NY Grow Stockier, Bushier Tomato Plants This Year My Mother's Garden -- Recently I spent an afternoon gardening with my mother in northwestern Connecticut, just about 30 miles north of where I live, so that I could observe first hand what her secret to a beautiful garden is. When I got there she had her shovel deep in her compost bin.  Then she dropped the compost on a screen positioned over…

In This Issue: The Hunger Moon and Other Moons New Study Pinpoints Lyme Disease Risk Areas The Hunger Moon and Other Moons-- In The Old Farmers Almanac there is a name given to each full moon of the year. These are mostly adapted from early Native Americans who kept track of the passing seasons and tied their calendar to the full moons.   I was reminded of this last week by a friend who told me we were in “The Hunger…

In this issue Learning Seed Propagation at NY Botanical Garden Make Your own Maple Syrup Welcome Spring with a Farm-To-Table Brunch Learning Seed Propagating at NY Botanical Garden-- I am taking a plant propagating class at The New York Botanical Garden with one of their best instructors and a lifelong plantsman, Michael Ruggiero.  It’s a treat to learn from him. Last month in “The Curious Gardener” I talked about selecting seeds from mail order seed catalogs. In this article I will…

In this issue: Tips on Navigating Mail Order Seed Catalogs Feeding the Hungry: Just Do It! Gardeners Make Their Resolutions for 2011: The Winners Are… Navigating Mail Order Seed Catalogs-- A seasoned mail order gardener will tell you that the gardening year begins in the dead of winter when seed catalogs start arriving, long before local garden centers open their doors for spring.  I have finally joined the ranks of those who will be growing from seed this year –…

In this issue-- Mulch Your Garden Beds After the Ground Freezes What to Know About Houseplants and Your Cat Gardeners Make Their New Year's Resolutions Mulch Your Garden Beds After the Ground Freezes Where I live in the northeast the ground is just about frozen. This is my cue to protect the plants in my garden that have shallow roots.  This includes any new plants that have not had a full season to get established. Why now? The purpose of…

A Tuna Can Becomes A Tray Decoration If you know someone who is homebound over the holidays, this is an idea that will bring a smile to their face. I belong to a garden club and each year at our December meeting we put together little tray ornaments and deliver them to groups such as Meals on Wheels and local hospitals. We make over 300 of these tray ornaments. Here are the supplies you will need: -1 block of Oasis®…

In this issue: Host A Farm-To-Table Thanksgiving Discover the Legacy of the first World Trade Center Host A Farm-To-Table Thanksgiving-- We’ve all witnessed the growth in farmers markets, but the latest trend is indoor, year round farmers markets. When I heard this I decided to host my first farm-to-table Thanksgiving.  I located a website that tells me where the closest market is to me at this time of year.  Our Pawling Farmers Market is a summer-only open air market ,…

It is time to think about putting your garden to bed, harvesting your crops and preparing for next year’s garden. Here are some of my fall tips for the edible garden. Be Safe—The Society of American Hand Therapists recently announced that wearing gardening gloves was at the top of their list for preventing gardening injuries. Womanswork has a pair to suit every hand, task and season. In this month's Martha Stewart Living, she features the Womanswork Goatskin Glove as one of her "Finds" for…