I know I always brag about how many cool things are going on in Columbus. Tell me if it’s getting old. But seriously, one can never be bored here! Here are a few events coming up for those who enjoy life, food, and gardening: Nurtur the Salon Makeover Contest – Nominate someone deserving to receive a full makeover at Aveda salon Nurtur in Upper Arlington. I am a judge so I can’t nominate or be [...]

l to r: pimento, Jimmy Nardello, pepperoncini, purple beauty Last year, sexy tomatoes stole my heart. 2011 is the year of pretty homegrown peppers.   Added to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday.

Trash or Treasure? In this pile of salsa-making scraps, what do you see? Trash? Compost? How about the genetic code necessary to plant a whole garden of peppers next year? By taking a little bit of time now, in the height of the harvest season, home gardeners can save seeds for next year. Which Seeds Most popular Mid Western garden seeds are easily saved. Tomatoes, peppers, beans, and squash take little more than a piece [...]

Every year I commit to growing something completely new to me. This year, that distinction went to sesame. I sprinkled seeds, liberated from Franklin Park Conservatory, in rich soil in mid May. They sprouted and grew to three feet tall. A string of pentagonal buds formed into sweet white flowers. Below the flowers, strings of five pointed pods grew around the stem. The pods are swollen and dark green now. In time they will dry [...]

“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to it’s liberty and interests by the most lasting bands.” – Thomas Jefferson, 1785 TJ makes a pretty strong statement there. Are we gardeners truly the most valuable citizens? We are surely vigorous. Gardeners turn soil, move hoses, bend to pick weeds, and carry harvest. Observing [...]

After a spring devoid of garden success (sparrows ate the peas, springs crops like radishes bolted too quickly, lettuces were slow to grow), I welcome summer. Warmer temperatures and less torrential rain will surely help our sustainable garden grow. Grapes, tomatoes, and peppers bend with fruit and hope for autumn harvest. Greens and herbs grow by inches overnight. Insects exchange flower dust for nectar in the symbiotic relationship that creates so much of our food: [...]

I don’t usually admit to being fearful. I’m the over-confident one, eager to offer advice and assistance. But truly, the month of May has me feeling a little anxious. Here’s what I’m worried about: Pecha Kucha – On Thursday the 12th, I will present my ideas about ‘When You Know Your Food’ to a crowd, possibly a very large crowd. The facebook invite has over 350 RSVPs and the last event had between 600-700 audience [...]