I have never been sorry I made a raised bed. And on the other hand, I have been very sorry for not making them. This last week of cold rain has confirmed again I am glad I did it. A few benefits of raised beds; The additional height provides deeper loose soil for...
Soil, the Secret to Success!
A Gardening Revolution!
(Garden planted in Daikon Radish that opens compact soil and adds lots of organic matter.) Funny how we change over time, isn’t it? When I look back over my 14 years of growing cut flowers commercially along with some vegetables thrown in for our own use, I can hardly...
Organic vs. Chemicals
My session at the seminar March 24 will cover why it is so important that we follow the example of natures natural system that we literally are fighting with when you use chemicals. Chemicals are intended to bypass what was thought to be needless steps the soil and...
The Power of Mulch and Healthy Soil
Our garden has just smiled throughout the amazingly high temperatures and drought this summer. I attribute this to the power of mulch and healthy soil.Almost every square inch of soil in our gardens is covered by either organic mulch in the pathways or...
Feeding the Soil
The secret of our success in farming has been the feeding and care of our soil, as opposed to focusing on just feeding plants. Continually adding organic matter (compost) to our gardens and using organic fertilizers and minerals have made our soil stronger,...
Only Work Dry Gardens!
The fall planted garden (about 12,000) plants covered in a blanket of snow. I removed the floating row covers from the hoops to keep them from smashing the plants. Snow acts as a wonderful insulating blanket. I am beginning to wonder if the garden will ever dry out...
Another Benefit of Raised Beds
We officially broke into the top 10 wettest years on record with the recent heavy rainfall here in Hampton Roads located in Southeastern Virginia, as of Dec. 10. The wettest year on record was in 1889 with 70.72 inches. We have had over 61 inches as off Dec 10 and I...
Mulching Mania!
From my June TGW Fresh from the Garden Newsletter: One of the tips I share in my lectures that most folks already know a little about but often don’t have the whole story on is mulching. This garden chore many of us think of as the finishing touch that makes...
Beware of wet garden soil!
The warm planting season is finally upon us here in southeastern Virginia and then it goes and rains for days on end and brings all of my plans of planting to a screeching halt. We need the rain so badly here that I shouldn't complain. However, the thousands of plants...