Less Noise, More Green: November 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Autumn leaves are gardening gold



This time of year in New England is all about the leaves - not the colors (that is so last month) but the clean up. seemingly endless amounts of leaves are now on the ground, in yards and on the roads. Everywhere except for my house. Over the last year we lost two trees in front of our house to disease and our neighbor lost one of their trees. The result is very few leaves littering my property. On one hand that is a good thing - less raking- but on the other hand I want those leaves!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Softened Kale, Chicken and Citrus Salad

Softened Kale, Chicken and Citrus Salad, salad recipes

 I am growing both Tuscan and Red Russian Kales in my front yard edible landscape. Both of these varieties are attractive additions to the garden and as the plants grow, their spreading leaves become more dramatic. I also chose these varieties for their tender leaves. I love using kale in winter soups and stews but I wanted to be able to add more winter green salads to our diet this year.  Softened Kale, Chicken and Citrus Salad uses a massaging technique on the kale to tenderize the leaves so they can be eaten raw.  The result is a satisfying salad with greens robust enough to support hearty toppings.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Putting the bees to bed, honey tasting and feeling grateful I'm not a drone

Honey from Edible Forest Garden, RII haven't been able to help out with the URI Master Gardener Edible Forest Garden bee hive as much as I would have liked over the last couple of months but I was able to be there as the bees received their winter food and were tucked in against the upcoming cold.

Monday, November 10, 2014

My gardening split personality

Less Noise, More Green Edible Landscape Project, November 2014
What does your garden and gardening style reveal about you? I have been cleaning up and prepping my beds for their New England winter sleep and thinking about my gardening plans for next year: what crops will I grow again, where will I plant them and what new plants do I want to add?  As I'm working, it strikes me how different my thought process is regarding planning for my front and back gardens. I have two gardens and two completely different gardening styles, resulting in sort of a mullet haircut in reverse with a party in the front and all business in the back!