Fall & Winter Gardening

September 1st, 2010

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant.”

~Robert Louis Stevenson

It’s time to start those seeds for you fall/winter garden. Time to seed: turnips, radicchio, kale, overwintering onions, winter radishes, lettuce and spinach. It’s also time to sow some clover under your tomatoes.

Last week I started seeds for: ‘Catalina’ and ‘Bloomsdale Longstanding’ spinach, ‘Big Boston’ lettuce, fall greens mix, ‘Japanese Minowase’ radishes, ‘Round Black Spanish’ radishes. This week I’ll be starting some ‘Evergreen Hardy Bunching’ onions and more spinach and fall lettuce and maybe some turnips and radicchio. Don’t forget to order your garlic if you’re hoping to plant some this fall, if you wait to long you may not be able to find it. I ordered mine from Gourmet Garlic Gardens.

Have you planted anything for fall/winter yet?

Quote of the Day: Thomas Edison

August 29th, 2010

“Until man duplicates a blade of grass,
nature can laugh at his so called scientific knowledge”

~ Thomas Edison


The longer I garden and learn about the balance of nature the less I realize I know. As my gardens live organically each additional year I’m amazed at how nature balances itself out without me having to step in. When I try to step in I upset the balance and who knows what the ramifications will be, especially down the road. I’m now even content to let horn worms eat my tomatoes, and the cabbage worms eat my brassicas, I know they make tasty treats for birds, or be a host for beneficial wasps.

How has your view of nature changed throughout your gardening career?

If you’d like a copy of this quote on this photo it’s on my Flickr.

Quote of the Day: M.F.K. Fisher

August 15th, 2010

“The smell of good bread baking,
like the sound of lightly flowing water,
is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight”

– M.F.K. Fisher, The Art of Eating


We’ve certainly been enjoying a lot of freshly baked ciabatta bread, made with freshly ground flour. I think this is my favorite kind of bread, great any way you want to eat it crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside – MMMMMM.

What’s your favorite kind of bread?

Quote of the Day: Albert Einstein

August 8th, 2010

“Look deep into nature,
and then you will understand everything better. ”

~Albert Einstein


Sometimes looking at things from a different angle helps.

Have you noticed anything interesting in your gardens recently?

Quote of the Day: Unknown

August 1st, 2010

“The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone
is how you use them.”

~Unknown

I’ve mentioned before about the rocky soil we have here at Chiot’s Run. Whenever I have to plant something it takes a long time to dig a hole and fish out all the rocks.

I could let this be a stumbling block and never plant anything, it is a HUGE pain after all and it takes a LONG time to plant anything. Instead, I see it as a bonus and I use these rocks for rock walls and stepping stones throughout the garden. Instead of being a big problem, they’re a big asset! Not to mention it’s good for my back and my biceps!

Do you have any stumbling blocks that you’ve harnessed as a bonus in your garden?

Recent Comments
  • Lynn: I’m seeding broccoli, cauliflower, many lettuces, chards, kales, cabbages and asian veggies and herbs. Our hot weather just...
  • Jennifer Fisk: We haven’t had normal rainfall on the Maine coast so I’ve had to water twice. I use the sprinkler like yours...
  • Jackie: We haven’t had rain since May. But that’s normal for Central CA. We probably won’t get any rain until October....
  • Richard: This will be my first attempt. Will be going to a local fram to purchase plum tomatoes. How many pounds should I figure per...
  • Joshua: We’re having no trouble with rain at all here at the Wallow in east TN. I say that, but now that I think about it, there...
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About

This is a journal of my small organic gardens in north eastern Ohio, zone 5(a). Our gardens are named after our dog Lucy, a big brown/black lab mix from the local pound. We started calling her “Chiots” when she was a puppy and the name stuck. She thinks the yard and gardens belong to her, she chases away all squirrels & rabbits and the UPS man.

Our yard is very small and fairly shady, we are surrounded by woods all 3 sides. The soil is made up of rocks and clay, not the best, but I’ve spent 7 years adding chicken manure & compost. When we first moved in 8 years ago, the gardens were in terrible shape from years of neglect and too many chemical pesticides and fertilizers. It has taken years to reset the balance of nature and we're finally starting to see the fruit of our efforts. We unearth worms when we dig and we are seeing more and more birds and beneficial insects in the gardens. The soil is also starting to improve after years and years of hard work amending it with all kinds of organic compost.

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