still fresh in feb

So here it is, the last day of February, and this is a whopping bowl full of freshly picked greens. Freshly as in literally five minutes ago. From my garden. Outside. In Pennsylvania. Did I mention that it's February? Quite obviously, I'm still tickled by my little salvaged-windows cold frame!

potato tower

Came across this nifty idea while trawling the pages of the time-sucking wormhole of inspirational prettiness DIY that is Pinterest. and yes, I was feeding my addiction of NEED MORE IDEAS while neglecting the completion of various other projects instigated by that very same site. DON'T JUDGE ME. but look, I conveniently wasted time so that YOU don't have to. apparently, this potato tower will enable you to plant several varieties of potatoes horizontally, with a potential yield of 25 pounds of pure potato in the fall. and not only is it far more aesthetically pleasing than the oft touted stacked tire method, harvesting in the fall is merely a matter of tipping the tower over, and leisurely gathering up all your produce. obviously, no digging is needed for planting or harvesting, which is definitely always a bonus in my book ( ironic, for the one with the degree in archaeology)... I've earmarked this for trial here in the spring, and conveniently enough I'll be able to use all those bits of woven wire netting I'm constantly saving. besides, all my tires have already been pressed into service under the gates as lamb barricades. Full, step by step directions can be found here.

survival of the warmest?

homemade pesto

For as long as I can remember, my mother's homemade pesto was one of the definitive tastes of summer. As I grew older, helping her make batches of pesto from the heaps of fresh basil in our garden became another summer tradition, one which signals the coming end of the season and thus intensifies our appreciation for these fleeting flavors. Five months from now, digging into that rich green sauce in the middle of the winter can bring an infusion of summer into the dreariest day.

The Dandelion Fairy

ripe persimmons

pepper harvest