Author Archives: Tony

Another way to start a garden

When you get ready to start a garden, it is nice to kill off all the grass, add plenty of compost, get your ground tilled up, and put together a nice garden plot.  Better yet, you could build raised beds … Continue reading

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An alternative method for staking garden plants

Some plants need to be staked for various reasons.  Some need support.  Others just make better vegetables when staked.  It is probably universally agreed that tomatoes and beans need to be staked, but others may not be so obvious. I … Continue reading

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Fun and frugal summer holiday getaway

Sometimes it is nice to just get away for a bit.  Independence Day gives us a great opportunity to do that.  With many people off work and kids out of school for the summer, it is a good chance to take … Continue reading

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What happens when you leave your garden alone for a few days

Recently, I was out of town for a week and this is what I found when I got home: I had a number of huge zucchini and squash on every plant!  I prefer zucchini about this size or slightly larger: … Continue reading

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Modern conveniences prevent community

Severe thunderstorms with high winds rolled through Maryland last night.  Now we are sitting in the dark.  I’m actually on the internet on generator power.  Amazingly, even though the power is out, I discovered that the phone lines are still up … Continue reading

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Are some plants too big for raised beds?

Recently a commenter asked if plants like zucchini are too big to plant in raised beds and I would like to address the issue of plant suitability for raised beds.  First, I love raised beds and have found using them … Continue reading

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The 3 basic secrets to a great garden

During the first week of April, I planted a small garden for my parents in Mississippi.  Early in June, I was back there for a week with my parents.  While I was there, a number of their neighbors asked me … Continue reading

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A garden as a source of comfort

When I was growing up, we had huge gardens every year.  I don’t think we ever planted anything under a half acre and for several years we had a two-acre garden.  We grew unbelieveable amounts of vegetables.   A significant portion of … Continue reading

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Community gardens – why you should join one

Our local elementary school is built on land that was once a farm.  As more and more development occurred in the area and the need arose for a new elementary school, the county bought this farm to provide a place … Continue reading

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Log Cabins: How to Build and Furnish Them – a book review

A few weeks ago, I went to a local discount store called Ollie’s with my wife and mother-in-law.  This is the kind place that has a wide selection of junk, overstock items from other stores, some damaged things, some cheap … Continue reading

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