Category Archives: Sustainable Gardening

Save The Bees, Please

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Ann Lovejoy
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Protecting Our Beloved Bees A reader recently asked me to write about bees. Most gardeners are aware that  if ripe flowers don’t get pollinated, no zucchini–or whatever–can happen. Fewer people realize that a large percentage of all fruits, flowers, vegetables … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden Prep, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Recycled Manure Creates Power And Great Poo

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Ann Lovejoy
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

This summer, I received a load of crap that made me very, very happy. I’ve been using aged cow manure in the garden for years, especially appreciating its soil conditioning qualities. Cow manure is weed free, thanks to cow’s multi-chambered tummies and the tiny seed-eating aphids that live in manure piles. It’s also the best top dressing I’ve ever found, looking (if not smelling) like chocolate frosting, a most handsome effect. Continue reading →

Posted in Garden Prep, Nutrition, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | 1 Comment

Healing Winter Soups

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Ann Lovejoy
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Eating Well When Unwell After years of caring for my mother and having her in my bedroom for the past few months, I am feeling a great rush of relief and relaxation since her gentle death last week. Indeed, the … Continue reading →

Posted in fall/winter crops, Nutrition, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crispy, Crunchy Yakon Recipes

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Ann Lovejoy
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Crisp and juicy, raw yacon tubers have a delicate flavor, somewhat like a cross between an Asian pear and jicama, with a texture similar to that of water chestnuts. The sweet flavor comes from oligofructose, a form of sugar that the human body does not metabolize. That makes fresh yacon both wholesome for diabetics with a sweet tooth and a dieter’s dream. As they cure, yacon tubers gain in sweetness as the oligofructose converts to fructose, glucose and sucrose. Stored in a cool, dry place, unblemished tubers can last for months, but any that are broken should be eaten quickly. Yacon Recipes:
Continue reading →

Posted in fall/winter crops, Nutrition, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments