The Garden Lab

02/06/2025

Right on!

This feature length documentary tells the story of four Filipino Farmers working to build food and seed sovereignty across the Philippines!

01/25/2025

It’s National Seed Swap Day! I’m not swapping any seeds today, but I am planting a few that need an extra early start for our region. If you plan to grow any onions or leeks, parsley, or snapdragons, it’s time to sow them.

01/23/2025

Sometimes life gets the best of us. After 20 years of nurturing my Buddhist tree (Podocarpus macrophyllus) it’s a goner. For some reason this year I just forgot to acknowledge that critical component in our climate that affects living tissue. Can you name what that critical component is?

Like and follow along as I share horticulture tips, on-farm events and classes. Signup for the newsletter at the link in my bio. www.thegardenlab.org

01/23/2025

Cover crops in small beds? Absolutely!

I created several terraced beds in 2024, and established cover quickly to reduce w**d pressure, retain moisture, and increase organic matter in the soil. Pollinators loved the buckwheat blossoms before I ped-crimped this 14’ x 14’ bed, dispersing just-ripened seeds in time for late summer germination. The cover crop residue remains as mulch to protect future seedlings in the spring.

01/22/2025

I'm excited to catch this 6-part series when it starts next week!

Consider the bumblebee. Once the most common bee species in the United States, its numbers have declined by 90 percent in the last two decades. We’re talking about more than just the loss of an iconic species. Three-fourths of the food crops humans grow depend on pollinators – bees, butterflies,...

01/13/2025

One of my idols, John Coykedall, a prolific seed saver, story collector, artist, author and fellow Master Gardener from Louisiana, gave me some Ganymede Butter Beans (Phaseolus lunatus) at the Seed Swap at in 2019.

I grew these beans a couple of times, but they need 80-90 days of warm weather to ripen and even more time to dry on the vine.

I lucked out, and in 2023 my planting yielded a modest one-quart harvest of these beautiful beans. Soups and stews are a great way to warm up, humidifying our dry air as they simmer on our stovetops or in an instant pot.

01/11/2025

SEED PACKAGING BLITZES ARE BACK! Dates are January 18/19 and February 8/9 at our Rochester Public Library. Click the SignUp Genius link below and choose a time to join the fun!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4DABA62EAAF4C43-54148218-2025 #/

11/26/2024

My native seeds have been gathered, and are drying. This boulevard bioswale filters stormwater and supports many species all year long. Next steps are to remove the chaffe, winnow and package up the seeds to donate to The Seed Library! I will also be growing many natives over the winter to join the Rochester Farmers Markets in the spring!

11/10/2024

Aaaah! A lovely rainy day to dance at Disco Brunch with DJ Salad Spinner at Convivium Urban Farmstead! Always nice to take a day off to unwind and visit fellow urban farmsteads.

10/02/2024

Join me on Sunday at 2pm. Learn new skills, take home seeds!

09/22/2024

What a great way to celebrate the last day of summer! Thank you to everyone who attended the final Urban Farm-to-Fork Dinner of the season. Sharing the bounty that comes from our earth has brought me so much joy. A special shout out to Zach Ohly and his team of superstars that made the awesome eats this season! My kids did a pretty great job helping out, too. ☺️

09/13/2024

Diggin’ the fauna today.

09/03/2024

I’ve been off-grid for much of a well-earned break, but I haven’t taken time off from enjoying the flora!

08/19/2024

The sky opened up for a delightful Urban Farm-to-Fork Dinner last night. Thank you to Chef’s Zach and Brandon for creating a wonderful meal highlighting local veg and meats, while Laura, Ellie, and Madison made sure everyone was taken care of, and happy. I was having so much fun I only snapped two pictures, but guests thankfully took some to highlight our great time together. The clincher for me? The peaches! They actually ripened yesterday and were incorporated into the wonderful salad.

08/03/2024

TODAY from 9-12 it’s the Lawns to Legumes Garden Tour Day! Stop and see three gardens in Rochester to inspire your landscape changes this fall. The Blue Thumb - Planting for Clean Water L2L grant cycle is open too, so consider applying here:

https://bluethumb.org/lawns-to-legumes/apply/

07/22/2024

The farmers and the land produced the food. Zach Ohly made it taste phenomenal. Choochoo-ca-Chew took stunning photos. And the guests made it a success. There was so much love and happiness gathering over food, and I can’t wait to do it again.

One ticket has become available for August 17th (contact me), and a few remain for September 21st. Summer is going by too quickly!