by Noel | Nov 17, 2013 | CobraHead, Gardening
Comfrey and Compost PilesI can’t remember how comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) got introduced into my garden, but it probably came from Geoff when he worked at Nokomis Gardens in East Troy, Wisconsin, about sixteen years ago. It’s now firmly established just north of the garden beds and west of the compost area. The plants are gradually expanding their area of control and comfrey can become a pest with its ability to spread, but I’m welcoming...
by Noel | Oct 2, 2013 | CobraHead, Recipes
I found these puffballs in the grass along the edge of the woods two days ago. Giant puffballs, Calvatia gigantea, are edible but they have to be harvested and used while quite fresh. Once they start to dry and turn yellow and brown, they not only lose their culinary appeal, they apparently become toxic. So when these presented themselves at the right time this year, we harvested, prepared a couple meals, and dried quite a few. The golf ball, which was also in...
by Noel | Sep 24, 2013 | CobraHead, Gardening, Recipes
I planted beets the last week of August for a late fall harvest. I had used old seed so I planted them thickly, but they still germinated heavily. So we’re now thinning them and using the baby beets in salads, as a vegetable side, and in drinks. The greens are looking great. Here’s a plate of them. We use roots and all, just wash the whole plant. Judy took half the beet greens, and added half a frozen banana and some raspberries we picked last...
by Noel | Aug 27, 2013 | CobraHead, Gardening
Last year I had a harvest of carrots and beets that continued into December. I used a low hoop tunnel to protect the crop from frosts and freezes and the results were great. (You can read about it here). I hope to do the same this year, but I took some big chances because almost all the seed I used was really old. As most gardeners know, seeds do have a shelf life. In spite of the stories of seeds germinating after being unearthed in an ancient Egyptian tomb...
by Noel | Aug 12, 2013 | CobraHead
CobraHead garden tools received their most important single piece of publicity recently with an excellent mention in the New York Times. The article by Bob Tedeschi, who writes for the Times under the byline “The Pragmatist”, was titled “Ergonomic Tools that Prune Away Gardening Pains”. It appeared online on July 3, here, and also appeared in print on July 4th with the title “The Pains of a Garden, Pruned Away”, on page D1....
