Category Archives: Thrift

Laissez-faire Farming

Posted on April 17, 2017 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

The threat of winter weather pushed right up to the last frost date for my area this year.  Add in my hectic schedule the past few weeks and the result is a late start on my spring garden, and some … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Lettuce, Oregano, Organic, Pro Tip, Raised Bed Gardening, Square Foot Gardening, Sustainable, Thrift | Leave a comment

Getting More From Morels

Posted on May 15, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

In mid-April I had to concede defeat in my attempt to grow morel mushrooms and turned my attention to procuring dried morels instead.  After a lot of price shopping I decided to try LifeGourmetShop.com and while I waited for my … Continue reading →

Posted in Food Preparation, Morel Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Pro Tip, Thrift | 1 Comment

Green Mulching

Posted on April 17, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

While looking for a readily available, organic mulch to compliment my semi-composted pine needles, I have learned that the list of mulching styles and materials is truly endless.  The list of possibilities include but is not limited to: sheet mulching, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asparagus, Backyard Gardening, Common Chickweed, Foraging, Mulch, Pine Needles, Sustainable, Thrift, Wild Edibles, Yellow Woodsorrel | Leave a comment

Making Lemonade

Posted on March 19, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Unless I take the time to carefully pluck them out, one by one, before taking a garden pic, you have probably noticed the indecent number of pine needles lurking in the background of EVERY PHOTO I TAKE! Once upon a … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Collards, Compost, Mulch, Organic, Pine Needles, Raised Bed Gardening, Square Foot Gardening, Sustainable, Thrift, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Paradigm Shift

Posted on March 19, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

I sometimes forget the prevailing notions people have related to growing food.  The most common mental images seem to center around long hours of back breaking labor spent tilling, planting, hoeing and weeding. I am quickly reminded of the current … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Lettuce, Raised Bed Gardening, Red Romaine Lettuce, Square Foot Gardening, Starting Seeds, Sustainable, Thrift, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Don’t Blink

Posted on February 27, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

During the past week of business travel my indoor plant starts have grown with the vigor of youth into a verdant and slightly unruly bunch of tweens. The tomatoes from my saved seed are particularly in need of thinning.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Indoor growing, Organic, Pro Tip, Saving Seed, Starting Seeds, Sustainable, Technology, Thinning, Thrift, Tomatoes, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Tender Beginnings

Posted on February 15, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

While winter is having it’s (hopefully) last hurrah outside, I am prepping my indoor garden to be without me for a week while I travel for work. After trying first newspaper pots then peat pots for last year’s starts and … Continue reading →

Posted in Amana Tomato, Collards, Heirloom Varieties, Indoor growing, Organic, Paste Tomato, Pro Tip, Saving Seed, Starting Seeds, Sustainable, Thrift, Tomatoes | Leave a comment

Starting My Garden Early

Posted on February 7, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

While Punxsutawney Phil and the meteorologists work out their differing predictions for the end of winter, growers are already hard at work preparing for spring, summer and fall. January plant starts included cabbage, chili peppers, bell peppers and rosemary. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Chiles, Chili Peppers, Cilantro, Collards, Herbs, Indoor growing, Oregano, Red Peppers, Rosemary, Serrano Peppers, Starting Seeds, Sustainable, Technology, Thrift, Tomatoes | Leave a comment

Hello, My Name Is…

Posted on January 23, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

This year will be my fifth year as an urban food grower.  It will also be my fifth attempt to create plant markers that are still legible at the end of a growing season.  With 52 varieties of annuals planned … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Container Gardening, Heirloom Varieties, Plant Markers, Square Foot Gardening, Thrift, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

The Expat Starter Garden

Posted on January 10, 2016 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

A dear friend is moving south of the border to live on the shores of Lake Chapala, said to have the second best climate on earth, behind only Atenas, Costa Rica.  She wants to start a small garden there and … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Chili Peppers, Cilantro, Container Gardening, Oregano, Raised Bed Gardening, Rosemary, Serrano Peppers, Spinach, Sustainable, Thrift, Tomatoes | Leave a comment

Regrowing Update

Posted on December 27, 2015 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

An update from last month’s post on regrowing veggies I have tripled the number of green onions I am regrowing to keep up with culinary demands and have just started my first celery, another in demand veggie that I will … Continue reading →

Posted in Celery, Green Onions, Indoor growing, Regrowing, Scallions, Thrift | Leave a comment

Countdown to Garden 2016

Posted on December 24, 2015 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Even before presents are unwrapped, the countdown is on with less than a month to go before indoor starts of cabbage, leeks and rosemary get going in the first part of January with peppers (hot and bell) just behind. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Cilantro, Container Gardening, Heirloom Varieties, Non-GMO, Organic, Raised Bed Gardening, Square Foot Gardening, Sustainable, Thrift, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Winter Growing

Posted on November 27, 2015 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

This winter there will be a lot of focus on my indoor gardens mostly because my outdoor winter garden is a bit of a bust this year.  The collards and spinach I planted were just beginning to grow when an … Continue reading →

Posted in Arugula, Basil, Cilantro, Container Gardening, Herbs, Indoor growing, Microgreens, Mustard, Organic, Red Cabbage, Technology, Thrift, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Store Bought Reboot – Regrowing Veggies

Posted on November 27, 2015 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

Here at NearlyHomeGrown, food scraps usually end up being frozen for future vegetable and/or chicken stocks or composted to feed the next generation of growing food.  But I have been interested in the regrowing veggies craze and finally had the … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Green Onions, Indoor growing, Pro Tip, Raised Bed Gardening, Regrowing, Resources, Scallions, Square Foot Gardening, Sustainable, Thrift, Urban Farming, Vegetable Scraps | 1 Comment

Growing Sustainability – Part 2

Posted on November 21, 2015 by NearlyHomeGrown.com

In Growing Sustainability – Part 1 I lauded the War Commission Gardens and Victory Gardens for what they grew, a lot of food and a more self-sufficient citizenry.  At their height, over 20,000,000 Victory Gardens dotted the American landscape and … Continue reading →

Posted in Backyard Gardening, Farmer Facts, Sustainable, Thrift, Urban Farming, Victory Garden, War Garden | Leave a comment