If you go for a walk on your land, you might notice a lot of wood that has fallen due to storms. The winds and snow shake out the dead. Once you are snow- and ice-free, it is a great time on a sunny day to collect forest debris. Gets you outside, the sun on… Continue reading Making A Log and Brush Habitat Pile
My Obsession With Syrup
One of the benefits of living in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, on the corners of the states, is syrup: both maple and hickory. Sitting in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is this one - and it is some of the best I have ever had. They show… Continue reading My Obsession With Syrup
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Our middle son wanted to make strawberry trifles for dessert, so I baked him a pound cake to use as the cake base. Earlier in the week, we tried a full butter pound cake, which I found very dense. The sour cream gives this pound cake a lighter texture and makes it nicely moist. It… Continue reading Sour Cream Pound Cake
The Yearly Seed Count
Every winter, I sit down and go through my seed packets and bags. It keeps me occupied when the weather is still winter. I feel like I am accomplishing something, even if my garden is frozen solid. I write down everything and organize it by what is new this year and what goes back 2… Continue reading The Yearly Seed Count
Garden 101: Understanding Onions
Long ago (like 3 homes back), I started growing onions. My first foray into it was a 50/50% success rate. I got lucky with the green onions (scallions), but the regular bulbing onions I planted (an onion set) produced nothing. It took me a couple of years to understand why where you live and variety… Continue reading Garden 101: Understanding Onions