Kitchen / Garden / Sanctuary - Urban Homesteading to Nourish Body + Spirit
Michelle Obama's Vegetable Garden (click for larger picture)
What’s a trip to Washington, D. C. without a stop at the Presidential Victory Garden And Beehive!?
While the garden itself was just a little anti-climactic because it was so far away from the fence, it was still pretty cool to see it in person. (Click below to continue reading…)
The onions have finished curing, and are ready for storage in the fridge.
I love growing my own onions and garlic. They’re such easy crops, and they store really well in the fridge. During the summer, I’m always overwhelmed with produce that must be eaten NOW, so when I harvest these crops, I’m always grateful for their long storage capabilities!
When the leaves (“tops”) have mostly died back (turned mostly brown…no longer green and growing…though there may still be some green in a few of the leaves), pull or dig the onions or garlic out of the garden. (Click here to find out exactly when to harvest your garlic.)
Thoroughly wash off any clinging soil.
Put your harvest into baskets in one layer — so that air can circulate around them — and leave them in a shed, garage, or on a covered porch for 2-3 weeks. Make sure neither water nor animals can get to them. After 2-3 weeks, cut off the dead leaves and inspect each onion for softness or mold. Expect to lose about 10-20% of your harvest to softness or mold. Transfer the rest into a bag in the fridge (or wherever you store your onions & garlic).
Harvest garlic & onions when tops have mostly turned brown. Put them into baskets in one layer (unlike the picture above!) and leave in a sheltered, outdoor place for 2-3 weeks to "cure."
After a week away, the garden didn’t look a whole lot bigger, but there sure was a lot of food in there! 10 lbs of cucumbers, 15 (!) lbs of zucchini, and probably about 5 lbs of tomatoes.
Harvest time is my favorite part of the year. It’s like Christmas! 🙂
We got back from our wonderful summer vacation to the East Coast…not really rested, but very rejuvenated! It was just the break we needed! We had a great time, and are sad to be back to our full-time jobs. One of my favorite things about our trip was how much time I got to spend with my hubby. All day, every day, we were together…exploring our surroundings, taking pictures, laughing together. A far cry from our daily lives which seem to be eaten almost entirely by our jobs. In the few evening hours between job and bedtime, we squeeze in together-time, cooking, reading, computer time, pursuing hobbies, housecleaning, laundry, dishes, visiting family, gardening, etc! Time together — with those you love most — is so precious. Being on vacation reminded me how precious it is, and how much I miss having more of that quality time as part of our daily life. Something to work on, indeed!!
Welcome to The Herbangardener! This site is dedicated to nourishing the body + spirit, backyard organic gardening, traditional foodways, and homesteading in the heart of the city. Do come along and join me!
"There's nothing more pleasurable than making things by hand, and nothing more beautiful than handmade things."
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
- Theodore Roosevelt
"Only after the last tree has been cut down; only after the last fish has been caught; only after the last river has been poisoned; only then will you realize that money cannot be eaten."
- Cree Nation Tribal Prophecy
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