When September rolls around and the red peppers start showing up at the Farmers’ Market, I get out my canning equipment and make red pepper relish. I’ve had this recipe more than 25 years, having gotten it from the mother of an old boyfriend. She was an exceptional cook, and in the early 1980s, I had never tasted anything as…
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“Why is it so much easier to weed in June compared to September?” asked my friend Julie, who gardens in St. Paul. I hadn’t thought about it, but I also haven’t weeded that much lately. And, now that you mention it, the raspberries I picked yesterday were going soft because I had not been out there as often as I…
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Today marks the first anniversary of My Northern Garden going online. I probably would never have started a blog if I did not live in the blogging-est town in America, Northfield, MN, so my thanks to the folks at Northfield.org, Locallygrown, Penelopedia, Rough Draft, and the rest of Northfield’s blog community for inspiring this effort. Thanks to Griff Wigley who…
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During my visit to the Minnesota State Fair, I had a chance to chat with the Minnesota Master Gardeners staffing the extension booth in the Horticulture Building. I asked what was the most frequent question they were getting at the fair. The answer: Why do my tomatoes look so bad? Many gardeners (including yours truly) are experiencing blossom-end rot on…
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If you go to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend, be sure to stop by the Horticulture Building to admire the gardens that have been planted there. The Minnesota State Horticultural Society is responsible for several gardens on the southwest corner of the building, and they are gorgeous, providing a place to rest from the noise and excitement of the…
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