In The Kitchen Garden With Farmgirl Susan: Welcome To My New Column!

I'm pleased to announce that I've sown the seeds for a new gardening column on Gather. Each column will focus on some aspect of edible gardening, specifically heirloom and organic. While the internet offers a vast (and often overwhelming) source of information for gardeners, I plan to write from a much smaller and more personal perspective.

From my own kitchen garden, I will cover such topics as: raised bed gardening (which is what I do now), seed starting strategies, natural pest control, companion planting, composting, organic fertilizers and soil amendments, and when to do what--and why. I'll tell you about my favorite gardening books and tools, and share tips and techniques that have worked for me. I'll discuss what I grow--and why and how I grow it. And I'll even try to talk you into cultivating some tasty edibles you've never considered growing--or even eating, for that matter. Regular features will include "Gardening On The Cheap" and "Now What Do I Do With It?"

When I moved from urban Northern California to a 280-acre remote Missouri farm in 1994, my garden went from a 100 square foot backyard plot to a 10,000 square foot experimental extravaganza. I definitely had a serious case of Gardening Fever. I now have a slightly smaller garden on a slightly smaller (but still very remote) farm, where I grow everything from endive and eggs to lamb chops and lemon balm. With the help of cold frames, a homemade 22-foot long greenhouse, and some old bedsheets and blankets, I am able to harvest something from my Zone 5 garden every day of the year. In the summer months, I preserve much of my bounty.

This Basil Is Now Pesto In My Freezer

No matter who you are or where you live, my hope is that this column will inspire you to expand--or create--your own garden. Maybe you're a seasoned gardener who is ready to finally start some plants from seed. You won't believe the incredible variety of seeds that are available out there.

Or perhaps you've been dreaming about growing your own fresh herbs and baby salad greens but live in an apartment. No problem. I'll have you harvesting mesclun mix from window boxes and heirloom tomatoes from tubs on your fire escape in no time--not to mention snipping fresh basil and oregano for tomato sauce from your window sill.

I've learned a lot over the past 12 years--mostly through good old trial and error. I want to grow everything, and I'll try just about anything. (Right now there are pots of Russian tarragon, Greek oregano, rosemary, lemon thyme, and sage happily huddled up next to the woodstove on our living room floor.) I'll share what I've learned and hopefully help you avoid some of the frustrations, mistakes, and disappointments I've met along the way.

I don't have a hard and fast plan worked out for this column, or even a publishing schedule. I quickly learned that planning anything more than a few days in advance on a farm  is usually pointless. And in a garden, you never know what will take off like wildfire (or would that be wildflowers?) and what will be devoured by ravaging rabbits. So I'm just going to plant this idea and see where it grows.

I welcome your comments, suggestions, ideas, and questions. I look forward to getting to know you and your gardens as they--and this column--bloom. I do hope you'll come grow with me.

Ready to dig in right now? Here are a few links to get you started. Have fun!

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible is one of the books that I turn to again and again. I recommend it for any gardener, but it is especially helpful for beginners.

Two of my favorite seed companies are Pinetree Garden Seeds and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. I have been ordering from both of them for many years. They offer top quality seeds at very reasonable prices. Pinetree specializes in smaller seed packets for the home gardener. The majority of their seed packets cost under a dollar. Baker Creek (located right here in Missouri) specializes in rare and unusual heirlooms from around the world. Golden Beets from the 1820s? Metki Dark Green Serpent Melon from ancient Armenia? They've got the seeds to grow 'em!

Two gardening articles I've recently published on Gather are "The Great Compost Cover-Up" and "Endive & Escarole In The Garden & Kitchen."

If you enjoyed reading this introductory column, you can find all of my articles at farmgirl.gather.com. And for more tasty recipes and tales of country life, I invite you to visit my blog, farmgirlfare.com, where I also post a new farm photo every day.

If you would like to be notified by e-mail when I publish a new article or column on Gather, please 'subscribe to my content' by clicking on the "Farmgirl Susan" link at the top of this article. Thanks.