If I Can Do It, So Can You

All winter, going to the grocery store was an exercise in frustration.  I get so used to cooking with fresh herbs, I want them to cook with over the winter, too, but the prices are exorbitant.  Plus, the packages contain more than I need at the time, so I wind up tossing some in the trash when it goes bad.  Ugh!

On top of this, I'm the biggest brown thumb on the planet.  Seriously, I try every year.  I try hard.  But my little 35 square foot garden usually yields about 3 carrots, 2 tomatoes and a handful of jalepeños in a year.  Yes, I'm that bad.

But herbs are different.  Maybe they're more foolproof than veggies.  In any case, about this time I plant a bunch in pots, and I don't have to buy any for months.  One plant, that will yield all season long, costs about the same as 1 or 2 small packages at the grocery store.

Come fall, we'll talk about how to preserve herbs over the winter.

One more note.  Have you tried Trickling Springs's ice cream?  Waaaay good.  Their Strawberry is about the best I've ever had -- and when it comes to ice cream, I'm really addicted.  The seasonal flavor right now is Lemon Chiffon, and it's pretty darned incredible too.  Hurry up and get some, before I eat it all!

Nalls Grow-Your-Own Potatoes Package

Hi Nall's fans, it's Erin again! I wanted to take over Burt's blog for just a second to make an announcement about a cool package we're offering for the first time.

Straw bale potato gardens have been blowing up on our pinterest lately so we decided to offer our very own Grow-Your-Own Potatoes Package! For $30 you get everything you need to build your own garden: 2 pounds of seed potatoes, a bale of straw, compost, and detailed instructions. A straw bale potato garden is exactly what it sounds like. You plant potatoes inside a bale and green plants sprout above the surface while potatoes grow inside the straw. The straw nourishes and protects the plant, so the whole project takes minimal effort, and at the end of the season you have tons of organic, non-GMO potatoes to enjoy!

Photo via Duluth Community Garden Program Blog

This method of gardening has increased in popularity recently because it requires no digging, you won't usually have to deal with weeds, and it doesn't matter if you have bad gardening soil. It's also very environmentally friendly because the straw will eventually break down into compost, which you can reuse next year.

Photo via Sunday Gardener

The instructions are fairly simple. You prep the bale by soaking it with water and compost over the course of ten days, you plant the potatoes, and then you just let it sit until you're ready to harvest. Straw retains moisture, so all you'll have to do is check and water the bale occasionally to keep it from drying out. You can harvest early for tender new potatoes, or just before the first frost for larger tubers.

Photo via Bonnie Plants

We're really excited to offer this new package! Now that winter is finally over, it's a fun and easy spring project that will get your whole family outside. You can register now through April 6th, and pick it up between April 10th and 12th. And you can sign up in person or online here.