Author: Bob Bauer

Winters seem just too long for our short summers. I guess that’s why so many greenhouses get built. Extending the growing season is one way to shorten the winter. Lots of the recently constructed large greenhouses around here feature fans at the vents, heaters, and grow lights on all day long. There isn’t enough sunlight in the winter to promote […]

Tomatoes, corn, beans and zucchini. I need to think about these garden favorites every day now that the winter dismals have set in. Remembering how they looked, where they grew, picking them, weeding, mulching and watering them makes me less solemn. Sunlight and warm temperatures are in short supply this time of year and are sorely missed. When the ground […]

I’ve just read an article about photosynthesis that was enlightening. It seems that it is very inefficient in plants due to the action of RuBisCo, which does not always select carbon dioxide for the process. Twenty percent of the time it chooses oxygen instead, resulting in the formation of toxic substances. The plant devised means of removing the substance, called […]

I had a burn pile in the garden yesterday and it was great. Bright orange flames can really cheer me up. The whole garden became more festive as I gathered up sticks. Instead of hauling my bush and vine trimmings down to the creek all summer, I piled them up in a corner of the garden. This saved a lot […]

There’s was another juvenile rat in the trap yesterday, reminding me that there is still an adult at large. I better add peanut butter to the shopping list, this may take awhile. There were also red buds on the oak tree. I spend half the winter looking for signs of spring. After pining for the return of the buttercup blossoms […]

I got my whole garden weed-eated yesterday in under ten minutes. It looks great. I’m ecstatic that I won’t have to spend so much time weeding this summer. I’ll hula hoe the seed beds and tops of the mounds, but everything else will get mowed to the ground. If I keep on top of it the garden will look great […]

I can’t believe I’m going to need to drag out the weed eater this time of year. The weeds in the garden are growing like it’s spring time. Some of the pathways that I’ve weed-eated over and over are now low growing and solid like ground cover. I’m good with that. It’s nature’s choice, and doesn’t interfere with the veggies. […]