new garden – Twice as Tasty

The ongoing arrival of seed catalogs is reminding me that no matter how cold it is outside, now’s the time to start planning the garden. This week’s Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon has a decidedly local spin, mentioning local sources for seed and local farms offering community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares. If you live outside the area, take these as reminders to look out your own back door for local seed and produce resources before they sell out. According to Axiom’s 2022 garden survey, 62% of respondents plan to plant more this year.

Narrowing down the choices of what to plant can be as challenging as finding time to tend the garden all season. Read on to find out how I try to resist planting more than I can manage.
Learn more about gardening from the kitchen

These gardening resources and ideas may help as you’re getting your hands dirty. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
If you’re back in the garden this month—or starting a new one—you’re not alone. The Economist reports that 45% of Britons are gardening during the lockdown, and Burpee says it sold more seeds in March than any time in its 144-year history. It’s going to be a tasty season for homegrown food.

Instead of planning meals to eat on our standard spring sailing adventure, we’ve been staying home and preparing the garden. Early seeds are in the ground (greens and peas), and cold-hardy brassica starts are being tested by cold nights. We jumped the gun a bit on starts for heat-loving greenhouse plants and have fingers crossed. It’s shaping up to be a good season.

The ins and outs of growing your own vegetables is a whole other blog, but here I pass on a few resources and ideas that may help as you’re getting your hands dirty. I’ll be sharing recipes this month that use spring crops, whether you have a container garden on your patio, raised beds in your backyard, or a weekly delivery box from a local farmer.
Read more about homegrown hints