” I like your way of gardening! Not much hassle but great rewards.”
“I love your common-sense approach to gardening.”
“—that’s why I’m a reader here – no “overwhelm” just practical advice – that works.”
“I’ve been gardening for over 30 years but have learned so much from your posts. I appreciate your thoroughness and orderliness. Thanks so much.”
“Gardening is so much easier and productive since I’ve met you, Theresa. I really mean that–you have helped me so much! I used to break my back fighting weeds, poor soil, etc. Not any more!”
“—you are providing others with invaluable help. — Tending My Garden is a fantastic resource – and (the feedback) is the proof. I feel so thankful to have found it.”
“I’ve just come across your website and found so much information on onion growing it’s amazing! –”
” I came across your site searching for why my cucumber plants were wilting mid-afternoon and whether I should water them. I have not stopped reading your posts since then. —- very addictive —–will be my go-to site for my gardening needs.”
“I’m so glad I found your website!! The info is exactly what I’ve been looking for! —– more than just the typical stuff you find posted everywhere. While landscape design is my profession Vegetable gardening is a passion. I can’t wait to read more of the past posts!!”
“These days, I am no longer googling for my gardening needs. I am TMGing.”
“One of the things that sets you apart is that you know the difference between tried and true advice as opposed to the stuff we read in those ‘generic’ learn-to-garden books. I have stopped worrying about so many things since I began reading TMG.”
“The way you communicate with your readers is just marvelous! You provide such a wealth of gardening information! I am so glad to have found your blog, I`m learning so many new things here!”
“— your blog was instrumental in getting me past the ‘paralysis of over-analysis’ phase of my balcony garden…I was intimidated and lacked the knowledge I needed to get started. Your ‘can-do’ style inspired me to get started and see my summer-fall season as an experimental phase of ‘research and development’…”
“—This is the most in depth, informative blog on gardening I’ve seen.”
“—–This is what folks need to hear and it is exactly what is missing at the book stores as well. —-With all of the books, videos, encyclopedias, and google searches I could get my hands on, THIS SITE is my #1 source and a benchmark to which all other sources are compared and measured.”
“You have changed my whole gardening life! ”
“I love gardening and would never stop my subscription (to TMG). I’m learning more from you than I have in years of trying it by myself.”
” I am just so encouraged by all that I am reading from you. I can’t make myself leave your site!”
“My garden has doubled in productivity since I started reading here.”
“I wanted to let you know that from your guidance, I have discovered that ‘less is more.’ I was planting the old fashioned way–rows with lots of weeds to take care of–. Then I learned your secret of mulching heavily with straw and/or leaves. What an amazing difference. The soil is always ready for a seed or two in an empty spot and weeding is minimal. Last year we harvested twice as much produce in half the space.”
“Theresa, I’ve been gardening for about 40 years, and in the last 10 or so have tried my hand at gardening organically. I bought the books, read the websites, took the magazines, etc., but have been largely overwhelmed and discouraged. I happened upon TMG and have been reading for around 3 months. Now I know I can really do this!!! Thank you so very much for being so realistic and practical. And also for being so open, willing, and giving. You are a blessing!”
“I have learned so much, actually far more from you than from any gardening magazine I have ever subscribed to.”
“— I’m in the process of switching from chemical-based gardening to organic gardening and your website has helped me tremendously. There’s so much info on organic gardening – some of it very conflicting. You present stuff in an easy to understand, logical way.”
“Every time I hear something “out there” about gardening, I think…….wait that sounds too complicated, Theresa keeps it simple…….do what she does. Lol. You have kept me from jumping on the crazy train! ”
“I discovered your blog just last week while searching the web for information on raised bed gardening. I was actually pricing rough-cut lumber from a local saw mill, and looking for design ideas for wooden boxes when I stumbled upon your post “Contained Raised Beds? NO WAY!” I have not left your blog since!
I am so impressed with the information I have found here, as well as how much you put into it. I appreciate how you respond so thoughtfully to your readers’ questions and comments. And of course I LOVE your “common sense” approach.”
“This is only my 3rd or 4th season (of gardening). (Because of TMG) I am literally years ahead of my time in terms of being an accomplished gardener! ”
“Your wonderful blog and the manner in which you handle explaining things in incremental steps is just amazing. I am on a steering committee for a local community garden effort and your blog will be my recommendation to anyone who gets involved.”
“I just found your site —- when I was checking for what to do with onions. I have never seen so much useful information in one place. — What a wonderful site! I learned more in just a few minutes than I have ever gotten elsewhere. Thank you!!!”
“Finding your site thanks to Diane’s flowers has helped continue my education but in a very easy manner. I’ve found that your experience has confirmed that heritage gardening does not have to be exhaustive but more fun. I find your thinking about gardening assured me that my “maybe I’ll just let nature do the work” is ok and now I’m learning why.”
“Just read your post on Garden diversity- as always excellent, thorough and you have this ability to give all the information one might need in a nutshell – keeping the reader engaged all through.”
“I wish I had found your blog years ago. It would have saved me lots of money spent on gardening books & magazines.”
“Even tho I am on the other side of the world and the seasons are reversed, your insight, knowledge and experience are so valuable to me as a starting out organic gardener.”
“I directly credit the MAJOR increase in productivity in my garden to you. —-(it) is amazing compared to how my garden used to operate.”
“I have learned invaluable lessons and methods from you, have found you to be very well researched, very well thought out, and very methodical. And so easy to learn from.”
“— you infuse encouragement and heart into your website and I greatly receive these gifts.”
” I read each post you write as though I am a sponge; sucking up every last word you write, and holding onto it tightly. … your philosophy on gardening is inspiring. I feel light years ahead of some of my friends who have been gardening for much longer than I, and it is all thanks to you and your easy to read, vital information.”
“I just read your post on using straw once sprayed with 2-4D. Then I read a few more snippets … I think I’m in love…just to find an organic gardener blogging in such a practical way.
It is a fact that we live in a world with more than a few undesirable chemicals infiltrating the world we live in, but we have to understand what will decompose, what is persistent, and how to proceed. … reading your commonsense words just made my day. ”
“I can’t imagine not having TMG for reference and inspiration. It’s one of the few sites I go back to every year for specifics — I hope everyone who reads here, in particular newer readers, understand just what gold is buried in (TMG’s) archives. There’s nowhere else to read some of the things I’ve learned here on TMG, and I’m in NO way overstating.”
” I think there are more people than you know who would love to garden with your ideas – they just don’t know it’s possible.”
“Your postings ALWAYS shed light in a slightly different way —. It’s like taking a walk around the garden with a favorite friend who can be relied on to share the truth.”
(I want) ” to tell you how much I enjoy your blog, your style of writing, the clarity of the information you provide and the very obvious expertise you have achieved.
Reading your blog and the information about your book has given me hope that I can try again (to garden), this time with much greater success and a lot less work.”
“Your information has always been the best out there. The style of your writing is informative but also interesting, honest and humorous at times. You always make me smile and want to get back out there and try something new.”
“Last fall I found TMG and purchased your book. I took to heart your wisdom and applied it to my garden. I added lots of leaves and organic matter. After I planted my garden and applied lots of mulch I have done nothing but harvest. My garden is not perfect but my family is eating, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, okra, cucumbers and swiss chard. That is a complete 180 (degrees) from the previous 2 years. Real soil works, mulch works! If you are a new reader to TMG …unplug from Big Food and the chemical marketing matrix!”
“I have finished your book and am so excited to get to work on preparing my vegetable garden — Your book is full of such great information and takes so much of the “mystery” of gardening out of the equation.”
“What I’ve learned here has proven to be a major life changing part of our lives over the past 5 years.”
“—and I love reading your posts and using them as my garden encyclopedia.”
“I finished reading your book! Thank you so much! It was well worth the price and the shipping! ” (This reader is from Japan and her shipping cost was $25)
WHERE CAN I OBTAIN MACHE SEEDS? THANKS
Thanks to you I have Mache reseeding in quite a few places in my garden and I love it. It is a little difficulty or should I say it is time consuming to harvest. I think I will seed some in pots to see if I can get it up higher so I don’t have to bend over as much.
I am so thrilled to have heard about it from you Theresa.
Toni, you’re right, it definitely takes a bit longer to harvest than lettuce! But well worth it when we want something especially delicious or highly nutritious. Let me know how it does for you in pots.
Mary, I just ordered some from Fedco (fedcoseeds.com) and High Mowing Seed (highmowingseeds.com), but there are other suppliers as well.
Ones I can think of are:
sustainableco.com
seedsavers.org
johnnyseeds.com
rareseeds.com (Baker Creek Heirloom)
Theresa
Theresa,
I am excited to try mache. Does it germinate quickly. How long does it take to mature?
Never was excited to try it before now. So you made it very appealing to me.
I have been sifting compost from yard waste, garden waste, wood chips and coffee grounds and of course leaves and have three trash cans full of rich compost for the garden. Should I use it in the spring for planting or put it on top of my wood chip cover at the end of fall? Do you have any other suggestions?
Thanks Steve
Steve, mache takes 10 to 14 days to germinate in favorable conditions. It will just sit there if soil temperatures are above 68ºF. It likes cooler temperatures. Probably takes a month to get big enough to harvest. Depends on temperatures.
Also read the post on Growing Winter Greems under Related Posts and scroll to How to Get it Started in Your Garden. That’ll tell you what I did.
If you decide to use your compost in the fall, why not put it under the wood chips rather than on top. Spring is ok too.
I really have a lot more to say about compost, and will get to that post one of these days.
Theresa
This is funny, because I just planted corn salad, aka mache, for the first time. Started fall veggies last week, right before school started. Haven’t had time to do so for a number of years. Most of the others are up, but now I know I will have to give the mache a lot more wait time for germination.
Great hearing from you Abigail. Hope all has been well.
Appreciate your taking time to comment. Good luck with the mache. I know you will enjoy it!
Theresa
I’ve been living off the garden a lot this year and even put up 5 quarts of green beans the other day. Never canned before this. It gives me a little more security, being that my husband passed away last May and I am trying to watch the finances. The last thing we did together was start seeds for the garden, something he had never volunteered to do before. Harvesting from those seeds every day brings good memories.
Oh Abigail, I am so sorry to hear that your husband passed away last May. I extend my deepest and heartfelt sympathy to you. The loss of a spouse that was “part of you” is not an easy thing to deal with.
I understand too watching finances.
I have every confidence that you can make things work, but I know too that that doesn’t make it any easier.
If you feel I can be of help to you in any way, please email me.
Again, I am so sorry for your loss.
Theresa
Theresa,
I did not know you responded until a couple days ago. Thanks for the advice on the compost. I’ll need to think about putting it under the wood chips that are already on the ground if that is what you mean. I am getting serious about gardening in practical ways. Like replanting with second and third crops that will take me well into the frost season. My freezer is completely full with mostly garden veggies and fruit. Paul Guatschi recommends putting a thin layer of wood chips on the strawberry patch every fall to ensure continued plant reproduction instead of replacing them every 3-4 years. What say you?
Praying all is well
Steve
Hey Steve. I love wood chips for strawberries. When we use to have access to them I always used them on the strawberries.
Pine is really nice for berries as well. I use straw now because that’s what I have.
You might want to consider taking up the old plants each year and leaving the newer ones.
Glad your freezer is full and that you’re ready for winter!
Theresa