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Reinvent Your Holiday Dinners with Local Fare

0 Comments 19 November 2010

Guest Post by Derek Brandow of Our Family Farm

Purchasing and eating local, natural, and seasonal foods is a growing reality for many people, perhaps even you. And why shouldn’t it be? It is exciting to provide food for your family this way; perusing colorful displays of root vegetables staring back at you from the local farmer’s market stands, and short drives out of town to visit the farms and meet the farmers raising the meat that will fill your freezer for the year. It is a healthy lifestyle that has potential to be easier on the wallet than one might think. (We can discuss the health, and budget relief qualities in later posts). For now, let’s unpack what is exciting about the realization of eating naturally raised, local and seasonal foods.

The cold months have arrived, and that means the excitement of the holidays has arrived as well! In whatever fashion your family gathers and celebrates, food is the centerpiece, and there is always plenty of it. But before great-grandma’s pumpkin pie recipe, before the hand crushed cranberry salad, before the cornucopia can cover counter tops and tables, tracking down a turkey and the rest of Thanksgiving’s usual suspects needs attention.

Contests, Podcasts, garden, garden tips, outdoor living

Edible Landscaping – Rosalind Creasy Interview and Book Giveaway

27 Comments 11 November 2010

The much-anticipated book Edible Landscaping from gardening guru Rosalind Creasy has just landed in stores. And we’re pleased to announce that Rosalind sat down recently with Nest in Style co-hosts Teresa O’Connor and Jayme Jenkins to share some gardening tips and talk about her new book. And we’re giving away a free copy of this just-released book!

Listen as this landscaping legend explains why she first started mixing vegetables, fruit and herbs in her Northern California front yard nearly 30 years ago … and why it’s the perfect time to release this revised edition of her renowned The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping, published in 1982.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

book reviews, garden

Book Review: Rosalind Creasy’s New Edible Landscaping is Here!

1 Comment 11 November 2010

Edible Landscaping $39.95 paperback, 432 pages

Have you heard? Growing your own food is the hottest new trend. Of course you have. You can’t open up a publication these days without reading some headline about food safety, high food prices or the benefits of starting your own garden. But really, the term edible landscaping was coined over 30 years ago by garden designer and writer Rosalind Creasy.

Are you looking to start your first garden, transform your front yard into an edible wonderland, or just sneak in a few edibles into your flower beds? Whatever your motivation, allow Rosalind Creasy to personally help you create a gorgeous garden (that you can eat too!) with her new book Edible Landscaping.

Videos, garden

Urban Gardening Rap Video

0 Comments 02 November 2010

I first ran across this video on Urban Gardens (very cool garden + design blog by Robin Horton). I’ve seen many cheesy videos about gardening that make me want to hide under a rock, but this Ohio State student gives gardening a whole new vibe with his rap video. Kudos to smucker1121, the student’s YouTube screen name, for including urban gardens in YKK AP America’s Building a Better Tomorrow Today Video Competition. Click to learn more about YKK AP America’s video competition.