Some cayenne peppers chilling on the plant that lives in a five gallon bucket outside. The spicy red peppers really did well this year and the freezer will be stocked for months to come.

Can you grow herbs in the small hollow spaces of a concrete cinder block? After failing with quite a few plants, I’ve found that basil seems to enjoy the small space and heat.

Two firsts in one: My first digital camera and my first successful vegetable harvest combine to bring you a picture of a banana pepper enjoying the Florida sun.

Three kinds of peppers, onions, garlic, scallions, ginger, basil: Without too much financial investment or knowledge of agriculture, I’ve somehow managed to get in to great shape while growing a whole bunch of fresh, delicious, and healthy foods.

So far so good in the backyard garden – here is a cheap and quick solution to the problem of falling tomato vines that cost me nothing while remaining environmentally sound. It definitely beats leaving the vines & leaves to rot on the muddy ground.

Getting rid of standing water is the best way to cut down your bug population in Florida. In a related occurance, tomatoes with plenty of sun and water also need something they can cling to and grow up with. As soon as one problem is solved the next one pops up – but at least I seem to be learning a bit about what works and what is needed for backyard farming success.

Some bugs or critters in the garden are as much a fan of the pepper plant as I am, but the problem is they’re not waiting for the peppers to have a chance to grow!

We had a great Memorial Day – and here’s to hoping that you did too.

Pineapple is a great way to beat the summer heat, but it can get a bit expensive if you’re paying someone to cut it for you. Instead, process it yourself and you can even replant the top for a new fruit in two season’s time.

In the latest misguided effort to solve the public health crisis, some legislators in New York are seriously trying to ban the use of salt in any restaurants inside the state.

The frost is here and the final tally for the year’s food crop sounds pretty sad. On the upside, there were many things learned and some types of progress made toward the next effort.

The backyard farm won’t be providing a Thanksgiving feast this year, but we did manager to learn a few things about what kind of plants like the environment around here.

Too much rain – it can be a big problem for crops in Florida. A stormy summer can quickly turn the ground into a swampy mud and enough cloud cover can keep it that way for a long time.

Finally found some Pepsi & Mountain Dew “throwback” cans – made from cane sugar instead of corn sweeteners.

Its spring time but the poor economy isn’t providing as many sales as I’d like. With food prices as high as they are, maybe it is time to start growing some food in the back.