About Bren
Bren, a freelance photographer based in the Midwest. Social media #gardenchat guru who is passionate about growing, maintaining, harvesting and preserving food from a 2400 sq/ft traditional vegetable garden. Bren has various gardens through out her country property that included shade/ woodland gardens and developing herbaceous borders in full sun.
Website: http://www.bggarden.com
Bren has written 358 articles so far, you can find them below.
Autumn Drive in Ohio
Rollin’ Makes It Easy
We couldn’t have been more lucky with the weather we are experiencing. The beautiful blue skies and t-shirt perfect weather is making it easy to spend every minute of daily light out getting the treasures that will be spending the winter in the greenhouse in their place. It is the first year in the 2 years I’ve been growing year-round that I don’t feel rushed. Focusing on food and herbs this year more then annuals because being able to have healthy products our family can live on is more important to me. Moving the soil, tools and containers needed to transplant the herbs to the greenhouse is super easy with my red wheel barrow.
Last year the herbs that I knocked the outdoor soil off and transplanted in clean containers with freshly mixed compost / soil produced the most harvest. Maybe the landscape soil was tired and needed conditioning? I’m learning as I grow and using what helps me produce the healthiest yield.
I went a little crazy with the seed planting this past summer and I have an over load of rosemary, basil and oregano. The basil never does well in the greenhouse once January arrives and you can only use rosemary in so many dishes so I need to limit myself to what is being transplanted.
The really cool thing about using the wheel barrow as my planting station I can take it indoors if it starts to sprinkle.
If you winter over herbs what do you enjoy transplanting or growing from seed during the cold months?
HELP ME OUT …. click on over to Corona Tools Webpage and vote for my photo in their “Thats How I Roll” competition.
Communities Grow #fallfest11
Take a break from raking the leaves in your own backyard and adventure out into your community to see what seasonal activities are going on. On October 1st 2011 New Media @TheGardenChat shared the sights and sounds of a community growing together and celebrating the best of Autumn. During my visit to Philadelphia I had the honor of meeting some amazing people who are making a difference in their community where you wouldn’t normally find fresh organic veggies growing. It is great business’ like Subaru and Organic Gardening Magazine that support urban farms like the one located just five minutes from central city Philadelphia.
In the image collection below check out the food, crafts, and growing fun located at GreensGrow Farms in Philadelphia.
Subaru and Organic Gardening at Greensgrow Farms celebrate fresh, local food, crafts and farm fun!
#gardenchat a Grow* Share * Connect network mentioned on CRS Wire. MENTION
Taking @thegardenchat to #fallfest11
Calling all my twitter garden tweeps who can’t be with us in Philly this Saturday Oct. 1st for the 4th Annual Subaru Fall Festival at Greensgrow Farms to follow us this year on the #fallfest11 hashtag. @thegardenchat twitter account will be tweeting live at the event sharing images and tweets as well as sharing with the festival attendees how to use twitter to connect on #gardenchat.
Charming Employee Garden at Subaru Office
First stop today was at the Subaru Office in Philly where I got to visit their charming employee garden which is filled with veggies from the @greensgrow gardens. It is nice to see a large company that not only gives to the community but also to their employees. Everyone needs a place to grow!
Tomorrow at the event attendees will be able to help fill the Subaru Outback and Forester on site with a clean gently used or new coat. Last year they filled a Subaru Outback and they are hoping to beat last years’ donations. All donated coats will go to a shelter in need in the local Philadelphia area. I’m looking forward to tweeting the car as it is filled with donations.
There is so much going on tomorrow at the event. I’m thinking the pie making competition and Chili Cook-off might be my favorite. Attendees can learn about organic gardening and also take part in the Pet Costume event.
TO read more about this event please visit the Greensgrow Farm Website or check out this article in the Market Watch that was released internationally.
I hope you join in the tweets tomorrow from your garden by engaging on the hashtag #fallfest11.
Weeping Autumn
Leaves Begin to Fall
The Rain Has Open the Autumn Mums
Mums Cascade in The Landscape
These are images from my garden today as the Autumn arrives. The blooms are opening on the Mums and the leaves begin the fall from the trees as the sky weeps. With all the rain we’ve received this week I can’t help but wonder if those are tears of happiness of sadness.
Calico Betty Taking In Autumn
These are my shares for Fertilize Friday. The blooms on this share are in a bed where the mulch is mixed with broken down horse manure. The mulch was applied in early spring and provided blooms all summer long. Be sure to stop by my friends Glenda’s Site at Tootsie Time.com
Creamy Pesto From The Garden
Mobile Phone Photo Art Via #instagram : Follow me at BGgarden on your Iphone / Ipad
Easy and fresh are a given when you grow your own herbs. One of the easiest herbs to grow in the summer garden is basil. I want to share with you a quick and extremely easy recipe that you are going to love.
Creamy Pesto From The Garden
Ingredients
- 1 cup of basil pesto
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat olive oil in skillet.
- Add pesto and mix into the oil. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to skillet.
- When the pesto starts to bubble : slowly stir in the heavy cream.
- Add some warm water if needed.
- Turn down the heat and continue to stir to incorporate the cream and pesto.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
* Serve over your favorite noodle. In this recipe photo above I used a Mushroom rotini noodle. You can also freeze this sauce to use at a later time.
I would love to hear from you. Please share with me and my audience recipes you use your basil in ?
