Coldest Start to June on Record

Well its official while the rest of the country has had near record highs here in the Northwest we have experienced the coldest start to June on record. Read more
Those of us who are keen gardeners are wondering if we will ever get any squash or tomatoes this year. Those who don’t believe [...]

Urban Gardening in Seattle

Suddenly being an urban gardener is very much in vogue here in Seattle.  Not only are people realizing that it can help save money (we probably saved about $2000 because of home grown produce last year) but they are also realizing that it tastes better and it is probably better for us.  Here are a [...]

Backyard Gardeners

Well, I am back in the garden & have been furiously trying to plant tomatoes before the plants get too root bound or die because of the record May temperatures here in Seattle.  Evidently I am part of a rapidly growing group of urbanites who have discovered that food not only tastes better straight from [...]

Miles to Go Before We Sleep

Tomorrow we head off for Australia where Tom will be busy promoting his new book The New Conspirators and I will have a chance to spend time with my family.  April is not a good time for me to be away - not because of the work that will pile up while I am gone [...]

Christmas Cactus in Bloom

We spent this morning in the garden weeding, planting bulbs and tidying up but the real treat was when we came inside. My Christmas cacti are in full bloom delighting my heart with their beauty and variety. The glory of God truly does shine through such creations. Enjoy

And orchids too - [...]

Going Organic

Here is an interesting article in the New York Times on Five Ways to Go Organic.  One of the things that amazes me about articles like this (good though they are) is that they rarely if ever mention the value of growing our own food.  We produce about 50% of our own fruit and vegetables [...]

Eating Locally or Not

I have just been reading Bill McKibben’s Deep Economy, one of the best books that I have read for a long time. If you have not read it yet than I suggest you put it at the top of your “must read” list. As I read the chapter on the values of eating [...]

Cheese Making Party

Last week we held a cheese making party at the Mustard Seed House. It was a great way to celebrate the last of the summer tomatoes and basil. The goodness of God is revealed in the joy of the harvest.  If you have never tried fresh made mozarella you don’t know [...]

Processing Apples

This last Saturday was garden day at the Mustard Seed House. The trouble is that now we need to process 150 lb of apples so we are furiously drying and freezing. This is providing some wonderful times of fellowship for Ricci & Anneke and I and is a great learning experience for Catie [...]

Tomatoes are here

Today I picked the first tomato of the season.  It was only about 1″ across but I carefully cut it in half and shared it with Tom.  The flavour was incredible… a promise of wonderful things to come (I hope).  I love this season of the year and makes me realized why when God completed [...]