For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
a bonus garlic harvest before your 🧄 is ready
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Okay, let's talk garlic. This is a staple in my vegetable garden because it's incredibly easy to grow. Butttt... It's also one of the latest-maturing crops, taking up to 9 months to harvest. That means garlic planted last fall (usually in late October) is still a little ways away from being ready. However! This is the time when hardneck garlic starts offering up a delicious bonus harvest weeks before you can pick the bulbs. (Sorry, Southern gardeners: This does not apply to softneck garlic.) Like many of the other plants in your garden right now, garlic is beginning to bolt. And their flower stalks (called scapes) are quite a sight: stiff green stems rising above the leaves and twisting every which way. These stems are in fact edible, and by picking the stems for your next meal, you'll also be helping your garlic bulbs grow BIGGER! Find out when to pick them + a little trick for harvesting the part most people miss. Another reason to love garlic scapes: their appearance means the bulbs are just a month away from maturity! (And they'll free up a bed for midsummer sowing, which is key to a productive fall garden.) Seasonal tipsThe Route 66 Cookbook wins an award!Last week I got some exciting news: The Route 66 Cookbook won a 2026 Will Rogers Medallion Award! Here's what the judges said about my book: “This outstanding book beautifully celebrates one of America’s most iconic highways through its rich collection of recipes, history, and regional culture. We are honored to recognize this exceptional contribution to preserving and sharing the heritage of the American West.” You probably already know that the United States celebrates its Semiquincentennial (aka 250th anniversary) this July 4th. But this year is also the 100th anniversary of Route 66, one of the first continuous, fully paved highways in the country and a cultural icon. It's everything you want in the ultimate road trip: incredible views, rugged exploration, tons of little-known gems, and delicious food from all over the world. I'm so honored to be recognized for this award. You can learn more about my book here. Have you ever traveled Route 66? Up until 2024, I had only driven small sections of the highway in California and Arizona. (You can read 2 of my very old blog posts from 2013 when I visited what are now some of my favorite Route 66 pit stops: Hackberry and Oatman.) While writing my book, I finally drove all 2,400 miles of this legendary highway! 🚐 And I'd love to go back one day because there were so many amazing sights and restaurants that I missed! P.S. If your hardneck garlic crop is starting to produce edible and delicious scapes, learn how to harvest them and use them in your next meal. P.P.S. School's out and sun's out... Where will you be headed this summer?! Maybe one of my books can inspire your next adventure! |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."