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June is the slowest time of the year in the gardens of the cool, temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere—Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Winter starts on June 21. The spring planting season is not that far away, so now is the time to clean up around the garden and get

Winter begins this week in the Southern Hemisphere. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of good things coming out of the garden. The citrus harvest is in full swing now. Sweet navel oranges, early mandarins, limes, grapefruits, and tangelos are ready for the table. Late apples, avocadoes, bananas, guavas, feijoas, early kiwifruit, olives, and

How hot is it where you live? It’s been toasty hot here in the Sonoma Valley this week, approaching the high 90’s everyday this past week. Of course, that is good news if you are a tomato or zucchini. They seem to be doing just fine! And the first local watermelon should be making an

Enchiladas with green salsa verde made from tomatillos Tomatillo flavor is delicate but slightly tart in a green tomato sort of way, although it can sometimes border on sweet. Some say the flavor of the tomatillo is a combination of apple, lemon, and herbs. Tomatillo can be sliced raw into a salad or diced into

Celery can be eaten raw or cooked. Celery brings texture and a mild flavor to salads, hors d’oeuvres, soups, stuffings, stews, and stock. It can be steamed, braised, or sautéed and served as a side dish. Celery tastes best when it comes to harvest in cool weather, late spring or in autumn. How to Choose

Eat sweet peppers raw in salads, or eat them steamed, stir-fried, roasted, grilled or roasted or stuffed. Use them in casseroles or rice dishes. Sweet peppers are in season from late spring through late summer. Types of Sweet Peppers Sweet peppers are warm-season annuals in temperate regions and perennials in tropical climates. Sweet peppers are