Give a Gift
How Gardens Heal Us, One Story at a Time
If you’ve spent any time in a garden — even just a moment with your hands in the dirt or your eyes tracing the veins of a leaf — then …
basil
Budding Bonds: A Tale of Friendship, Fences, and Fresh Greens
Gardening? Not my cup of tea. I couldn't even keep a cactus alive—much to my friends' amusement. But when Emily, my best friend, suggested we start a vegetable garden together, …
The Great San Marzano Experiment
There are many ways a professional chef parents a child. Some teach knife skills. Some teach patience. Mine taught me that if a tomato didn’t taste right, the soil was …
Easy Ways to Start Growing Vegetables from Scraps
I admit it, I’m a scrapper. I love growing vegetables from scraps. It doesn’t always work, but when it does you get to give yourself a little pat on the …
How to Save an Overwatered Basil Plant
It may not look like an overwatered basil plant. It's wilty and drab. The leaves look yellow or brown. It certainly looks like it could use a tall drink of …
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes: A Gardener’s Delight with a Hint of Mystery
Ah, the Cherokee Purple tomato—part heirloom, part legend, and wholly delicious. This distinctive tomato is said to trace its roots back to the Cherokee Nation, passed down through generations before …
The Best Mulch for an Herb Garden You Can Make or Buy
There’s nothing like the fragrance of fresh herbs in the kitchen. I love the way they flavor a meal and add color to sauces. And I love how easy they …
10 Deer-Resistant Vegetables and Herbs
When I think of deer-resistant vegetables, it’s usually a cartoon that comes to mind. I can picture little veggies with shields and swords trying to ward off a herd of …
San Marzano: The Tomato That Stole My Heart
As an avid tomato gardener, let me tell you: San Marzano tomatoes are nothing short of magical. These oblong, bright-red beauties are the secret ingredient behind the best pasta sauce …
The Best Type of Manure for Vegetable Gardens
My summer cookouts are not for the faint of heart. It's not that there's anything scary or bad. But conversations tend to skip the polite weather talk and get straight …
