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Beans, Glorious Beans!
If meatloaf really does start in the soil—as my father insisted—then beans are the foundation. They bring the hearty texture, rich flavor, and plant-based protein that make a veggie loaf …
beans
Growing Meatloaf
How to Plant a Meatloaf (According to Dad)
One sunny April morning, I caught my father kneeling in the bean row with a packet of seeds in one hand and a …
Soil Care in Moderate Climates (Zones 6–8)
For gardeners in Zones 6–8, the soil feels like a gift. Winters are short enough to grow cover crops (or even hardy greens), summers are long enough for tomatoes, peppers, …
Summer: Feeding the Feast
By summer, the garden is in full swing. Tomatoes sprawl across their cages, peppers swell on the stem, beans climb skyward, and zucchini plot to overwhelm you. It’s a season …
Testing Your Soil: The Gardener’s Report Card
When I was in school, I used to dread report cards. They always told me more about where I had slacked off than where I had succeeded. But as a …
What Is Soil, Really?
When most people hear the word soil, they picture a patch of brown stuff stuck to the bottom of their shoes. Dirt, plain and simple. But as food gardeners, we …
March Makes Gardeners Dream Big
Every March, I become a wildly optimistic gardener. It happens the same way each year. One warm-ish afternoon slips between the snowstorms, the air smells faintly like wet soil instead …
Edamame, Please
There are moments in the garden when you know—you just know—that something wonderful is about to happen. For Gail and me, that moment often arrives carrying a colander. We step …
10 High-Yield Crops for a Cost-Efficient Garden
I'm just going to lay it on the line here: gardening can be expensive. It doesn't need to be, and certainly, the return on investment is usually pretty high. That …
Piecie’s Potatoes
There are treasures in life that we hold dear, and for me, my four grandbabies are like pure gold. I was fortunate to be present at every one of their …
