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What’s It Like to Be Mike McGrath?
You can learn a lot about a person just by reading what they write. Some folks come off kind, others terse, some brilliant, and some—well, a bit outrageous. But Mike …
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The Seed Catalog Time Machine
Browsing a seed catalog or website, you may see names like “Mortgage Lifter” tomatoes, “Dragon’s Tongue” beans and “Moon and Stars” watermelons. These whimsical-sounding products are real, and many gardeners …
Inspirational Rock Garden? You Could Say That
Inspiration doesn't always come in the way we might expect. Sometimes inspiration even pushes us in the opposite direction. For example, an inspirational quote might remind us of the beauty …
10 Vegetables that Require Little Sun to Flourish
When we bought our house, my favorite thing in the backyard was the hundred-year-old Ash tree smack dab in the center of the yard. She was statuesque, gorgeous, sturdy, and …
7 Tips for Preparing Clay Soil for Planting Vegetables
I'll admit that part of the joy of gardening is having a good excuse to play in the dirt. As adults, we don't get to do that very much, but …
Celebrating the Holidays the American Way
The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg wafts through the air, mingling with the hearty scent of roasting squash and the tangy pop of cranberries simmering on the stove. It’s the …
The Best Flowers for a Vegetable Garden to Attract Pollinators and Deter Pests
When Emily Dickinson wrote this poem in the mid-1800s, she may or may not have been thinking about flowers for a vegetable garden. There’s really no way to say. She …
Start preserving for National Canning Day
National Canning Day was on October 23rd and it isn’t your grandma’s canning anymore. No more wax on the jams and jellies which that was my job when I was …
What is Vertical Gardening and are the Benefits Worth it?
When most people think of gardening, they envision a sprawling area with raised garden beds and trellises and neatly grown lettuces all in a row. However, some of the most …
10 Drought-Resistant Vegetables for a Water Conscious Garden
We all know that vegetables need water to grow, but what happens when watering your garden gets complicated. You might live in a dry climate where droughts are common. Or …
