The Making of Mrs. Know It All
I am what you call a city girl growing up just 10 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh in a borough called Swissvale. My Grandma Kaschauer had lived there since 1906 and …
beans
Garden Follies
My dad was a rural soul, despite a closet full of suits and a house in a Birmingham, Alabama, suburb. This notion first presented itself to me one night when …
The Thankful Game (with audio)
“My family,” says my mom, Elizabeth.
“Desserts,” says my Aunt Anne.
“The breeze,” says my father, Lee, with eleven green beans in his hand.
“Air conditioning,” says my youngest sister, Jean, as she …
Christmas Coffee Plant
At the middle school where my wife, Carole, and I teach, we have a small coffee room—with four coffee pots. Two perk regular coffee, one holds decaffeinated, and one has …
Beets Companion Plants for the Garden
Beets are the best! Most vegetables are easy to love, but beets have a lot going for them. They're an easy-to-grow, fast-developing crop that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family alongside Swiss …
A Giant Pumpkin Tale
This article was originally published in our sister publication, GreenPrints Magazine, under the title, “Our Great Giant Pumpkin.” It was written by Jan Canyon and was published originally in 2019, …
How to Use Pumpkin in Unique Ways
It's getting to be that time of year when you try to figure out how to use pumpkin, because your pumpkin patch is producing big time ... or you have …
My Personal Groundhog Day
"Hey!” I slid our screen door open, stepped onto the sunny deck, and yelled, “Get out of there!” The beagle from the farm down the road whimpered at my feet. …
The Best Vegetables to Plant Together for an Unbelievable Harvest
Some things are meant to be together: wine and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, Simon and Garfunkel, and the three sisters. The three sisters, otherwise known as corn, beans, and …
A Heartwarming Harvest (with audio)
What could be in this big box?” asked Beth, my adult daughter, as she started to open it. “It’s not my birthday or anything.”
“I know,” I replied. “but it’s just …
