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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 …
carrots
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, …
Soil Care in Cold Climates (Zones 3–5)
Gardening in the northern zones is not for the faint of heart. The season is short, the winters are long, and the soil often feels like it has a will …
Vegetables: Feeding the Family
If herbs are the seasoning, vegetables are the meal. They’re the backbone of the food garden—the peas in spring, the tomatoes in summer, the kale in fall, and the carrots …
Raised Beds: Soil Layering, Refreshing, and Renewal
Raised beds have become the poster child of modern food gardening—and for good reason. They’re neat, productive, easier on the knees, and they let gardeners sidestep stubborn native soils. But …
Amending Existing Soil: Fix, Don’t Fight
If there’s one universal truth about gardening, it’s this: none of us start with perfect soil. Maybe yours is sticky clay that clumps on your shovel. Maybe it’s sandy grit …
The Lady Leprechaun and the Farmer
If you ask the hills of Kerry for a love story, they point to the old oak that leans toward the O’Malley place and say, “Start there.” The wind keeps …
Laugh, Grow, Repeat: The Healing Power of Gardening and Humor
Let’s be honest: gardening can be a spiritual experience. The stillness of the morning, the smell of damp earth, the thrill of spotting that first tomato—these are the moments that …
Tiny Roots, Big Joy
I didn’t discover baby carrots in a seed catalog or at a farmers market. I discovered them in my father’s kitchen—though, as with many lessons from a professional chef, the …
Signs of Food Spoilage in Preserved Vegetables
I get it. You worked hard on preserving those fresh garden veggies, and you're looking forward to enjoying them on a cold, dark winter evening. You pull a glass jar …
