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Putting It All Together — A Year in the Life of Healthy Soil
If soil could talk, it would remind us that it doesn’t live by days or hours—it lives by seasons. The rhythm of soil care follows the cycles of growth, rest, …
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Composting A to Z
If healthy soil is the foundation of food gardening, compost is the mortar that holds it together. Compost feeds the microbes, balances nutrients, improves structure, and turns yesterday’s kitchen scraps …
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 …
Spring: Waking the Soil
Winter is soil’s season of rest. Beneath the snow or under a blanket of mulch, microbial life slows, roots sleep, and the garden quietly rebuilds itself. But when spring arrives, …
Fruit Trees: Soil for the Long Haul
Planting a fruit tree is an act of hope. Unlike lettuce, which rewards you in weeks, or tomatoes, which fill your baskets in a season, a fruit tree takes years …
In-Ground Gardens: Working with the Soil You’ve Got
There’s a certain romance to planting straight into the earth—no lumber to buy, no bags to haul, just you, a spade, and the promise of harvest. In-ground food gardens can …
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 …
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 …
Grateful Hands, Greener Hearts
Every January I start seeds in my laundry-room window while the thermometer outside pretends it’s the North Pole. My 2026 resolution is to add a cold frame so I can …
How to Fertilize Container Vegetables for Best Results
Have I told you how much I adore container gardens? Container gardens are the quiet MVP of the vegetable gardening world. Container gardening provides accessibility to everyone. If you rent …
