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The California Wonder Pepper That Followed Me Home
What I remember most about the California State Fair in the 1960s isn’t the rides, the midway games, or even the smell of corn dogs drifting through the Summer air. …
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Gardening with Kids is a Blessing
I like to think that I've done my job as a gardener to at least inspire curiosity in my daughter about gardening. Gardening with kids isn't always pretty, but it's …
7 Common Vegetables that Should Not be Planted Together
I remember being in third grade and my teacher separated two of the annoying boisterous kids (okay, one of them was me), and said: “You two just can’t be around …
7+ Perfect Plants for an Edible Front Porch Garden
I’ll be blunt; if you enjoy cooking, you owe it to yourself to have a garden. I realize not everyone has the space for a big garden in the backyard. …
Crop Rotation and Soil Balance
If mulch is the soil’s blanket and cover crops are its armor, then crop rotation is its compass. What you plant—and when—can either drain the soil or restore it. Rotation …
Cover Crops and Green Manure
If compost is the gardener’s black gold, then cover crops are the living green shield of the soil. They keep the earth covered, feed it while they grow, and give …
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 …
Human Pollinators and Their Handy Toothbrushes
I remember the day I learned how to be a human pollinator and pollinate flowers with a toothbrush. It was a hot, June day and I was eager to learn …
Combinations of Vegetables that Should Not be Planted Together
You read that right. Even though there are lots of vegetables and herbs that complement one another in the garden, there are some vegetables that should not be planted together. …
