gardener

Saving a Neglected Garden

Saving a Neglected Garden

When my friend got ill, it was difficult for her to watch the garden die. She had worked so hard on it for a decade, and now, it was a  
When the Garden Gets Ahead of Itself

When the Garden Gets Ahead of Itself

In May, the garden is civilized. Neat little rows. Tiny seedlings. Carefully labeled plant markers. Everything is orderly and full of promise. Then July arrives. Sometime during the first week  
What is My USDA Planting Zone?

What is My USDA Planting Zone?

The mysterious USDA planting zone (aka plant hardiness zone) isn't all that mysterious once you get to know it. It's like the overlooked love interest in every 80's RomCom. Always  
The Parsnip and the Peanut

The Parsnip and the Peanut

The soil quivered beneath her fingertips as the old woman knelt in the garden, pulling weeds. Just as she wiped her brow and bent her ear to the ground, a  
Bonus Chapter: My Pepper Patch Blueprint

Bonus Chapter: My Pepper Patch Blueprint

If Chapter 26 was about reflection, this bonus chapter is about anticipation. Because somewhere between the last harvest and the first seed catalog, I find myself doing what every gardener does  
Q is for Quick Fixes in the Garden

Q is for Quick Fixes in the Garden

If Chapter 16 was about understanding pests and problems, this chapter is about what to do when you’re standing in the garden thinking: “Something’s not quite right… and I’d like to  
J is for Jalapeños and Other Gateway Peppers

J is for Jalapeños and Other Gateway Peppers

If hot peppers were a neighborhood, jalapeños would be the friendly neighbor who waves from the front porch and invites you in for something delicious—but not overwhelming. They are, in many