Hands of a Gardener
The woman ahead of me pushed on the door of the garden center to open it, her hand high on the glass pane. Before me, I saw long fingers and …
lettuce
Lemonade with Nonni
Nonni, my grandmother, would call out to me from her small front porch while she rubbed her flour-laden hands on a big apron. The apron was usually covered with ruffles …
Salad Days
Last year, my family hosted a German exchange student for a few weeks. As a gift, he left us a cookbook with traditional recipes from his region. Being a foodie …
Size Matters
What is it with seeds? Why are lettuce and carrot seeds so ridiculously teeny that the instructions on the package (“plant three to four inches apart in rows”) make no …
The Power of One Pepper Clapping
I must needs be pounding out these wascally words in the barely-of-Spring, whence I am (or should that be was? Or even will be, if you consider I’ll probably be …
Finding a Garden
You see, at the moment I don’t have a garden. We had a bad house fire last December and were moved into a hotel, where we’ve been ever since—and expect …
Hey! Who Threw Tomatoes at My Car??!!!
First, I am pleased to announce that I have planted my peas earlier this year than ever before and certainly earlier than anyone in my native Pennsylvania would consider even …
After the Spring
I have never understood why we keep a garden and why, 35 years ago when I bought my first house in the country, I started digging up a patch for …
To the Celery in My Life
In February I set a tray of soil on an old bathmat on the floor of my office and planted a line of tiny celery seeds. I gave the soil …
