Give a Gift
Some Composting Mistakes Are Tastier Than Others
Composting mistakes happen. Some of those mistakes are pretty minor, like when you spill your cup of freshly squeezed rosemary lemonade into the compost pile on a hot summer day. …
the compost
Is Cow Manure Fertilizer Safe for Vegetable Gardens?
If you've ever driven through farm country at the right time, you're already somewhat familiar with cow manure fertilizer. That's one of those rare times in life where I think …
The Complete Home Garden Ecosystem
Imagine a self-sustaining ecosystem in your backyard that delivers fresh, organic produce and pays for itself. A home garden creates a network of plants, soil and water that enhances the …
Wandering in Place
In the quiet corner of my backyard in Westport, Connecticut, sits a humble compost heap—my ever-evolving monument to patience, decay, and renewal. Framed by upright logs and wrapped in garden …
The Zero-Waste Gardening Kitchen
“Don’t toss that onion bottom!” I hollered just as my daughter Maya prepared to fling it into the compost bucket. She froze, onion in midair. “What? It’s garbage, Mom.” …
The Do’s and Don’ts of Open Air Composting
Figuratively. There are things you'll want to know before you "figuratively" jump into open-air composting because I'm guessing you don't want to actually do that.
If you've read more than a …
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, …
Mulching Matters
Gardeners have many allies, but mulch might be the quietest hero of them all. A good mulch is like a blanket for your soil—it shields it from the weather, conserves …
Fall: Putting the Garden to Bed
By the time autumn rolls in, gardeners have baskets of tomatoes, jars of pickles, and maybe a little fatigue in their bones. But while the gardener deserves a rest, the …
How Does Lettuce Get E. coli and How to Prevent it in a Home Garden
I love lettuce. It's so easy to grow, it's ready to harvest pretty quickly, and the multitude of varieties have so many different qualities. Who can deny the appeal of …
