the compost

Confounding Columbines

Confounding Columbines

I am a seed starter. Give me a packet of good seed, and I can always get them to pop within a few days. Most packets say, “Plant 2-3  
Diamonds or Compost

Diamonds or Compost

My husband, Don, was Christmas shopping one rainy December day when he bumped into a friend who was on his way to the jewelry store to buy his wife a  
Persnickety Pineapples

Persnickety Pineapples

Some years back I was given a book about how to grow windowsill plants from kitchen scraps. Practically everything that you’re preparing to toss into the compost bin, says my  
Deer Gardens

Deer Gardens

Don Quixote was just fine until he began reading books. I think gardening books were what got me. At night I’d pore over lush photographs of gardens from New England  
Watermelon Rind Smoothie

Watermelon Rind Smoothie

If there's one fruit that I associate most with a summer day it's watermelon. One bite into the sweet fruit is all it takes to cool off when the sun's  
Types of Garlic

Types of Garlic

Softneck garlic has a long shelf life and it is the variety most often seen in grocery stores. The two common types of softneck garlic are artichoke and silverskin.  
Watering Your Basil Plants

Watering Your Basil Plants

Watering basil can be one of the trickiest parts of maintaining your basil plants in a healthy state. Like all plants, basil needs water—but too much water can damage the