April is the month when the garden finally begins to feel alive again. After months of watching snow fall, wind howl, and bare branches quietly stand against gray skies, April arrives with a sense of motion. The ground softens. Rain replaces snow. The air smells different—earthy, damp, and full of promise. For gardeners, April feels like the true beginning of the season.  READ MORE 

I’ve read more self-help books than I care to admit. Some were helpful, some were forgettable, and a few were written with such certainty that I half expected the author to knock on my door and check my progress. But long before happiness became a college course—or a podcast category—I stumbled into a truth that has never failed me: Food gardening makes me happy.  READ MORE 

Ah, the innocent beginnings of a seed-starter tray on your counter, basking in the sunlight. Until, oops! You forgot to label them. Now, you're stuck in a game of "Guess That Herb" until those seedlings decide to sprout.  READ MORE 

We have a lot of books. I’ve never actually counted them, but all told, they might just possibly add up to several million, since all the walls in my office are full of them, and most of our furniture seems to consist of bookcases.  READ MORE 

“How did it come to this?” is admittedly a question I have asked out loud more than once. But this was the first time it was at 3:00 a.m. on a freezing cold April night as I feverishly try to turn the frosted-to-the-metal knobs of an ancient Weber grill ...  READ MORE 

The phrase "like giving strawberries to a donkey" is a curious expression that captures the essence of futility and wasted effort, highlighting an act so pointless and absurd that it makes me laugh! But where did this peculiar saying originate, and what is its significance?  READ MORE 

Being English and a gardener has certain drawbacks, especially if one is tall and thinnish-and wears a sun hat and skirt, rather than a baseball cap and shorts. People expect an expertise I cannot live up to.   READ MORE 

Warm day. Dry soil. Early spring. It's groundbreaking day in the garden. I go out to negotiate with ol' Dobbin, my middle-aged rototiller. She's getting a bit stiff in the joints and cranky at times, but, if you talk gently to her and coax her choke just right, she'll start up eventually and put in a few hours of work.  READ MORE 

April in New England is a season of optimism. Not warm optimism, mind you. More like bundled-in-a-sweater, watching-the-weather-app, cautiously hopeful optimism. By the time April arrives, most gardeners around here have already been gardening for weeks—just not outside. We’ve been gardening in our heads.  READ MORE 

I didn’t make it to Hawaii until I was an adult, but the islands had already taken up residence in our living room long before that—mostly via the glow of the television and the velvet-smooth voice of Don Ho. Those specials had a predictable side effect: my dad’s wardrobe.  READ MORE 

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. It’s the county exhibit hall.  READ MORE 

Growing up in the Sacramento Valley, I never once questioned the grapes in our backyard. They were just…there.  READ MORE 

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 fencing, this pile has become more than just a source of nutrient-rich soil. It’s my meditation mat, my science experiment, my slow-spinning carousel of life.  READ MORE 

The patio was a disaster. Between cracked stones sprouting weeds and the faint scent of dried nighttime air, it was a space with “potential,” which is another way of saying it looked like a crime scene for neglected houseplants.  READ MORE 

The first time Lily gave me a handful of dandelions, I nearly asked her to throw them away. “Look, Daddy!” she beamed, her sticky little hands clutching a crumpled bouquet of yellow blooms. “A present!”  READ MORE 

Across a sleepy campus road, down a path of crushed clamshells, and past a sun-bleached wooden pavilion, lies the heart of our green-thumbed ambitions—a small but mighty field of raised garden beds, their edges neatly framed with corrugated aluminum. This is where Planting Day happens, a beloved tradition at the University of South Florida.  READ MORE 

In 1962, when my then-husband was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the Cuban missile crisis, I was an 18-year-old Navy wife staying with my parents in Hawaii. As a Louisiana native, he often reminisced about the rich Southern dishes he grew up eating—fried okra being one of his favorites.  READ MORE 

If there’s one thing I truly took away from high school—besides an appreciation for patience, persistence, and the occasional cow pie—it’s the unforgettable memories I made in the countryside.  READ MORE 

“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.”  READ MORE 

One morning in early Spring, a scruffy-looking, short-haired, gray-and-white cat showed up on my front porch. I really didn’t want to adopt a pet, so I did not feed or pet or encourage the animal in any way. Regrettably, the cat didn’t take the hint.  READ MORE 

It was my intention to take the bottles to the redemption center, meet my friends Laura and Lauren for lunch, and then come home. It took me ten hours. You see, my friends are gardeners—good ones—paid to be ones, actually.  READ MORE 

The thing about growing asparagus is, if you think you might be craving a plate of the supple steamy spears smothered in cheese sauce on a warm Spring day three or four years from now, you should get it in the ground today.  READ MORE 

If you're anything like me, you're a proud card-carrying foodie who finds bliss in the soil, joy in the harvest, and delight in sharing the bounty with friends and family. That's why I couldn't wait to dive into our brand-new guidebook, Vegetable Gardening in America.  READ MORE 

Guten Tag, fellow food enthusiasts and culinary adventurers! Allow me to whisk you away on a delightful journey through the enchanting world of German cuisine. As an avid lover of all things German, I've had the pleasure of indulging in delectable dishes, exploring charming villages, and uncovering the rich tapestry of flavors that define this vibrant culinary landscape.  READ MORE 

Nestled in the heart of Bonn, Germany, my culinary journey took an unexpected turn as I discovered the enchanting world of white asparagus.  READ MORE 

All aboard the schnitzel express! My journey through the delightful world of crispy, golden-brown goodness began on a train from Bonn to Cologne. A colleague, with an enthusiasm for schnitzel that could rival a toddler's for ice cream, assured me that Germany had the best pork schnitzel on the planet.  READ MORE 

Once upon a time, in the heart of Germany, a humble side dish was born. We all know it as German potato salad, but its journey from a simple spud ensemble to a tangy, mustard-infused masterpiece is a tale worth savoring.  READ MORE 

Ah, the melodious ring of the surnames Holt and Kissel! My whole life, I believed these names bestowed upon me a rich tapestry of German heritage. Picture me, a proud member of the Teutonic tribe, marching boldly into the world armed with bratwurst and lederhosen.  READ MORE 

Once upon a time in the bustling town of Sacramento, there stood a charming little restaurant named the Minuteman. This culinary haven was known far and wide for its delectable treats, especially the heavenly pastries that graced its display cases.  READ MORE