These ten fairly simple activities require minimal time and cost, and most will even actually save you money over time. You can also rest a little better at night knowing you’re helping to make a positive impact with your daily routine. Take a few minutes this Earth Day to assess your household, and see where […]

The Greens and Browns of Your Compost Knowing how various browns and greens behave in your compost can make all the difference in your garden. Using chemically contaminated plants or rotten fruit peels will infect your compost. Photo by Pixabay/Ben_Kerck (Roost Books, 2015) by Rebecca Louie is a comprehensive and complete guide to creating and

Potatoes aren’t difficult to grow, but a few simple techniques can be used to boost and extend your harvests. Planting Tips for a Better Potato Harvest You can plant in trenches the traditional way, or save time and effort with no-dig gardening. And by tweaking your growing regime you can even enjoy some out-of-season spuds.

Seed starting mixes are essential for sowing many vegetables, herbs and flowers. But with so much to sow over the coming weeks and months, they can be expensive – unless you make your own. Make Your Own Seed Starting Mix A few simple ingredients can be combined to make a mix that’s just right for

What is Companion Planting? Companion planting is the practice of growing certain crops near each other and keeping others separated so that they all thrive. Companion planting is based mostly on observations passed down from gardener to gardener through the generations, but science can also explain many of the effects, both positive and negative, of

Gardeners are a pretty thrifty bunch and it’s in the garden where repurposing old items into new really comes into its own. Upcycling Projects: Turn Your Trash into Garden Treasures! From transforming tins into planters to repurposing old furniture for storing produce, there are countless ways to put worn out or unwanted items to good

I adore this time of year with so many ways and opportunities to say I love you with food.  But….preferably leaning on the healthy side….. Sorry.  Involuntary mom brain.  I’ve tucked that away for a bit. With gratitude I share the dish that I’ll be making for many others this holiday season.  It’s a little

Gorgeous garlic packs a pungent punch, making it an indispensable addition to so many recipes – and every vegetable garden. Growing Garlic from Planting to Harvest Garlic is best planted before winter in many areas. It’s very easy to grow – all it needs to thrive is a sunny spot and good drainage. In this

It’s time to face the cold hard truth: tomato season won’t be here for much longer. That is, unless my freezer has anything to say about it! Out of all the summer vegetables (or is it fruit?), I think tomatoes are the ones I mourn the most when the season is over. There’s nothing worse

There’s nothing quite as rewarding as harvesting your own homegrown fruits and vegetables. But how can you tell when they’re perfectly ripe? How to Tell When Your Fruits and Vegetables are Ready to Harvest Different crops have their own tell-tale signs that let you know when they’re ready to eat. In this short video we