When I was growing up outside of Baltimore, we had a neighbor named Bob Gettier. Bob was the original backyard farmer who planted a huge vegetable garden each summer. A commercial artist by trade, his garden was his passion and it, along with his apple and cherry trees, provided his family a bounty of fresh […]

A few years ago, Vic and I tried an experiment. Instead of putting our tomato plants in the ground, we decided to plant them in containers on our deck. It worked so well that now we plant quite a number of our vegetables in pots that sit on the patio. If you only have a […]

I see a golden opportunity thanks to Covid-19. Now that families are together because of the safer at home practices, it’s a perfect time to teach your children about planting, caring for, and harvesting a garden. It’s also an opportunity to teach your children about where their food comes from. Families come to the greenhouses […]

Having been born and raised in the country, I can conjure up a pot of soup out of just about anything in my pantry, provided I have an onion to start. During the current corona virus panic, I was at all three grocery stores recently before I found that prized onion. It reminded me of […]

If you are going stir crazy being cooped up at home, I have the solution. Gardening. If there has ever been a time that has strengthened my belief in the health benefits of gardening, now is that time. Although I have been on a crusade for a number of years about the importance of gardening […]

Perhaps you’re thrifty and have saved seeds from years past. Perhaps you simply bought too much last year and have leftover seed. Either way, one of the most common questions I hear at this time of year is, “Can I use leftover seed from last year?” The good news is that most seed leftover or […]

Each spring I find that there is some confusion in the difference between a “cold” crop and a “cole” crop. Although the words sound alike, and sometimes people use them interchangeably, they are not the same. I know it can be a bit confusing, so let’s talk about what each one really is and a […]

If the swelling on the buds of the trees in my yard are any indication, we might be in for an early spring. Although warmer temperatures early in the season are always welcome after the winter days, they aren’t such good news if you have an orchard or flowering fruit trees. Many years the trees […]

Although your small tools may be the ones you turn to everyday, the larger ones can be even more important in your garden for a variety of reasons. There are a few that are essential and this week I want to talk about those and how to choose them wisely. A shovel will be one […]

Like many women, I got some new kitchen toys for Christmas and when I was using them the other day, it reminded me how important good tools are in order to have great results. That’s true not only in the kitchen but in the garden as well, so this week, as you are dreaming of […]