I went to a garage sale recently in search of a used shovel. No luck. But I did find a used book of hysterical gardening stories. (More on that in a second). Okay, I know you’re here for
All about organic gardening in Kodiak, Alaska: Compost, cool climate gardening, cold season crops — all organic gardening tips from my 30+ years of writing a weekly garden column and teaching garden workshops.
I went to a garage sale recently in search of a used shovel. No luck. But I did find a used book of hysterical gardening stories. (More on that in a second). Okay, I know you’re here for
I live on Kodiak, the second-largest island in the U.S. Did you know that it’s mostly a wildlife refuge for coastal brown bears? What does that have to do with Christmas cactus? First of all, Merriam-Webster set me straight. Again.…
Have you ever seen those drawings in National Geographic of what Alaska looked like in the days of the dinosaurs? Far from a frozen wasteland. We’re talking a lush, tropical
To my chop-wood, carry-water friend Mary, the equinox means one thing: Time to dig the ashes out of the woodstove. For the rest of us, let’s dive into a little
What do whales and your summer garden have in common? I’ll share a tip that has solved many a garden problem. But let’s begin with a story: One morning, we departed the Kodiak boat harbor on our boat. As luck…
Is Mother Nature a lovely goddess draped in green? Or an old hag that stirs up violent tornadoes? If you dare, I’m going to share one of life’s
During World War I President Woodrow Wilson asked Americans to plant vegetable gardens “to ward off the possible threat of food shortages.” By 1943, victory gardens supplied an amazing 40 percent
On a beautiful fall day, podcaster Catherine Praiswater stopped by the garden to ask me about the birds and the bees. Eagles and bumblebees, actually. She adjusted
In 1988 I decided to grow a few vegetables. Problem was, I’d never grown more than a sunflower in a milk carton. So it was no surprise when 50 years later, I was totally overwhelmed
It’s snowing. Big fluffy flakes. You start to worry that your shrubs and winter flowering plants might suffer. The good news: Snow benefits plants. But it can also spell trouble. Here’s a