Across the nation, gardening grew by leaps and bounds in 2020. And it’s not slowing down. In fact, more than 20 million new growers picked up the trowel and pitchfork in response to the pandemic. The good news is
At the beginning of 2020, gardening was well, gardening. But these days, it’s been embraced as part of the “new normal”. I’d go so far as to say that gardening has actually become a new mandate for
Greetings from Kodiak, Alaska. I’d like you to meet my friend Lucile. She would have been 105 years old this November. Local gardeners knew her as “Luc.” She didn’t just grow and nurture flowers, she
When I think of holiday dinners of my youth, two things come to mind: Oyster casserole (topped with crushed Saltines) and a jiggling red tower of cranberry sauce. I followed the example set by the grownups and loaded my fork with what looked like an oyster and, with extreme
As we enter the holidays in this world of COVID, I’d like to focus on ways we can lighten up. So for today, I want to cover a few indoor and outdoor projects, as well as my favorite vegan pumpkin pie recipe called
Now that the elections are behind us, the topic of “what’s next?” is on the front burner of many tongues. I’ll let those-who-polish-crystal balls get to work. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at what’s next in
Can you think of a silver lining spawned by COVID-19? It’s a challenge, isn’t it, what with many countries setting records for
In Alaska, when temperatures tumble and daylight dwindles, we’re ushered like cattle into winter’s corral. And as predicted, I’m inundated with questions from you, dear readers. So let’s go over a few of these questions, starting with flowering
As we lean into September, I can’t help but think, “Where did the time go?” [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Autumn is springtime in reverse. — Terri Guillemets[/perfectpullquote] When it comes to daylength, Terri is spot on: We have about 14 hours of
Love it or hate it, ‘pivot’ is the buzzword of the pandemic. Pivot refers to a significant change or survival tactic in a business, a household, a relationship, or eating habits. In 1985, I made a pivotal decision to quit going to sea for a living, having worked on tugboats and
A certain man had a fine horse that was his pride and his wealth. One morning he got up early to go out to the stable and he found it empty. The horse had been stolen! He stayed awake many nights after that,
What do sunflowers and zucchini have in common? Not much, really. It’s a trick question. After all, sunflowers grow UP while zucchini plants grow
I went on a slug patrol the other morning. This means setting my coffee cup down and snooping around the garden in search of slimy gastropods. I collected them with bare hands and then
Dear readers, For today’s column, I’d intended to dive into composting and how to harvest and store potatoes. Then my copy of GreenPrints arrived in the mail, and I changed my mind. Oh, yes, I promise
Tomorrow is the first day of autumn, when, for a micro-second, we teeter-totter at a perfect point between 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night. Back on Earth, it’s time to make jam, put up pickles, smoke fish, and
The summer of 2020 has been like no other: Good weather plus more time than usual to spend in the garden; or fish for silver salmon, go for long hikes, and… okay, so the berry harvest wasn’t so great. Yet, more than once
What’s the most popular vegetable in the world? Potatoes. So, what’s Number 2? Carrots. If you’re like me, you adore carrots but struggle to find new and interesting