I am a writer, lifelong plant lover, permaculture gardener, and unabashed nature nerd. I’m endlessly fascinated by the natural world and its curious inner workings – from the invisible microbes in soil that help our plants grow, to the hidden (and often misunderstood) life of insects, to the astonishing interconnectedness that lies at the heart of our forests. And everything in between.
My gardening philosophy is simple – work with the forces of nature to foster balanced ecosystems in the landscape. By taking advantage of 470 million years of evolutionary wisdom, suddenly the garden is more resilient and self-sustaining. By restoring biodiversity, we get built-in nutrient cycling, pest control, climate regulation, and widespread pollination. By building healthy soil and supporting the food web, we can have lush gardens and do a small part in healing our local biomes, too.
On my own humble patch of earth in zone 5b, I’m slowly reclaiming the land and planting it densely with native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. I also tend a food forest, herb garden, and an ever-expanding plot of fruits and vegetables, where I abide by the old adage, ‘One for the mouse, one for the crow, one to rot, and one to grow’.
In temperate climates, native plants take their cues from the changing seasons. Shorter days and cooler nights signal to plants it’s time to finish producing seed. Each plant is capable …
Wood chips are widely regarded as an excellent landscaping mulch – and for good reason. Spread out over the soil in a thick layer, wood chip mulch suppresses weeds, preserves …
Creating new garden beds doesn’t require you to dig up the turf and turn over the soil. That is, most certainly, the hardest way to do it. Cutting out the …
Wood chip mulch is an attractive ground cover that enhances the health of your soil and the plants you grow. For many gardeners, carpeting the landscape with organic mulches becomes …
This past summer, a colony of bald-faced wasps took up residence right next to my garage door. Because I know how beneficial wasps are, I decided to leave it alone. …
Over the past few years, there has been a veritable explosion in houseplant popularity. Already steadily on the rise, houseplant sales grew 50% to $1.7 billion in 2019. Then COVID-19 …
After a whirlwind week of sauce-making and canning, I have myself a sizable heap of tomato skins. Related Reading: How To Easily Peel A Whole Load Of Tomato Skins Normally, …
Garden for long enough and you’ll eventually find yourself surrounded by so much fresh produce that you couldn’t possibly eat it all quickly enough. As far as problems go, it’s …
Urine is an excellent natural fertilizer and among the very oldest ways to create fertile soil. After all, pee plays quite a crucial role in the earth’s nitrogen cycle. Mammals …
There are plenty of reasons to love growing determinate tomatoes. As bush-type tomatoes, they are biologically limited to a height of around four feet. They grow until the terminal bud …
Garden arches are beguiling structures. Curving over the pathway, from one bed to another, they create these wonderful lush green tunnels to transport you through the rows. Passing under the …
Gardeners – and especially those who garden organically – ought to be well-acquainted with nitrogen. As the N in N-P-K, it’s the first nutrient you’ll learn about as a budding …
Every plant you grow in your garden needs exactly 17 essential nutrients to be healthy, vigorous, and productive. We supply nutrients through the soil by applying amendments like compost and …
While weeding the other day, I had the welcome distraction of a fat bumblebee foraging nearby for nectar and pollen. Among the sea of blue violets that is my lawn, …
Spring has arrived in my little corner of the world, and it’s my absolute favorite season. The air is still fresh and cool, the birds are singing their little hearts …
One of my favorite things about gardening is the opportunity to start over. After a winter of reflection, spring is a fresh beginning. We get to take what was learned …
All it takes is one plant. Then it’s a couple, and what’s a few more? Now you have ten, but wouldn’t 12 be better? Once you’re up to 20, that’s …
I’m convinced that, fundamentally, there are two types of plant people. There are the folks who keep a select few houseplants, each carefully chosen for just a touch of greenery …
Over my many successes and failures in houseplant care, I’ve learned one simple truth: The more light you can heap on your plants, the easier they grow. Pretty astute, I …
Winter is hard on us cold-climate gardeners. The days are short, and the nights so very long. It’s drab and dreary and gray pretty much all the time. The sunniest …
Creating an ecological garden is a lofty pursuit indeed, but an immensely worthwhile one. With the 12 principles of permaculture to guide us, there are plenty of things we can …
Where fresh water meets land, the cattail stands tall, its cylindrical seedheads and upright sword-like leaves lightly swaying in the breeze. Cattails are so ubiquitous to water that it’s quite …
When we think of gardening, leafy greens with vibrant flowers and delectable fruit are usually what come to mind. Most herbaceous plants have the typical care requirements of lots of …
We all know that gardening is a labor of love. After all the hard work and the many hours spent planning, planting, watering, and caring for plant life, there is …