Just planting a few easy-to-grow edibles can lead to real savings on your grocery bill — if you plant wisely — It’s becoming clear that food prices are going nowhere but up. Inflation has been with us for about a year but now that sanctions on Russia are shifting energy costs, people who are a lot smarter than me about economics assure us that virtually everything will become more expensive. If…

Baker Creek Seeds steps up to send aid to Ukrainians displaced by Putin’s war — Baker Creek Seeds, a company that works to maintain heirloom plant varieties from around the world, is doing something really great. From February 25th through midnight February 27th, they will be donating 100% of ALL seed sales to World Help to provide humanitarian aid for Ukrainians displaced by war. Once Again, You Can Buy Seeds to Help Besieged Ukrainians Another seed company steps up to send profits for humanitarian aidmedium.com

It’s National Seed Swap Day! Have you ordered new seeds for this year’s garden? Or sorted leftover seeds from previous years? Get those seed packets organized and share some with…

Plant varieties bred for container-growing and you can reap the rewards with no garden ground at all! — The truth is you don’t need a patch of open ground to plant an edible garden. If you plant varieties bred for container-growing, you can reap the rewards with no garden ground at all. There are plenty of vegetables you can grow in containers on your balcony or patio and…

The life she built at her Vermont farmhouse inspired her writings and illustrations — One topic that comes up with writers a lot these days is “world-building.” It used to be an issue more common among fantasy and sci-fi writers, but the term seems to be popping up more often among mainstream writers. It refers to the process of creating a cohesive setting for…

But don’t forget to use seeds leftover from the year before! — Nothing can inspire grand garden dreams quite so perfectly as the glossy, four-color pages of a good seed catalog. They make it easy to believe that anyone can successfully grow anything, from the most common garden varieties to the rarest and, of course, fussiest of plants. Winter days are a…

These fussy plants can grow year-round with the proper care — Now that the holidays are over, it’s time for the annual Poinsettia Challenge — the race to see if you can not only keep your poinsettias alive. Maybe you can even win the ultimate prize: getting the dang thing to bloom again later! Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are a big business…

Gather and track the data that will make your gardening life easier and more productive — When some people hear the words “garden journal,” they think of very literary, pastoral writing about a very perfect garden. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of thing, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. The kind of garden journal I’m suggesting is more data-driven than dreamy. It’s a…

I confess that I am fascinated to read or hear about creative people’s routines. As someone who struggles with self-discipline, it amazes me that there are people who live very ordered lives and do things in a very particular way day after day. …