Gardeners are total optimists. Each new year brings hope for our best garden yet. Perhaps — but it’s not likely if we keep making the same mistakes. Getting our new plants and trees off to a good start and providing the right conditions for our existing ones certainly sets us up for success. And yet, doing the....

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Two weeks ago was my one “me” vacation of the year. Over four days, I was surrounded by beautiful gardens, stimulating presentations and 450 of my closest friends. It was the annual Garden Writers Association symposium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

I attended my first such event six years ago and still consider it one of the most amazing and memorable....

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One of my greatest joys in life is growing food, but nothing compares to the added pleasures of sharing the harvest with neighbors in need. Whether you’re a first-time gardener or a seasoned veteran, sooner or later your garden will be so productive you’ll find yourself wondering what to do with the bounty.

The logical and most common choice for....

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I love my job. I really do. I travel all over creation and back, to tell the stories of people and places doing great things for the planet through gardening. Not a bad gig, I’ll admit. But variety is the spice of life, and once in a while, we all need a break from the rigors and routines of our everyday life. For me, that near-daily grind means one airport after....

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I love summer—wearing shorts, the kids are out of school so a more relaxed pace, and homegrown tomatoes. What could be better? Well, for me, a little more time in the garden. And I suspect it’s that way for a lot of you, too. Summer is usually the time when we pack up and get away for a week or two, and hope everything will be fine upon our return—....

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