When I considered what I would plant in my garden in the spring after Ole had finished placing each and every rock around the bed, I really just picked things that I liked. I didn’t do much planning or thoughtful introspection. I knew I wanted a kitchen garden, a potager, and already had my herbs in pots. I went to the farmer’s market, looked around, found a few things I knew I wanted like everbearing strawberries and tomatoes, picked out a few more items and then I just went for it.... more

I have a relatively large backyard for living in an urban area, yet my herb gardens live in pots. There are many reasons for this, but I first became a believer in the potted herbs after my first attempt at growing them. I had purchased seedlings and planted them hoping to serve more flavorful dishes to my family without handing over $3.00 every time a recipe called for fresh herbs. It was going well, my plants were growing, and then June appeared and brought with it a rash of thunderstorms. ... more

Photo by kennymatic Food packaging can be such a waste. Everything seems to come in a plastic bottle, a tiny box, plastic clamshells and aluminum pans. All of that packaging results in a lot of garbage, but it doesn’t have to make its way directly to the garbage. Reusing that packaging is a great way to save money and cut down on trash. Here are seven ways to take old food packaging and turn it into something useful: 1. Leftover food storage. This is an old one. Nearly every grandma... more