What do healthy seedlings look like? ? they have a great root system ? they are not flowering ? they are dark green Seed Starting Checklist Are you trying your hand at growing seedlings this year? Snag this free 8 page pdf checklist that explains all the components of an excellent, affordable seed starting setup, so you can grow great seedlings. Get the Checklist It's a bummer wasting time and resources trying to grow veggies that just refuse to get big and harvestable. There's a few factors that go into vegetable growing, and one of them is the quality of plants you put into the garden. As se ..read more

What are some misconceptions about seed starting? ? you need fancy equipment ? growing seedlings is hard ? you have to grow all.the.seedlings. Or else. Seed Starting Checklist Are you trying your hand at growing seedlings this year? Snag this free 8 page pdf checklist that explains all the components of an excellent, affordable seed starting setup, so you can grow great seedlings. Get the Checklist We're kind of on a theme here with the ?️ setup, ?️ skills, and ?️ consistency showing up in all three of the seedling posts. But I love how this framework simplifies gardening problems into just th ..read more

Choosing the right vegetable varieties is important because ? matching varieties to your growing conditions increases harvests. ? aligning varieties with your ethics feels good. ? choosing varieties based on your garden goals allows to achieve them. In this post, I'll also cover what vegetable varieties are and how to choose the right ones for you. Have you planned your garden yet? Choosing varieties is my favorite part of garden planning. I relish curling up under a blanket with my seed catalogs to pick them out after the bulk of my garden plan is done. If you haven’t planned your garden yet ..read more

Why is it important to set goals in your for your garden, even if it's just one of your hobbies? ? Because it helps you uncover your big "why" or reason behind your gardening, which can change from year to year. ? Because you'll be spending your precious time and resources on your garden and want to use them wisely. ? Because it's fun to get better at things! Ready to plan your garden to grow more food this year?   Join our FREE Garden Planning Challenge Uncovering your big "why" If you check out my 2020 garden goals review post, you'll see I was all about the harvest because I wanted to ..read more

I use kon mari as a verb, as in “I kon mari-ed the s*** out of the guest room/office/dumping ground last week.” Admittedly though, I haven’t read the book and have gleaned what little I know about the method from reading Pinterest pin titles (not the actual articles they link to), but I still feel qualified to say that fall garden tasks are akin to kon mari-ing the garden in that we are ruthlessly purging all that no longer brings us joy and conscientiously adding things back in that do. Ahh, the late summer garden The summer garden at the height of its glory. It’s hard to believe how seasons ..read more

We’re lucky to have a guest post from one of my friend/clients, Genevieve. She’s one of those do everything people - friend, wife, mom, ultramarathoner, baker, gardener, and more, and she weaves all those aspects into her life with so much thoughtfulness. Please give her a follow at @genevieveyeakel to see more inspiring content from the self described full time juggler. I called myself a farmer back then, right out of college. There were many experiences over those four years that stuck with me as the slowness of life on the farm contrasted brilliantly with the hustle and bustle of the days ..read more

I’ve talked to many gardeners who have grown successful gardens elsewhere in the country but have moved to Colorado and been disappointed with their harvests. In some areas of the country, sprinkling some seeds into the ground and digging in a few seedlings or plants yields amazing harvests. Sure, they have pests and diseases, but they also have plenty of water and long warm seasons which results in speedy decomposition and lush soils. Gardeners in some parts of the country can’t help but have abundant harvests. But bountiful harvests can be had in our mountain climate too! We just need a litt ..read more

All gardens start with a dream. The dream of harvesting fresh produce for meals; the dream of sharing moments among the plants with children or loved ones; the dream of solitude and calm while simply sitting and noticing in the garden. Providing so much more than a harvest, gardens belong in every yard, and soon Heather and her family will have one in their new home! We’ve been planning this garden since December, and she moves in April. Let’s peak into the design process! Different colors and textures of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers in an intensively planted kitchen garden provide be ..read more

Now that the preserving series has finally wrapped up, I’m going to start an occasional series answering questions I get on my website or from clients. First up, how do I use my space wisely? This is such a great question, and of course, such a personal one! It all goes back to our Garden Reflection and Goals. Why do we garden? Food production? Chemical free food production? A much reduced risk of salad greens contaminated by bacteria deposited by livestock breaking into the fields? :) The aesthetic value? The relaxation? The fun? Eating different vegetables you can’t get at the store? We all ..read more

Part of living a garden centered life is following the rhythms of nature in daily life and marking the passing of the seasons. In the height of summer, we’re busy outside for most of the day, but in the dead of winter, we go out for much shorter periods. There’s more time for writing and reflecting in the winter; the summer is all about action. We’re about halfway between winter and spring, and cultures in the cool temperate regions of the northern hemisphere are starting looking for the first signs of spring be it the blooming of certain plants, the onset of egg laying (we got our first last ..read more