If you've ever kept a compost pile, then most likely you've seen some volunteer squash or tomatoes growing out of it at some point and thought to yourself, “How did that grow...

It is spring and you've just turned over your winter green manure, double dug your beds, and transplanted seedlings. The soil looked perfect, the sprouts just taking off, and suddenly,...

My friends, perfect tomatoes are not those red tasteless orbs for sale at your local national grocery chain store, however nice they look. The most perfect tomato is the one you're...

It's already February! The days are lengthening and hinting at the promise of long summer days spent in the garden yet to come. These are the days that we gardeners spend poring over...

I had the great pleasure of attending the first annual National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, CA this past year. There were thousands of varieties of heirloom fruits and vegetables,...

One of the least appreciated and perhaps most misunderstood food crops is the Jerusalem artichoke. Having nothing to do with either Jerusalem or artichokes, the plant is a North America...

It's the middle of December again and grocery stores and gift shops are overflowing with those ubiquitous and cheery red poinsettias. As far as plants go, they make for festive holiday...

Personal computers have their obvious benefits, but they also can be big power users. According to one extreme hypothetical example proposed by computer expert Michael Bluejay, a computer...

The Jewish festival of Chanuka will take place this year the evenings of December 20th through the afternoon of the 28th. It is both the celebration of the defeat of the Greek armies...

Now is the time to plant garlic if you haven't done so already. Like other bulbs (think tulips), garlic enjoys overwintering in cold conditions (a process known as stratification)....