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A woman named Lin taught me about taro at a community garden in San Jose three years ago. She was 74, had been growing vegetables since she was a kid in Taiwan, and she laughed … Read more
Last summer, my strawberry patch went absolutely wild. I’m talking buckets of berries every few days for three weeks straight. My neighbor Carol saw me hauling the fifth harvest basket to my kitchen and yelled … Read more
I pulled up my first black radish three years ago and almost tossed it in the compost pile. The rough, coal-colored skin looked like something had gone terribly wrong in my garden. My neighbor walked … Read more
My neighbor Maria knocked on my door last summer holding a sad, wilted plant with elephant-ear leaves drooping toward the ground. “I killed my taro,” she said with genuine disappointment. “My grandmother grew this in … Read more
My neighbor Margaret still talks about the time she pulled her first homegrown potato from the soil. She was 67 years old, had gardened for decades, but had never tried potatoes. “I just stood there … Read more
A few years ago, a new gardener in our community plot stared at her neighbor’s raised bed with complete confusion. “What on earth is that?” she asked, pointing at what looked like little green aliens … Read more
A few years ago, a woman from our gardening club showed up at a meeting looking defeated. She had just moved into a home with a deeply shaded north-facing garden. Nothing would grow there. She’d … Read more
My grandmother had a bleeding heart plant growing in the shady corner of her garden for as long as I can remember. Every spring, those delicate arching stems would appear covered in pink and white … Read more
I’ll never forget the first time I saw a poinciana tree in full bloom. I was visiting a friend’s property in South Florida. As I drove up the driveway, this massive tree stopped me cold. … Read more
My neighbor Tom spent three summers failing at Brussels sprouts. Each year, the same story. Tiny, bitter sprouts the size of marbles. Plants that toppled over in September storms. Leaves eaten to lace by caterpillars. … Read more
My neighbor Janet grows beautiful romaine lettuce in her backyard garden every spring and fall. Last year, she knocked on my door with a problem. “I harvested six heads of romaine yesterday,” she said. “And … Read more
A few years back, my friend Lisa from our community garden in Seattle called me in frustration. She had just spent $6 on a tiny bunch of bok choy at the grocery store. Six dollars … Read more