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 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
Last spring, a new gardener in our community plot asked me a simple question while we were planning her first garden beds. “Should I plant cilantro with my vegetables or somewhere else?” I watched her … Read more
Last spring, my neighbor Dave pulled me aside at our community garden. He had a confession. “I’ve been growing lettuce for three years now,” he said, looking a bit embarrassed. “But I always thought it … Read more
Last summer, my neighbor Karen knocked on my door in a panic. She’d just started keto and was staring at her garden beds like they’d betrayed her. “I grew all these beautiful vegetables,” she said, … Read more
My friend Karen was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year. Her doctor handed her a meal plan and told her to “eat more vegetables.” Simple enough, right? Wrong. Karen called me two weeks later, … Read more
Three years ago, I watched my neighbor Marcus stare at his garden bed in complete confusion. He’d planted broccoli, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts—all in the same raised bed. When I asked why he grouped … Read more
I’ll never forget the morning I walked out to my lettuce bed and found a disaster. The beautiful butterhead lettuce I’d been babying for weeks looked like Swiss cheese. Holes everywhere. Some leaves were completely … Read more
Want to know the easiest vegetable you can grow that actually makes you look like a pro? It’s kale. Seriously. Last spring, my neighbor Maria—who had never grown anything beyond a struggling basil plant on … Read more