Tomato Server

Highly Specific Kitchenware: The Tomato Server

Nothing should ever be touched with one’s fingers. This was one of the principles behind Victorian dining etiquette and it resulted in a plethora of highly specialized utensils and serving pieces, including the Tomato Server, a decorative slotted/pierced spoon designed specifically for serving slices of fresh tomatoes. Think on that a moment. Someone invented a

Grow Write Guild: Creative writing prompts for gardeners

Grow Write Guild #11: Your Edible Rewards

It’s the height of the harvest season, and while I know not all of you are into growing food, it’s practically impossible to be a gardener without growing at least one edible plant: a special variety of mint because nothing else will do in a mojito; hot peppers because their diversity fascinates you (this is

uses for canning jars

For the Love of Canning Jars (+ Weck Jar Giveaway)

Canning jars are everywhere in my home. There are jars in the fridge and freezer, and populating the cupboards and shelves in my kitchen. Many are bursting with dried goods of all sorts and others are filled with assorted and sundry floating in acidic and syrupy liquids — an apothecary of deliciousness. There are other

Edible Flowers stored in Jars

My Best Tip for Storing Fresh Flowers

If you’ve read my books or attended my presentations, you’ve probably heard this one by now. This method of storing freshly harvested, edible blossoms over the short term is a miracle worker and has completely altered my ability to keep and use them more effectively.

Squash and Cucumber Flowers

Diversity is Beautiful (and Other Tangents to See You Into the Weekend)

I’ve been thinking a lot about diversity in the garden. As I wander around, observing everything that is growing, the beautiful diversity within each family and genus, and even within the same plant amazes me. I don’t have anything super profound to say about this right now, it’s just something that I am appreciating in

Grow Write Guild: Creative writing prompts for gardeners

Grow Write Guild: Catch Up

Hello. Just peeking my head out after a long weekend. I’ve decided to skip this instalment of the Grow Write Guild bi-weekly garden writing prompts. It’s mid-summer and if you’re like me, you could probably use the break or some time to get caught up. This is where I admit to you that while I

a headlamp for gardening after dark

Repurposed for the Garden: All Night Long

After the alembic copper still and a new camera lens that I will never be able to afford, all I really wanted for my 40th birthday was a headlamp so I can keep working in the garden past dark — and I got one. The headlamp that is. I’ll be saving up for the lens

Experimenting with the Excalibur Food Dehydrator

My friend Abbey has lent me her Excalibur 9 Tray Food Dehydrator for the weekend. This gorgeous beast is the queen of dehydrators. I used to wonder if it was worth the expense or if the excitement around it was mostly hype. I was officially sold when Abbey bought hers (the machine I am borrowing

Grow Write Guild: Creative writing prompts for gardeners

Grow Write Guild #10: This Plant is Driving Me Nuts

We all have one plant (or a few) that we do not understand. For me it was radish. In my first few years as a rooftop gardener, every radish crop I tried to grow came out wooden, under-sized, and pathetic. Radishes are easy to grow (given the right conditions) and I eventually figured out what

backyard medicine

Backyard Medicine Book Winner (+Newsletter Giveaway)

Lara was randomly selected as the most recent book giveaway, Backyard Medicine: Harvest and Make Your Own Herbal Remedies by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal. I’ve decided to extend this giveaway to one person on the newsletter list. I’ll be randomly choosing a winner on the morning of Monday, July 22, so you have until

Making Plant Hydrosol with an Alembic Copper Still

Experiments in Plant Hydrosol Distillation

Oh, how I love my alembic copper still! I’ve been having such a great time experimenting with it over these past few weeks. The process of distilling plant matter in water to make hydrosol is creative and right brained, but it also engages my left brain in just the right way. It feels like alchemy,

Grow Write Guild: Creative writing prompts for gardeners

Grow Write Guild #9: The Weird Al

I’ve been saving this prompt idea for a time when we could all use something a bit silly and dumb and with this hot muggy weather and the early July holidays behind us, I think the time is now. This idea came to me when my dog Molly was outside chasing the squirrels that invade