Author: Brandee Gruener
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Signing up to reduce food waste leads to experiments in the kitchen
I never have, in my life, bought a plum. They weren’t on the family table when I was growing up. I never felt a hankering for plum pudding. And yet, when I signed up for a weekly delivery by Ungraded Produce, I was faced with the prospect of cooking several. It turns out the mild… Read more
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Not a Weed: Violets
Welcome to the “Not a Weed” series. Each month will feature a common weed and its benefits and uses. After reading these articles, I hope you will agree it’s “Not a Weed!” Many a homeowner brands the humble violet a weed. Violets seem to pop up wherever the lawn is suffering, invade carefully planted groundcover,… Read more
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Five reusable household items for the garden
In 2018, I made a pledge to eliminate single-use plastics from my life. I found it easy to make progress toward that goal, but achieving 100% success was difficult. Unless you grow most of your food, you are bound to come across plastic packaging. And while many plastics are recyclable, using an item one time… Read more
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Winter bulbs support bees
Many native bee species wander out on warmer days in the winter looking for food. Nature provides ephemeral wildflowers in the winter and early spring, but the average suburban homeowner has little to offer. Unless you live on an undisturbed lot full of wildflowers, the early months of the year provide limited opportunity for bees… Read more
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Shopping for bees
This might be a familiar quandary: You’ve wandered into your favorite nursery, looking for the best and brightest blooms of the season. You can picture how lovely a color combination of magenta and white will look in your garden, and you’ve loaded up your wagon with plants. Then you remember your intention of building a… Read more
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Essential plants for the kitchen garden
Most of us like to experiment with growing our own food, even if it’s a simple patio tomato in a pot. Here are a few essential plants to include in your kitchen garden that will feed your family and attract local wildlife. Low-Maintenance Herbs Many herbs are low-maintenance and can be grown in the ground… Read more