Beauty in Forgotten Places
When I was a young child, I spent a lot of time lying in the backyard staring at the teeny, tiny flowers that grew amongst the crabgrass...
In The Garden
Hannah's a master gardener while Rachel's more of a novice. Doesn't matter how much you know, gardening can be for everyone, whether you have a large yard or a few potted plants. Learn to compost, grow your own veggies and "put your garden to bed for the winter," among other tips. Gardening can be relaxing, good exercise and a great way to help the Earth!
Hannah
- May 3
- 5 min
Pollinator Gardens for the Rest of Us
You've probably heard by now that pollinators are responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat and that they are in decline because of...
Hannah
- Feb 22
- 3 min
Chicks to Eggs - A Year of Backyard Chickens
As Spring approaches, I'm fondly remembering those six adorable balls of fluff we brought home in their little cardboard box last April....
Hannah
- Feb 18
- 3 min
What I Plant and When I Plant It
I have been asked many times for a list of what I plant in my Zone 5 vegetable garden. Honestly, I've never made a list because a) I'm...
Hannah
- Nov 9, 2021
- 3 min
From Pumpkin Seed to Pumpkin Pie, A lesson in patience
Pumpkin seeds are one of the last seeds to be planted in the garden. They are big ones. Very satisfying to plant. I learned a method from...
Hannah
- Oct 26, 2021
- 3 min
Stop! Don’t rake those leaves!
Hi, it’s me again. Your friendly neighborhood yard specialist. Here with some more unconventional advice to make your yard greener and...
Hannah
- Oct 5, 2021
- 4 min
Don’t Forget to Plant your Garlic on Halloween!
When I started growing my own food, I didn’t realize how easy it would be to be totally self-sufficient in some staple crops. No, we’re...
Hannah
- Sep 28, 2021
- 3 min
Invasives are Everywhere! How can YOU help NH?!
This fall, I am participating in the UNH Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener Program and I am absolutely loving it. This week one of...
Hannah
- Sep 14, 2021
- 5 min
Why I grow my own food
In a world where I can drive ten minutes to the grocery store and buy perfectly clean, spot-free tomatoes and bright green,...
Hannah
- Aug 24, 2021
- 3 min
My Five Favorite Gardening Books
I have been growing vegetables for six years now. Each year I gather a bigger, better harvest and feel more confident in my abilities,...
Hannah
- Aug 3, 2021
- 3 min
Backyard Chickens – More than just eggs!
In April, we packed the kids into the car and headed over to Osborne’s Agway in Concord (one of my favorite places) to pick up six...
Hannah
- Jul 20, 2021
- 1 min
Welcome, Pollinators!
In January, I posted a list of 12 Green Resolutions for 2021. The one I was the most excited about was #6: Be kind to your wild...
Hannah
- Jul 6, 2021
- 4 min
Weeds and Deer and Bugs, Oh My! How to keep nature from eating your garden without using chemicals
Three days of rain followed by two days of warm sun is perfect weather for growing vegetables – and weeds. I spent a good part of...
Hannah
- Jun 15, 2021
- 4 min
State of my Green(er) Yard Report
We moved into a new home a little less than a year ago. Our goal is to make as many ecological changes as we can to the yard, within...
Hannah
- May 18, 2021
- 4 min
The Battle of Green Desert has begun
It’s time to man your battle stations against the most insidious enemy you never knew you had. It’s time to stop aiding and abetting the...
Hannah
- May 11, 2021
- 4 min
In Defense of Doing Things the Hard Way
My dad, who had patiently been teaching me to drive for weeks, was finally somewhat relaxed in the passenger seat of his car for the...
Hannah
- Apr 27, 2021
- 3 min
Plant a little self-sufficiency this year
Backyard gardens and backyard chickens have had a Renaissance recently, thanks to Covid. It gives people a sense of security to know that...
Hannah
- Apr 6, 2021
- 3 min
DIY Backyard Vegetable Gardening so easy my Five-Year-Old is doing it!
I have been organic vegetable gardening at a community garden for the last five years and it has been wonderful, satisfying, and...
Hannah
- Apr 1, 2021
- 2 min
Be the Change – Join these two challenges today!
The family and I have been working hard this spring on our new Square Foot Garden (post on that to follow). Our goal is to plant salad...
Hannah
- Mar 11, 2021
- 3 min
Seed Starting 101
The beautiful weather these last few days has had me thinking Spring, Spring, Spring! And Spring makes me think of gardening and...
Hannah
- Feb 4, 2021
- 3 min
Dreaming of Spring: Planning your 2021 Garden
This Monday was Imbolc, a Pagan celebration marking the midpoint between deep winter and first spring. At Imbolc, I always try to sort...
Hannah
- Nov 24, 2020
- 2 min
For the Birds
One of our goals in our new house is to create a backyard habitat for birds, butterflies, and bees. I am going to be using this article...
Hannah
- Nov 17, 2020
- 2 min
Our New Clothesline!
If you are an avid follower of this website (and I hope you are!), you will know that upon re-reading How Bad are Bananas by Mike...
Hannah
- Nov 5, 2020
- 3 min
Kale is King! Year-Round Salad Gardening
Looking to grow your own greens (almost) year-round here in New Hampshire? Kale, the darling of health nuts, is also one of the hardiest...
Hannah Kivikoski
- Oct 14, 2020
- 3 min
Guest Post! Foraging Fungi in NH Forests
Hannah Kivikoski has been a nature enthusiast and animal lover since childhood. She explored the American outdoors with her mother,...
Hannah
- Sep 17, 2020
- 1 min
Decorating with Nature – Fall Edition
It’s almost Fall and all the stores and online advertisers are trying to sell you a bunch of fake pumpkins, apples, and leaf garlands....
Hannah
- Sep 1, 2020
- 3 min
Starting a vegetable or pollinator garden!!!
With fall just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about your garden/s. Why now? Why not in the Spring? Because the soil will...
Hannah
- Aug 15, 2020
- 2 min
New Hampshire berries in December!
BERRIES! My family is obsessed. We pick from the beginning of the summer to the end – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries,...
Hannah
- Aug 4, 2020
- 2 min
The Ephemeral Extravagance of a Fresh Tomato
We don’t eat fresh tomatoes for most of the year. From October to June, we get our tomato kicks from salsa, marinara, and tomato soup. We...
Hannah
- Jul 19, 2020
- 1 min
Eat your weeds! or When Life gives you purslane, make soup!
We should all try to eat locally. New Hampshire is awash in fresh vegetables this time of year and I hope you are enjoying local lettuce,...
Rachel
- Jun 10, 2020
- 1 min
Composting at Home
Food waste and scraps account for about 25% of our landfill. Some people assume that this food will easily decompose into the ground –...