February 06, 2026

Why Winter Is the Best Time to Plan Your Edible Garden

February 06, 2026/ Kelly Pemberton

If you’ve ever told yourself that gardening starts in spring, you’re not alone. Many people assume winter is the off-season, a time to wait until seed catalogs arrive or garden centers restock and come alive again. Most gardeners are not growing food outdoors in winter unless they live in temperate or warm climates. For the past decade or so, I’ve been growing food outdoors in winter all year round using an unheated greenhouse and frost covers over my raised beds, but even that has been impossible in some years, when everything undergoes an extended freeze and it becomes impossible to harvest much of anything.

January 20, 2025

Seed Catalogs and Garden Journals: Your Keys to a Productive Harvest

January 20, 2025/ Kelly Pemberton

Did you know that winter is a perfect time to begin planning your garden? A healthy, thriving garden begins with a good plan of action. While the ground may be resting, your preparations right now can set the stage for a productive and thriving garden this spring. Being able to achieve an abundant harvest needs well-thought-out plan. Two tools stand out as must-have essentials for every gardener who wants to be able to enjoy fresh-picked produce from early in the growing season until its end: seed catalogs and garden journals.

August 07, 2023

Why you should keep a gardening journal this fall

August 07, 2023/ Kelly Pemberton

A few years ago, I started keeping a gardening journal for the first time. As a year-round gardener, I have multiple gardening spaces including 4 raised beds, a small unheated greenhouse and a deck which I use to house 10-12 large pots and numerous small-to-medium-sized containers in the warmer months. My aim was to grow enough food to meet at least half of my family’s needs for fresh produce. I also wanted to be able to share a surplus with neighbors and friends. Little did I know that a garden journal could help me achieve so much more than I expected!