Gardening
How to Harden Off Seedlings on a Balcony
How to harden off seedlings on a balcony — the wind-aware, container-scaled way to move indoor-started seedlings outside without shocking them to death.
Backyard Chickens
How to Keep a Chicken Run from Turning to Mud
A muddy chicken run is a water problem, not a weather problem. Here's how I keep my run dry through a wet Tennessee spring — the…
Foraging
What to Forage in the Pacific Northwest in Spring
What to forage in the Pacific Northwest in spring — the medicinal plants I gather from March into May on the Olympic Peninsula, how to know…
Fishing
How to Tie Simple Fishing Knots for Beginners
The two fishing knots for beginners you really need — the Palomar and the improved clinch — tied step by step, plus how to attach a…
Gardening
How to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors for a Spring Harvest
How to start tomato seeds indoors for spring, no yard required. When to sow, the warmth they need, potting up deep, and moving your seedlings out…
Backyard Chickens
The Best Chicken Breeds for Small Backyards
The best chicken breeds for a small backyard, from a keeper who's raised them on a tight lot — quiet, calm, space-smart birds, with honest pros…
Foraging
How to Make an Herbal Oxymel (Honey and Vinegar)
How to make an oxymel — the old honey-and-vinegar herbal preparation — step by step. The ratio I use, which herbs to start with, and how…
Fishing
How to Catch Bluegill in the Spring, on the Beds
How to catch bluegill in spring, when they move up to spawn on the beds — the water temperature to watch, where to find them, and…
Gardening
How to Grow Kale in Containers (Even Without a Yard)
How to grow kale in containers on a balcony or patio — the right pot size, the best cold-hardy varieties, and why kale gets sweeter after…
Backyard Chickens
When Do Chickens Start Laying? A Beginner’s Timeline
When do chickens start laying? A beginner's timeline by breed, the signs a pullet is about to lay, and why that first egg shows up later…