Surprising Perks of Living Green in Fall
Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons in New Hampshire. In Spring everything is fresh and new and in Fall everything is slowing down...
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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
Oct 11, 20224 min read
Seed Saving 101
Seed saving is back en vogue, and for good reason! Not only does it save you money and give you more control over your own garden, but it...
Hannah
Sep 22, 20221 min read
Celebrate Fall with GreenLifeNH
Happy Fall Equinox! I love the change of seasons here in New Hampshire! I love the act of putting away the gear from last season and...
Hannah
Sep 15, 20225 min read
A New Hampshire Garden Tour in September
It seems like only yesterday that I took you on a garden tour in July, but here it is, somehow September and full harvest season in New...
Hannah
Aug 9, 20224 min read
It's Easy to Plant a Tree!
I was lucky to be asked to help plant two trees this weekend as a part of Concord's mission to plant 1,000 trees. With the help of some...
Hannah
Jul 19, 20223 min read
7 Ways to Eat Local Right Now
July through September is New Hampshire's harvest season. Suddenly every garden and farm is overflowing with delicious food, fresh for...
Hannah
Jul 12, 20222 min read
The Blue Zones Challenge: How a Healthy Lifestyle is Good for You AND the Planet
A few years ago I learned about the Blue Zones, a study that tracked the habits of the longest-lived, healthiest people on Earth. The...
Hannah
Jul 6, 20224 min read
A New Hampshire Garden Tour in July
If you, like me, are struggling with the newly released New Hampshire climate report and the Supreme Court's retrograde decision on...
Hannah
Jun 14, 20222 min read
15 Surprising Things You Could Be Composting
Most people know you can compost your kitchen scraps, but don't limit yourself to carrots ends and mushy apples. Almost anything made of...
Hannah
May 11, 20222 min read
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...
Hannah
May 3, 20225 min read
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, 20223 min read
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, 20223 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20215 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20211 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20212 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20203 min read
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, 20203 min read
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, 20201 min read
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, 20203 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20201 min read
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, 20201 min read
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 –...
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