The first time I tried to figure out how to plant potatoes, I bought a bag from the grocery store, cut them up, dropped them in the ground, and waited. Nothing came up for six weeks. Then a few sad, yellow stems appeared and eventually collapsed. My father-in-law walked over, looked at the bed, and
I had this ugly strip of dirt running along my fence line for two full years. Tried grass twice — died both times. My neighbor kept suggesting ground cover plants and I kept brushing her off because I figured they were just something people planted around mailboxes to fill space. Then one spring I finally
Honestly, I killed my first two peonies. Planted them way too deep, watered like crazy, and wondered every spring why nothing came up. Then a neighbor—a retired teacher with the most ridiculous garden on the street—walked over and told me the truth without sugarcoating it. “You’re burying them alive,” she said, and laughed. That stung
My first wandering jew plant came from a neighbour’s garbage bag. I had the most ridiculously lush, trailing purple plant I had ever grown, and I have been a little obsessed with it ever since.Over the years I have killed it twice (both times from overwatering, both times my fault entirely), propagated it probably fifty
Honestly, I almost didn’t buy my first Air Plants. It was sitting in a little wire holder at a farmers market, no pot, no dirt, just there. Looking like something from another planet. The lady running the booth saw me staring and said, “You just spray it with water a couple times a week.” I
Three seasons, four repottings, and one near-death overwatering disaster later, I now have six different varieties of elephant ear plant spread across my home and garden, and I understand this plant on a level that only comes from watching it fail and recover and fail again until you finally figure out what it actually needs
Two winters ago I had a sore throat that wouldn’t quit, a fever, and that awful full-body ache. I was convinced I needed antibiotics. Called my doctor’s office, got squeezed in that afternoon, and after a quick swab, she told me it was viral—nothing bacterial going on. No antibiotics would help. Honestly, I was a
My neighbor Rosa called me at six in the morning last November and panicked. Overnight, the ambulance took her elderly mother to the hospital. Doctors repeated a term—sepsis—that slipped through Rosa’s understanding. She lived there. Medical words, though? Nothing like the English she knew. She kept asking me about sepsis in Spanish. One thought kept
Last winter, I woke up with a stuffy nose, a scratchy throat, and, out of nowhere, an upset stomach that sent me running to the bathroom three times before breakfast. I figured I just had a cold. However, the diarrhea confused me at first. After talking with my doctor and doing some digging, I learned
When I first dealt with a painful sore throat, I looked into homeopathic remedies for strep throat because I wanted gentle ways to feel more comfortable. I found that staying hydrated, getting plenty of rest, and using soothing remedies helped ease the discomfort while I waited to see my healthcare provider. Although these approaches made