Cheryl Magyar

Here’s a challenge for you: imagine staring into a field of sunflowers in full bloom and not smiling. It’s hard, isn’t it? There’s a common sentiment that it’s impossible not …

Let me guess, you heard it through the grapevine that spring is a good time to prune your grapevines? I guess they are sending out the same message to us …

When flowers begin to come up from the ground it can only mean one thing, that spring is finally on the way. Time to put the cold and snow of …

Once in your lifetime, you should find the time to build a beautiful cob oven in your backyard. If you can’t find time, then you’ll have to “make time”, because …

Every gardener’s dream is to harvest bucket upon bucket full of sun-ripened tomatoes. Even though tomatoes are relatively easy to grow, they can be finicky, which is why there is …

When it comes to flowers in the vegetable garden, marigolds, nasturtiums and calendula are the first blossoms that pop into my mind. I can see them vividly, swaying in the …

Saving seeds from your own garden is a valuable skill that every gardener can easily acquire and learn, even in their first growing season. Storing them, however, is a slightly …

There’s always a certain sadness when the gardening season comes to an end, but don’t despair quite yet – there are still a number of pleasurable chores to get done …

It’s never too late to leave the leaves on the ground, right where they belong. That is, unless you’ve already raked them up, stuffed them in bags and sent them …

To find out if you could benefit from a garden shed, ask yourself: Do my growing number of garden tools need a new home? There’s your answer. Having clean tools, …

Move over plum chutney, there’s another jar that needs to fit on the shelf – or in the fridge. It has something to do with plums and a whole lot …

Where there are multiple garden path ideas, there’s bound to be at least one beautiful garden walkway that can be yours for the DIY-ing. All it takes to create a …

Did you know there are several fantastic reasons for growing peas in your garden? Spoiler alert – you don’t have to grow them for the sheer enjoyment of shelling peas …

Love it for its nutrients, or hate listening to all the hype, kale is here to stay. Literally. Plant it one year, and if you allow it to spend the …

If one of your goals in life is to enjoy peaches all year long, in your muesli or on your peanut butter and peach jam sandwich, then keep reading. Close …

When cucumbers are in season, you’ve got to make at least one kind of pickle. Dill, garlic, 5-minute fridge pickles, or even bread and butter pickles if you are so …

Spring is the beautiful time of year when most gardeners are out buying new garden seeds, if not sorting through their leftovers from last season. It’s a time of hope …

Mouthwateringly ripe cherries of the red or black kind hang but once a year on the most beloved trees. Picking a bowlful (one for the bowl, one for the mouth) …

If your pantry doesn’t have at least one jarful of intensely flavored sun dried tomatoes from your own garden, you’re seriously missing out. Seriously, as you scroll through this list …

Self-reliance is a very beautiful and practical way of living to strive for, which offers many rewards, mostly beyond the monetary realm. Yet, there are a few intrepid homesteaders out …

If you’re new to growing peas this year, by now, you’re noticing they’re getting pretty tall. And you’re probably scratching your head and thinking, “I wonder if these need a …

What could be better than a beautiful dragonfly zooming about the garden to brighten your day? Well, a flight of dragonflies or a static swarm has been known to top …

Are you planning to can this summer for the first time, or are you an experienced canner in need of inspiration to find modern ways of doing old-fashioned things? Either …

If this is your first year of no-dig gardening, congratulations! You are well on your way to less work and more abundant harvests. While this page you are currently on …