Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. š± This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribersāhere's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
how to protect your landscape over winter āļø
I'm typing this after we've had several nights of hard freezes, and it definitely feels like we're transitioning to winter. (I don't mind, because we've had a beautiful autumnālonger than usual, it seemsāand I'm ready to crank up the wood stove and hunker down at home.) My garden is also going into hibernation mode, and I spent this week covering the last of my beds and throwing a fresh layer of mulch around my perennials and overwintering crops. Most plants don't mind the cold as long as...
how to keep your wreath and garland green for 8 weeks!
(And this is without sprays or preservatives. You don't need them!) This week I decorated my front door with a fresh-cut cedar garland and evergreen wreath, and they will look the same way they do now... in 8 weeks! (They even retain some of their scent, which I love because it makes me feel like I'm walking through a forest.) So what's the secret to keeping your holiday greenery this fresh for so long? It's not using anti-transpirant sprays or preservatives, or going with artificial wreaths....
start NOW for this homemade gift š
My husband just told me that he found a bottle of limoncello in the freezer from when... let's just say, it's verrrrry smooth and aged by now. š
(Hey, we made a lot back then.) The zesty, lemony Italian liqueur feels pretty fancy when you break it out and serve it in little cordial glasses, but it's actually very easy to make. And if you have a lemon tree or access to organic lemons (which are fully in season right now), limoncello makes a lovely homemade holiday gift or host/hostess gift....
how to keep your tree green until AFTER new year's day! š
Yes, I'm that person... the one who embraces winter and loves all the lights and music (and movies!) of the holiday season, the gatherings, the cheeriness, the snowy wonderland. We hung lights on our house a few days before Halloween (because I hate when it gets dark early after the time change), and while I do Santa, stockings, gingerbread houses, and candy canes for my kids, I do all the other thingsāgarlands, wreaths, fairy lights, and cinnamon-scented pineconesāfor myself. It keeps our...
are you up for this? cutting down your own holiday tree
Yesterday, my husband and I loaded the kids in the car with plenty of layers and treats, all the tools we needed to cut down a tree and take it home with us, and headed into the national forest in search of a Christmas tree. This is one of our absolute favorite family traditions, and we've been cutting down our own tree for the past 8 years! I wanted something different this time around, as we've had grand firs and white firs the past few years, so we headed over Santiam Pass to higher (and...
š gift guides for people who like to play in the dirt
Ahh yes, it's that time of year when we all get inundated with gift guides. To be honest, I have a love/hate with them. Because yes, we should be gifting experiences and making memories with the people we love. At the same time, a useful, meaningful, or beautiful tangible gift can actually enhance someone's experience when they're doing something they love, and I'm allll for that! So, hoping for a happy medium, I've curated four lists specifically for people who like to get outside and play...
help me out? I've got some questions š¤
Does it feel like the year is already over once Thanksgiving rolls around? Everything's a blur and we're just trying to make it to 2026? Yeah. Same. Things start slowing waaaay down around here, so I like to hunker down and strategize about the future of Garden Betty: where it's going, what you're looking for, and how I can make it all come together. Being a one-woman show is no easy task, but I've been at it for over 15 years (ā¼ļø) and I try to make each year better based on the feedback I...
micro tomatoes and other EASY vegetables you can grow indoors
For most people, the first snow (or even the first hard freeze) ushers in the end of the gardening season. And while you can certainly hang up your trowel and call it good for the year, I think it's more fun to try to keep something going through winter, but within the warmth and comfort of your own home. Do you ever grow food indoors? Not mason jar sprouts or windowsill herbs, or even those potted citrus trees you drag back inside every October to overwinter... but vegetables you can...
don't miss these early BF deals ā”ļø or this sweet opportunity
I know, I know... You're probably getting bombarded with Black Friday emails this week. And it's not even Black Friday yet. But I wanted to sneak this into your inbox because Amazon has tons of early holiday sales going on, and if you're like me, you like to get all your holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving and skip the madness. Because I've got a special incentive to share what I'm loving, I've scoured Amazon for the best deals and gathered all my favorites into one simple shopping...
my new book is HERE! šŗšø
Just released!!! š About two years ago, my longtime book editor asked if I would write a book about Route 66, America's most recognizable roadway, to honor the Route 66 Centennial in 2026. šŗšø It would be very different from all my other cookbooks and on the surface, it didn't seem doable: I knew little about Route 66, none of the recipes would be my own, and was it all going to be diners, drive-ins, and dives? You could only have so many recipes for burgers and pies, after all. But the more I...
For people who want to grow more food with less work. š± This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribersāhere's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."