Kristina Hicks-Hamblin

Kristina Hicks-Hamblin lives on a dryland permaculture homestead in the high desert of Utah. Originally from the temperate suburbs of North Carolina, she enjoys discovering ways to meet a climate challenge. She is a Certified Permaculture Designer and a Building Biology Environmental Consultant, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Kristina loves the challenges of dryland gardening and teaching others to use climate compatible gardening techniques, and she strives towards creating gardens where there are as many birds and bees as there are edibles. Kristina considers it a point of pride that she spends more money on seeds each year than she does on clothes.

How to Store Carrots In the Ground

Vegetables, Winter Gardening Carrots, Root Crops, Umbellifers (Apiaceae), Winter

A close up of freshly harvested carrots, the wet soil still on the roots. The background is the green foliage of the tops which are still attached.

When it’s time to harvest your crops, have you ever wondered what to do with an overabundance of root vegetables? What if your homegrown carrots could be left in the soil for the winter? Leaving carrots in the ground is a great way to keep them fresh during the winter months – given the right conditions. Read more now.

How to Grow Carrots in the Garden

Vegetables Carrots, Root Crops, Umbellifers (Apiaceae)

A close up of carrots in the ground, almost ready for harvest with their orange root tops showing. Green foliage attached and rich dark soil around them.

Carrots may be the ultimate health food. The only way to make them healthier and more delicious is to grow them yourself! Add these beauties to the vegetable patch, and you can enjoy them in all the shades of the rainbow. And you’ll get the freshest root vegetables you’ve ever tasted. Keep reading to learn more.

Fall Garden Planting Design Guide: Create a Cozy & Inviting Autumn Oasis

Design Fall

Autumnal scene in low sunshine. A metal arbor with a green vine is surrounded by ornamental grasses and shrubs, in the background are trees in soft focus.

Create a cozy, inviting autumn oasis in your own yard by choosing the right plants and design elements. For a fall garden that delights the senses and warms the spirit, make sure to plan your design with attention to color, texture, shape, and light. To learn more about creating your own fall garden design, read on.

Spice Up Your Garden with Fall Decor: Decorating Ideas for Autumn

Design Fall

Straw bales with a display of autumn vegetables and fruit. A curved wicker basket with the fresh produce cascading out of it. In the background are flowers, yellow and red.

Spice up your fall garden with seasonal decorations, ranging from the classic (pumpkins and straw bales) to the whimsical (lanterns and fairies). Whether elegant or rustic, bring hints of harvest season warmth to your outdoor landscape this autumn. Read on for ideas to complete your very own fall garden decor.

How to Plant an Autumn Vegetable Garden

Beginners, Vegetables Fall

A close up of a man's hand, planting a garlic bulb in a small furrow in the soil. His other hand is holding a wicker basket, containing more garlic bulbs. The background is soft focus soil and grass.

Carrots, and cabbage, and collards, oh my! Fall is here and it’s time to head back to the garden to plant your autumn vegetable crops. For a bountiful harvest from your fall veggie patch, there are a few tips and tricks you’ll need before you sow your seeds and transplant your seedlings. Ready to learn more? Read on!

When to Plant Crops In Fall

Vegetables Fall

A close up of cabbage leaves with a light frost on the leaves, in bright sunshine.

Gardening is awesome in autumn, but do you know the best time to plant your favorite crops? Learn about important factors such as the first frost date, days to maturity, soil temperature, and more. This handy guide makes it easy for you to work out the ideal time to sow or transplant your fall garden plants. Read more.

The Ultimate Fall Berry Planting Guide

Berries and Brambles Fall

Two hands at the left of the frame holding compost to place around a berry plant, at the right of the frame. The background is soil in soft focus.

Just because there’s a chill in the air doesn’t mean your gardening season has to be over. Autumn is the perfect time to plant berry bushes, trees, and canes for a generous crop of homegrown fruit next year. Read more to learn to plant a variety of berries this autumn for a luscious spring, summer, and fall harvest.

How to Plant and Grow Ground Cherry, A Tasty Tropical Berry

Berries and Brambles Nightshade Family (Solanaceae)

Close up of a ground cherry, the husk partially open, revealing the orange berry inside. Hanging from a branch, with soft focus green background.

Ground cherries are an easy-to-grow summer annual producing masses of small but tasty, tropical-flavored berries. If you grow these unique berries from seed in a small section of your veggie garden you’ll have a nice snack at hand while gardening. Read on to learn how easy it is to grow these delicious little berries.