Toni Gattone 
Have you ever been so swept away by the anticipation of getting your spring garden planted that you slid down the slippery slope of being overzealous and perhaps just a tad unrealistic about what you can reasonably accomplish in an afternoon? This is the time of year when we’re most apt to take chances by …
Read moreEven in My 70s, There’s Still Joy in Breaking the Rules Sometimes
When we try something new in life OR in our garden and what we’d envisioned doesn’t happen, we might come to the conclusion that we weren’t cut out for what we’d set out to do or that we don’t have what it takes to be a successful gardener. Most of the lessons I’ve learned in …
The quieter months of winter are the ideal time to dream, imagine, and plan for a garden that can contribute to your wellbeing, provide a space for creativity, and an experience that energizes you, while bringing you peace. I began with writing my wish list in my garden journal, sketching my raised beds to scale, …
Read morePlan This Year’s Garden to Maximize Comfort and Enhance Wellbeing
2020 will go down as one of the most extraordinary years we’ve ever experienced. Between Covid and politics, wildfires and hurricanes, I don’t know about you, but I’ll be kicking up my heels and celebrating as we say bye-bye on December 31st. Along the way, I’ve learned some amazing life lessons I want to share …
What a difference a year makes! When I’d envisioned 2020, I saw myself on the speaking circuit, traveling around the country, delivering my talks and doing book signings. WOW… have things changed. Although now it seems like a lifetime ago, this time last year my book and website launched. I was excited beyond belief the …
Growing a Giving Garden is an opportunity to give to yourself, your family, and your community. Whether you’re new to gardening or you’ve been gardening for years, there’s never been a better time to embrace the idea of planting more food than you need to share with others in need. These are extraordinary times we’re …
As we move through this extraordinary time, it’s clear the world is changing and unclear what our lives will be like going forward. What we do know is that it’s going to be different from the way it was. Each of us will be adapting to our new normal, but we can only take it …
Read moreReimagining Adaptive Gardening: Your Life as a Garden
As grocery store shelves become more sparse due to unpredictable food supply being disrupted, gardening is going through a renaissance like we haven’t seen since World War II, when everyone was growing their own Victory Garden. The National Gardening Bureau has dubbed this time Victory Garden 2.0. Now it makes all the sense in the …
Read moreGrowing Hope and Growing Your Own Food With My Online Series
Last Sunday was a day I won’t forget for a long time. Our amazing daughter Erin and our two beautiful granddaughters drove an hour and a half just to see us for a few minutes. I heard a car horn beeping excitedly outside and there was a lot of yelling going on. Tim and I …
Read moreGrowing Resilience: Drive-by-Love & Gardening Gives Me Hope
In last month’s blog, I wrote about Finding Joy in Turbulent Times. Little did I know at the time just how turbulent our lives were about to become. A few weeks ago, most of us couldn’t spell pandemic. Now we have a name for the fear and anxiety many of us are experiencing. We’ve moved …