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Editors' musings, reflections, and ideas

Pickles in progress

Sweet Refrigerator Pickles

I thought it was about time I learned about pickling after a coworker brought in her homemade sweet...
Red-Tailed Hawk

Signs of Autumn: Birds, Leaves, and Fading Sunlight

Hawks migrating, bears foraging, acorns falling. Signs of fall are all around. Anyone who’s sweated...
Tea With Chamomile

How to Make Herbal Tea

Discover the best herbs for tea and how to make a good, flavorful cup of herbal tea! Not only do...
Spring peeper HGW frogs

5 Signs of Spring: Birds, Peepers, and Tree Buds

Every year, we patiently look for the first signs of spring in the air—leaves budding, birds...
Poor Man's Turtles

Poor Man's Turtles

Take me into a candy shop any day, anywhere, and I will walk out with a turtle every time. No...
Wool Socks

How to Keep Warm in Winter

Where I live, winter temperatures are often in the single digits, but no matter where you live,...
Mint Plants

12 Uses for Mint Leaves From Health to Home

How do you use extra mint leaves? Here are 12 marvelous uses for mint around the home and garden—...
Maple Syrup Sap Buckets

Making Maple Syrup: Good and Good for You!

What is “real” maple syrup? What makes good maple syrup weather? How are trees tapped? What are...
Orion Constellation

How to See Orion: The Hunter Constellation

In December, many people start to notice Orion the Hunter in the night sky.  It’s one of the most...
Pumpkin Chunkin'

Blog: What Is Pumpkin Chunkin?

This autumn, I drove past an unusual site in rural New Hampshire: a giant contraption towering...
Storm

Power Outages: What to Do Before, During, and After an Outage

What should you do in case of a power outage? Having survived many power outages, here are some of...
Clothesline

10 Great Reasons to Line Dry Your Laundry

Why would people line dry their laundry when dryers have been invented?  I’ll give you ten great...
Hummingbird at Feeder

Do Hummingbirds See Red?

I love to watch the hummingbirds at my bird feeders. A friend told me hummingbirds are more...
Pickles!

In, then out, of a pickle

When an Almanac colleague and gardener greeted me one day with,”Good morning! I left a bag of...
Woodland Garden

Gardening in the Woods

Gardening in the woods can be a challenge, especially when you love plants and flowers. But near...
Almanac Christmas Party

Blog: The Almanac Christmas Party

Every December, we cook up a storm for the annual Almanac Christmas party. Here are photos of the...
Northern Lights Tour in Alaska

What It's Like to See the Northern Lights

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to see the Northern Lights (aka Aurora Borealis), I had the...
Vines on support

Ornamental Edible Vegetables

Every January, the members of my community garden have a potluck supper, during which we thumb seed...
Are You Looking at Me?

Blog: Your Backyard Birds: What Birds Have You Seen?

At breakfast, I sit near my backyard window and listen to birds’ sweet songs in the morning light....
Cloud Shapes 5: What Do You See?

Cloud Shapes 5: What Do You See?

For the past four months, we’ve shown you photos of clouds that might remind you of a certain...
Cloud Shapes 4: What Do You See?

Cloud Shapes 4: What Do You See?

It’s amazing how invisible water vapor can condense into tiny water droplets or ice particles,...
Cloud Shape 3

Cloud Shapes 3: What Do You See?

Clouds are always changing shape. Occasionally, they’ll morph into a familiar form, such as an...
Afternoon clouds over the water

Cloud Shapes 2: What Do You See?

If you like to look for familiar shapes in clouds, you’ve come to the right spot. Every few weeks,...
Sleeping with Banana and Other Ways to Overwinter Tropicals

Sleeping with Bananas and Other Ways to Overwinter Tropicals

Yes, I sleep with bananas all winter long.  A ‘Super Dwarf Cavendish’ banana plant, that is.  It’s...
Travel Safe Monarchs

Travel Safe Monarchs

A week ago, I waved goodbye to the last Monarch butterflies that hatched in my garden on the...
Young Carrots

Germination

I find that getting seeds to germinate properly is the most difficult aspect of planting the garden...
Emerging Potatoes

Planting Patience

May is always a hectic month for me. Here, in the northeast, the gardening season is short and ...
Rhubarb Crisp

Fresh Fruit Crisp: My Easy Last-Minute Dessert

I never plan ahead with my desserts unless it's a special occasion. So, the old-fashioned fruit...
Rethink What You Drink, Water

What's In Bottled Drinks?

What exactly is in bottled drinks? Many advertise that they are good for you, but what are the...
Fruit or Vegetable?

Tomatoes: Fruit or Vegetable?

Last blog I asked you what edibles you would plant if you were limited to only three.  The response...
Logo Old Farmer's Almanac OFA

An Insider's Look at The Old Farmer's Almanac

Ever wondered what it might be like to work for The Old Farmer’s Almanac? I’m a college intern here...
Ann Clark Ltd. Cookie Cutters

Cookie Cutters – a Holiday Baking Essential

Baking and decorating cookies for family and friends (and, for Santa, of course) is a favorite...
The Organic Hound

Reward Your dog with a Healthy Treat

Let’s be honest, if you’re a dog lover, it’s nearly impossible to say no to those sad eyes,...
Handmade Apple Jack and Peel Soy Candle

Enlightened About Soy Candles

With the daylight hours waning and the nights getting cooler, my favorite season is approaching....
My Raised Vegetable Garden

How's Your Garden Growing (2011)?

How’s your garden growing this year? Please share below! I asked this question last year and...
Lavender

Lavender and Marshmallow Tea

Have you ever wondered about experimenting with different herbs to make the perfect cup of tea? If...
Monster Carrot

Blog: Share Your Vegetable Photos!

Late in the harvest, we often find some extra-large veggies. This morning, I finally pulled up a...
Tarte Tatin

Tomato Tarte Tatin Recipe—It’s Dessert!

As much as I love roasted Roma tomatoes, Tomato Tarte Tatin, which appeared in the August issue of...
Books

Blog: Summer Reading

There is something special about summer reading. Sitting back in the porch rocker with a glass of...
Downy Woodpecker

Blog: My Feathery Friends

Through the summer, I have suet hanging on a hook on my deck next to the hummingbird feeder. I can...
Rhubarb

Blog: Garden Prep, Planting Lettuce, and Picking Rhubarb (yea!)

This past weekend, I hauled compost from the recycling center across the road. (I make my own but...

Blog: Getting Growing

Yesterday, I put in my first big day at the community garden: about three hours of turning the dry...

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