Samantha Johnson

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
It’s easy to fall into that predictable culinary routine of relying on salt and pepper to season everything—branching out, maybe, into garlic powder or oregano if we’re feeling especially adventurous. But there’s a lot more to spices than just salt and pepper, and a well-stocked spice rack is an essential component of any pantry.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
It’s late summer, and even though I’ve never been to your garden, I can predict this: it's full of zucchini. If there’s one thing we can bond over as northern gardeners, it’s our ability to grow zucchini and summer squash.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Sometimes when you garden, you have to accept certain things, such as the existence of powdery mildew and the fact that blueberries like acidic soil. Personally, I’ve had to accept the fact that no matter how much I want to grow Long Island Cheese pumpkins, they just aren’t suited to my zone 4a short-season vegetable garden in northern Wisconsin.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Chicken combs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the breed. Whether you're choosing for climate or aesthetics, here's a quick primer on combs!

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Is it any wonder that gardeners continually seek out ways to shorten the tomato-growing process?

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
When weeding your garden, you’ve probably removed this familiar plant by handfuls, carelessly dismissing it as a useless weed. But wait! It may be considered a weed, but it’s definitely not useless.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
When we envision growing tomatoes, we tend to think of sprawling, out-of-control vines that take up lots of garden real estate. Beautiful and delicious, yes, but also very space consuming. So if you’re trying to garden in limited space, maybe you’re assuming that tomatoes aren’t an option, but that isn’t the case at all.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
The farmhouse porch swing is iconic for a reason—it's great place to settle in for family fun and easy conversation when the weather's right!

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Amidst all the buzz about honey bees, we sometimes overlook the contributions of the humble bumble bee to the success of our gardens.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
The splendiferous sunflower might not be the first plant that comes to mind when you think of your kitchen garden. But these beauties deserve a place in your edible garden for both their flowers and their seeds.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Nobody saw the 2020 seed shortage until we were right in the thick of it. As the lockdowns of 2020 wore on, people continued to search for productive ways to stay busy at home. Many turned to gardening.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
Once upon a time, I planted dill in my herb garden and it grew so tall and gorgeous that I couldn’t bear to harvest it. So I just admired it in the garden every day and breathed in its delightful fragrance instead. It lived happily ever after, the end.
OK, so I’m exaggerating a little, but there’s a nugget of truth there.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
The Welsh breed is divided into four sections based on size and type: Section A, the Welsh Mountain Pony; Section B, the Welsh Pony; Section C, the Welsh Pony of Cob Type; and Section D, the Welsh Cob.

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
A purebred rabbit with a pedigree leaves no mystery as to its ancestry, and certain breeds exhibit distinctive characteristics that are easy to spot anywhere — Dutch rabbits, for instance, or Dwarf Hotots. But how about when you aren’t sure of your rabbit’s background?

BY SAMANTHA JOHNSON
The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) recognizes 48 different purebred rabbit breeds. Of course, only one of the 48 breeds has the distinction of being the most popular rabbit breed, and that is none other than the marvelous, the magnificent, the majestic Mini Rex.