Born and raised in South Jersey (Zone 6), my father and grandfathers all had gardens. As a child, I helped them plant seeds and pick vegetables. I spent my teenage years working on a local farm. Little did I know that these childhood activities would become a passion that would define me.

After college, I lived in the Philadelphia area (Zone 7) where I had to garden out of buckets on driveways and porches.

My love for all things outdoors has taken me south where growing seasons are longer and winters milder, but with a few deep freezes in the mid-to-low teens annually that make the climate a challenge. I currently live in southeastern North Carolina (Zone 8) where I developed a 1/4-acre suburban property into a thriving ecosystem with many raised bed gardens and over 150 fruit trees.

I also own raw land in Florida (Zone 9) that I am slowly developing for a future homestead for a target year 2030.

These experiences helped me learn how to grow food in a diverse range of climates, and I want to pass the knowledge onto you to help you garden better and grow bigger no matter where you live!