…lead nurse in each village so he or she could distribute them. The seeds and the headache medicine were the biggest hits. Our home base was a medical clinic on the grounds of a hospital that was burned by the Sandinistas in 1981. Some lovely browalia still grow and bloom among the concrete ruins of hospital’s foundations. Dr. Burke asked me to plant a garden with Rudi, the clinic’s groundskeeper. We chose an open cement box that wa…

A salsa recipe that’s super easy and has a distinctive texture and flavor. The best part: It only has six ingredients. Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa Most varieties of tomatillos are still green when they’re ripe. Once the bottom of the papery lantern has split open, they’re ready to be picked. It’s not unusual for one tomatillo plant to produce as many as 100 fruits. Our gas grill was broken when I made this salsa, s…

Can a concept grown in Vermont take root in Costa Rica? Our founder, Will Raap, has found that the answer is yes, with some modifications. To produce crops at Finca Lagunita in Costa Rica, farmers have to employ special techniques, such as iguana fencing.   -Will Raap Founder and Chairman, Gardener’s Supply See all blog posts…

Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…