I’m a Master Gardener and writer, but mostly I am a home gardener who loves to grow food and cook with the vegetables I harvest from my little urban kitchen garden. I got my start in gardening as a little kid planting peas alongside my mom in our backyard garden and my grandmother, who owned a book shop, sparked my love of reading and writing.

After college, I landed my dream gig as an intern at Organic Gardening magazine, where I eventually worked my way up to being the West Coast Editor. I had the best beat at the magazine: writing stories about vegetables and people who love to grow them. This work led me to meet and learn from a fascinating group of gardeners–from a group of Hmong refugees growing traditional foods in urban community gardens to farmers working to breed new open-pollinated, regionally adapted vegetable varieties. 

I’ve grown food in pots on rooftops, in small plots at community gardens, and in the sunny back (and front!) yards of my home. I’ve been lucky enough to teach joint gardening and cooking classes, including with chef Matthew Dillon at the Corson Building in Seattle and I served as the resident vegetable gardening expert for Seattle’s NPR Station, KUOW. 

My first book Grow Cook Eat: A Food-Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening published in 2012 and, after selling more than 40,000 copies, the second edition comes out in February 2025! I can’t wait to share the updated edition with you!

Plus, I have a new book focused on cooking (and eating!) more vegetables at breakfast due out in the Fall of 2025!

I currently live and garden in Portland, Oregon and would love to connect with you!