Author: wheelerderfer

The Columbia Gorge is well traveled and well loved. Visitors are most familiar with the spectacular display that is Multnomah Falls, Oregon's best-known waterfall accessible from the interstate. But anyone who's visited Multnomah knows exactly how crowded it can feel. The parking lot is often full, hikers block the narrow historic highway, traffic backs up, … Continue reading Excellent Hikes With Young Kids and Toddlers in Oregon’s Columbia Gorge

The most conventional way to use herbs is, of course, in the kitchen. A sprig of parsley for garnish, diced chives on potatoes, or mint leaves in cocktails, herbs are well known for adding flavor to cooking and sweets. But that's not all you can do. Here are some more uses you might not have … Continue reading 10 Unconventional Household Uses for Herbs

The very first day of my three weeks in Costa Rica was spent at Osa Mountain Village, high above the Osa Peninsula. Untouched jungle for miles and miles, sweeping views of the Pacific, monkeys and rare exotic birds – this was truly the most spectacular place I could ever hope to see. Osa Mountain Village … Continue reading Osa, Costa Rica: A Gardener’s Paradise

There's no longer any dispute – gardens are indeed making the world a better place. Even if you don't do it, someone near you does, and you get to enjoy it. And surely you eat food. The fresher, the better. Gardens make our towns and communities look quaint and well-kept. They bring neighbors together to … Continue reading How Gardens are Making the World a Better Place

The survival garden, or the old victory garden, provides the family with fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. It does not have to provide all of your food, but you do want to think in terms of foods that would fill you up and store a long time in the event you're not able … Continue reading Survival Gardens: How to Plan For Tough Times in Any Space

“There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his … Continue reading The Return of the Cottage Garden

And here are 15 clever tips to help you do it. 1. A Clean Bathroom This goes without saying. But it bears repeating: A clean bathroom is a happy bathroom. Tidy up the clutter, wipe the counter, pick up stray laundry. Set the scene so that you feel as if you walked into a hotel … Continue reading Turn Your Bath Into a Home Spa Retreat

My first winter with the twins, I was still recovering from pregnancy. The weather was brutally cold, and newborn preemies needed fed often. My husband would do the 3 a.m. feeding and head to bed at 4 a.m. That's when I woke up and made coffee to get ready for the 6 a.m. feeding. First, … Continue reading Nothing Like a Hot Winter Bath

Just like that, Gorge Wildcraft was born.