Category
Home & garden
Stories from Front Porch Report and Raised Bed Forum.
Raised Bed ForumReading a Soil Test ReportWhat pH, N-P-K, organic matter, and CEC on your soil test report actually mean, and what to do about each one.
Raised Bed ForumA History of the Victory GardenHow victory gardens went from WWI propaganda poster to a movement that grew 40% of America's vegetables by 1944.
Raised Bed ForumHelp: Yellowing Leaves on PeppersWorking through the likely causes of yellowing lower leaves on pepper plants, from overwatering to nitrogen deficiency.
Raised Bed ForumStarting Tomatoes From Seed, Week by WeekWhat to do, week by week, from sowing tomato seed indoors to a hardened-off transplant ready for the bed.
Raised Bed ForumDrip Irrigation for Beginners: A $90 Parts ListThe exact parts list, with prices, for a first drip irrigation setup on two raised beds.
Raised Bed ForumFilling a 4x8 Raised Bed: Exactly What to Buy and What It CostsHow much soil a 4x8 bed actually needs, the bag-by-bag supply list, and what the whole thing costs.
Raised Bed ForumWhat Raised Bed Kit Did You Buy — and Would You Buy It Again?Real growers name the kits they bought, what they paid, and whether they'd buy them again.
Raised Bed ForumShow Us Your October HarvestMembers share what's still coming out of their raised beds this October, good years and rough ones alike.
Front Porch ReportA History of the Suburban Cul-de-SacHow the dead-end street went from a medieval accident to a planned suburban ideal, why traffic engineers later turned against it, and why it's still quietly being built today.
Front Porch ReportHow a 1920s Bungalow Is FramedA look at the platform framing, low-pitched roofs, and deep front porches that define the Craftsman bungalow, and what a century-old frame tells an inspector today.
Front Porch ReportHow to Interview a Listing Agent, and What Commission Really Is in 2026Ten questions to ask before you hire a listing agent, what commission actually looks like since the industry's disclosure rules changed, and how to negotiate it.
Front Porch ReportMortgage Rates This Week: What a Quarter Point Costs YouThis week's mortgage rates from five lenders, what moved them, and the real monthly and lifetime cost of a 0.25% rate difference on a typical loan.
Front Porch ReportOpen House Etiquette for BuyersWhat to do, ask, and avoid at an open house, a step-by-step walkthrough, and whether to bring your own agent along.
Front Porch ReportPoints, Credits and the APR You Should Actually CompareA plain explanation of mortgage discount points, lender credits, and why APR, not the headline rate, is the number that makes two loan offers comparable.
Front Porch ReportThe First Winter in a New HouseAn essay on the particular education of getting through your first winter in a house you don't know yet — the furnace, the cold rooms, and the quiet of snow on an unfamiliar street.
Front Porch ReportWhat Movers Charge for a Three-Bedroom House, by DistanceReal quote ranges for a three-bedroom move across local, regional, long-distance, and cross-country distances, what drives the price beyond mileage, and how to get an accurate estimate.